West Ham United fans should be watching events unfolding in France with great interest.
A large section of West Ham supporters have been protesting against owners David Sullivan, David Gold and their vice-chairman Karren Brady this season.
Many fans are deeply unhappy with the way the board have run the club over the last decade.
They have been making their feelings clear in protests before the Everton game, during the Liverpool match and will again before Saturday’s crucial home clash against Southampton.
Supporters have not been able to take the flags into home games and a fan who wore a GSB OUT t-shirt while he was flag-bearing at the London Stadium was banned for the season – later overturned to a two-game ban (Claret & Hugh).
Under fire owners come out fighting
Sky Sports were threatened with legal action by Sullivan and Gold over comments made about their tenure on the Sunday Supplement show (Daily Mail).
The Daily Mail also claimed West Ham did not take up the full 3,000 allocation for Anfield in a bid to spite the planned protests on Monday night.
The owners have indirectly appealed to fans to put a halt to the protests (whufc.com).
But Hammers supporters speaking out against Sullivan and Gold might need to be on their guard. That’s if the duo get any ideas from Lyon’s president Jean-Michel Aulas (pictured below).
The Ligue 1 club issued a press release on Wednesday which sent shockwaves across French football.
Lyon chief threatens to sue club’s own fans over clown jibes
In it they threatened to sue their own fans. The reason? For posting defamatory comments and images about club representatives on social media.
It comes following a surge in graphics depicting club president Jean-Michel Aulas and manager Rudi Garcia as clowns.
Sound familiar West Ham fans? There are hundreds of images and videos circulating among Hammers supporters online of Sullivan, Gold and Brady depicted as clowns.
One protest flag even reads ‘Run like a circus owned by three clowns’ (pictured below).
As reported by Get French Football News, Lyon stated in their press release that they will ‘file legal complaints for all content, posted or shared on its social networks, which may constitute abuse, defamation, threat, harassment or incitement to hate or violence (in relation to the club)’.
The statement continued (GFFN): “It is our duty to mobilise to fight against instances of discrimination and hate, online and on the field. OL will manage its responsibilities in this sense.”
No suggestion Sullivan and Gold would go to such extremes
There is no suggestion Sullivan and Gold are prepared to go to such extremes.
Indeed that would only increase tensions between fans and owners.
But the pair clearly care about what is said about them judging by the examples fans have already seen.
It will certainly be interesting to see how the unprecedented situation at Lyon develops over the coming months.
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