Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn has perpetuated the great Frank Lampard West Ham myth in a conversation with Gary Neville.
There’s plenty of history between West Ham and Frank Lampard.
But it is rarely reported on with any degree of accuracy.
Most West Ham fans of a certain age know the story well but those outside the Hammers circle may have been misinformed by the media coverage of the Lampard-West Ham situation down the years.
There has been no love lost between West Ham fans and the Academy graduate turned Chelsea legend down the years.
Hammers fans have taken a great deal of stick over their treatment of Lampard in the wake of his move to Stamford Bridge all those years ago.
But the history and pretext has been misrepresented, misunderstood and misconstrued over time.
While suggestions of nepotism when Lampard was an emerging talent were regrettable, Lampard was no saint in the bitter relationship.
Lampard was a massive West Ham fan as a kid, watching his dad, Frank Senior, carve out legend status at the club.
But the relationship between Lampard and the then Upton Park faithful truly turned sour when he pushed to be sold to London rivals Chelsea and claimed he was not liked by supporters.
Lampard went on to criticise the club and its fans on numerous occasions and received abuse from the terraces whenever the two clubs met.
The fact he would invariably kiss the Chelsea badge to antagonise them further when he inevitably scored against his old side did not help matters, nor did the proclamation that he is Chelsea’s biggest fan.
Most of the misguided views of the history between West Ham and Lampard stem from the regularly regurgitated video of a now infamous fan forum with Harry Redknapp and the young midfielder where the ex Hammers boss denies an accusation from one fan that he was being given preferential treatment. It may look a silly suggestion now, but at the time it was a legitimate question.
The reality was that most supporters were excited about Lampard’s emergence from the academy. And he was hailed as a top talent by the vast majority of West Ham fans when he became a fixture in the first team.
I should know, I used to stand outside the player’s car park before every game with hundreds of others hoping to get his autograph when he pulled up in his slick black Mercedes SLK back in the day.
He was revered not reviled.
People seem to forget he scored 10 goals or more in three of his four full seasons in the Hammers first team.
The fact is Lampard wanted out when Redknapp and his dad were sacked by Terry Brown. Understandable perhaps. But instead the reason for his departure has somehow been pinned on West Ham fans ever since.
Now Eddie Hearn has perpetuated the great Lampard West Ham myth in a conversation with Gary Neville.
The boxing promoter went to the same school as Lampard. And speaking on the Overlap’s Stick to Football show, Hearn incorrectly stated that Lampard was subjected to constant abuse and accusations of nepotism at West Ham.
“It’s like Lampard, you know, he was at my school, he was the year above me,” Hearn said when discussing the influence of his famous father – former Leyton Orient owner Barry – on his work ethic.
“I would watch him and every night his old man would take him over the field and they would do drills, they would sprints and I couldn’t believe it you know.
“He’s a big inspiration to me because when he left school and went to West Ham he got so much stick everyone saying ‘Oh it’s Frank’s son, Harry is his uncle, he’s only getting in (because of them) and it’s a joke’.
“And now, with all due respect to his dad, who even knows his dad used to play football? So people like Lampard (are a big inspiration to me), I think what he’s done is amazing.”
Trotting out the same old tired garbage. Yes there were a minority that questioned Lampard and made accusations of nepotism. But to suggest “everyone” was abusing Lampard at West Ham is utter rubbish.
Never let the facts get in the way of a good story Eddie.
In fairness to young Frank he has shown a lot more class when discussing West Ham nowadays.
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