Billy Green

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About Bob 70-71

Billy Green (right !) and Billy Bonds

The following is an article which appears in the May 2001(Vol.7 Issue 9) of West Ham United's Official magazine' Hammers News'. See www.hammersnews.com

My West Ham by Billy Green

For me, supporting West Ham United wasn't really something I had to choose - West Ham have just always been a (big) part of my life.

Born in Forest Gate and brought up in the East End of London, with a Hammers fanatic as a father who took me along to matches from the age of five, I don't ever remember thinking that maybe I had a choice in who to support.

For me football is all about 'your' club, 'your' part of the world. It's a case of believing that your part of the world is being represented by your football team and they are better than anyone else (even if they're not, as so often is the case with us poor Hammers fans!).

Sure, I can understand if your father comes from somewhere else and brings you up to support his team, but I just cannot understand people who think to themselves, 'oh, such and such a team are good - I'll support them then.' Anyone can pick out a good team and support them, but that isn't a proper fan, is it? How can you really enjoy the highs and the lows of supporting a football team, that in no way represent where you come from?

Do these same people watch the World Cup finals and think to themselves, 'I'm English, but Germany normally win things I'll support them instead'. Of course they don't. They feel that their country's players represent them, in the same way that I feel West Ham represent me, and my part of the world.

If West Ham were a girlfriend, though, I would have dumped her years ago. I've experienced more lows than highs as a Hammers fan, and constantly feel let down by them. I've lost count of the Saturday evenings they have ruined for me with a bad result, the dreaded Monday mornings at work after losing to someone else's team, or the times I have said at the end of a game/season: 'That's it - no more'. But I'm always back with a sense of optimism (usually false) for the next game/season

Saying all that, though, the highs of being a West Ham fan, when they come, more than make up for all the lows. The happiness I feel after a great result or even the rare (very rare) trophy win, cannot be beaten.

Particular highs that stand out for me are as follows:

Being able to see players like Bobby Moore, Trevor Brooking, Alan Devonshire, Billy Bonds, Liam Brady, Paolo Di Canio, etc, who have given me some great memories.

Winning the FA Cup as a second division club, and rank outsiders, against the might of Arsenal.

The semi-final of the same 1980 Cup run that saw Frank Lampard doing his famous dance round the corner flag.

Beating Man Utd in 1992 and effectively ruining their championship hopes after we had virtually already been relegated.

Drawing with Man Utd in the last game of the 1994-95 season, and hearing that result had given Blackburn the title.

Some great European nights under the Upton Park floodlights.

That '91 Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest, when, despite being down to 10 men and losing 4-0, we sang our hearts out for 'Billy Bonds' Claret and Blue Army'. You couldn't hear the Forest fans - and they were winning.

Beating other London clubs. A particular highlight has to be the time, in '82, when I stood behind the goal at White Hart Lane and saw David Cross score four against Spurs.

Promotion years.

Good Cup runs.

And, of course, being able to boast that it was West Ham that won the World Cup in 1966. Name another English captain that has lifted the World Cup and NOT played for West Ham. Name any other Englishman that has scored in a World Cup final that DIDN'T play for West Ham? You can't, because there aren't any.

Geoff Hurst, Bobby Moore and Martin Peters West Ham
World Cup Winners !

WE won the World Cup.

Lows? Well, there have been plenty of them, but ones that stick out are.

Poor Cup results against lower league opposition on an almost yearly basis (we have even struggled to beat non-league opposition in recent years.

Last year's Worthington Cup game against Aston Villa that we were forced to replay after winning, due to us fielding an illegible player. We were there in the semi-finals for one brief night, before we awoke to read the headlines in the morning's paper. How very West Ham'

When we do have a great result, but are still last on Match of the Day, appearing for a few brief seconds.

But most of all, the very knowledge that despite having some truly outstanding players and teams in the past, West Ham have almost always, and probably always will, under-achieve. On our day we can give the likes of Liverpool or Man United a run for their money, but the very same team will run out the next week and be made to look second rate by the likes of Southampton or Coventry City.

So, will I ever turn my back on West Ham? Never. Maybe I'm a masochist, maybe I actually enjoy the misery of being a Hammers fan, but as a true fan will tell you you can change your wife, you can change your religion, you can change your politics. but you can NEVER change your football team.

Billy with Trevor Brooking

There's a further picture of Billy, this time with Sir Geoff Hurst.

Thanks to Billy for sending a number of the images for the site. All the images on this page were sent by Billy

Billy now has his own site, be sure to visit it at Home Page

In the Summer of 2003, Billy married Catherine Lane at Gracelands and he has chronicled these events at his website at Billy and Catherine Green

Here Billy shows Catherine's Claret and Blue garter !

See the latest Soccer headlines at www.bobdunning.net