Two grown men have done a pair of questionable things.
One did it having thought it through and knocked up a slogan on a soppy bit of old A3. He was in fact breaking the law, stepping on the field of play.
The other reacted, in a second, and knocked Bambi, and his unfolded scrap of paper, to the floor.
I thought this was a working class sport FFS! Its a bit bruised egos all round to be reaching for terms like 'assault', Shirley?
I know what you're saying PM, I get that. But two wrongs don't make a right. I'm sure it's me who's a bit bitter about it as someone who got charged with assault (even went to court) for something less. A lot less.
I am a bit of a c**t though, so probably deserve it!
"The West Ham captain, Mark Noble, a touchstone for the game’s soundest principles, grappled with another pitch invader and then spoke mournfully about the club’s predicament, and how he actually understood some of the fans’ vexations if not their means of expressing them."
He's one of our own is Mark, so I think we should get off his back.
Should be just focused on the game in my opinion. Gets paid enough and should be able to deal with the pressure in that situation.
Would have respected it if he was honest in his post match interview and admitted that he lost he temper. However he claimed he was 'protecting himself' - what a load of garbage
why hasn't nobes, the PR team or the club woken up to quite how ****ed the situation is? you can't just say "we need to pull together". we've had that message about two dozen times over the last two seasons and every time those c**** upstairs take advantage.
this is an extraordinary situation and requires an extraordinary outreach on the part of the club and the players if they want the support on side in three weeks.
Noble had every right to grapple with him. He shouldn't have been on the pitch. He was only doing the job the stewards should have been doing.
There are ways of venting your frustration at the board...but breaking the law is not one of them.
Beavis Danzig wrote:why hasn't nobes, the PR team or the club woken up to quite how ****ed the situation is? you can't just say "we need to pull together". we've had that message about two dozen times over the last two seasons and every time those ***** upstairs take advantage.
this is an extraordinary situation and requires an extraordinary outreach on the part of the club and the players if they want the support on side in three weeks.
Disagree. I think he was being as diplomatic as he could be given that it was on the Club's own site. As captain it is no surprise that he was wheeled out to put the message across on the official site. He knows who pays his wages.
sutts07 wrote:Should Noble have done what he did?
No. But then again he shouldn't have had to.
a) the fan should not have been on the pitch
b) the stewards should have been the ones to tackle him
Sadly, the fan was on the pitch and the security wasn't, so you end up Noble having to try and sort it all out.
Was the fan right to put Noble in that position? Were the security officers right to leave it up to Noble to sort out?
That's it. I'm sure if there were a couple of stewards haring after him Noble would have just let them get on with it. Not sure what people expect,take the bit of paper and hold it up? He's captain of a struggling team who've just gone a goal down. The last thing he's interested in right then is a fans protest.He just wants to get on with the game.
I wonder if this incident, along with his recent public statements will sully him in the eyes of fans who may have been willing to overlook recent poor form?
Beavis Danzig wrote:we've had that message about two dozen times over the last two seasons and every time those ***** upstairs take advantage.
With GSB lack of investment every season we will be in a relegation battle and every season they will tell us to "pull together" (i.e. STFU). b*llocks to that.
Rightly or wrongly I genuinely feel a bit sorry for him; who knows how much pressure is put upon him to be the one in front of the cameras by those up above, and as the skipper it always seems to be him that has to front up.
Everything was a bit heat-of-the-moment on Saturday, so I'm neither willing to condone or condemn him for what he did. We have bigger issues than that.
I thought the post-match interview was clearly sympathetic to the fans and understanding of their frustrations. He can hardly have a go at the board on national TV, can he? As someone said upthread, there was a clear subtext to that interview along the lines of 'we all know that the fans are at the end of their tether with the owners, and have been for two seasons'.
Message to Mark 'Mr. West ham' Noble if you're reading this by any remote chance.
The next time you score and come running off the pitch to celebrate with us in the crowd, expect a clump if its anywhere near me. I like you as a player but we fans cant have players encroaching off the pitch and i feel its our duty to physically push and fight you off. I mean gawd knows what dangerous things you carry down your shorts.
Inexcusable from Noble IMHO.
Acceptable if its an oppo fan though.
BrownFatwa wrote:Message to Mark 'Mr. West ham' Noble if you're reading this by any remote chance.
The next time you score and come running off the pitch to celebrate with us in the crowd, expect a clump if its anywhere near me. I like you as a player but we fans cant have players encroaching off the pitch and i feel its our duty to physically push and fight you off. I mean gawd knows what dangerous things you carry down your shorts.
Inexcusable from Noble IMHO. Acceptable if its an oppo fan though.
100%
I really do believe he ****ed up on this occasion and it pains me to say it being he's a West Ham boy and rate him as a solid Prem player but I've got to be honest and call him out for this.
When I first saw what was going on after turning to my mate briefly once the 1st goal went in, my initial reaction was it was a Burnley fan that ran on the pitch giving it to Noble and thought good on the boy, but once I realised it was a Hammer protesting, I couldn't believe what Noble was doing knowing better than anyone of current ill feeling amongst the fan base. It was a c***ish hissy fit that verged on assault the more I watch it.
Does it define him as a local lad and footballer? No. But it does taint it a little. He's got to expect some boos coming his way for it (not me as I leave my boos for the oppo and Board).
As for all pitch protesters on the day, I don't blame any of them and am grateful to them for making a stand after the underhand tactics to prevent us from protesting properly.