Common sense breaks out | West Ham’s ‘United’ ceasefire can last. West Ham United and common sense are not phrases that usually belong together. However the concessions climbdown that was evident evident yesterday when season ticket renewal information was published is clear evidence that common sense has prevailed, after a long and surprisingly united campaign by supporters groups, West Ham blog and news sites and pretty much every ‘consumer’ group connected with the club.
The plan to make new concessions – under 16’s and over ’65’s cheaper tickets – ascend to the least desirable, highest, furthest away seats at London Stadium was poorly thought out, hardly worth the extra half a million quid or so that it would generate and universally condemned.
Congratulations must go to those who have campaigned ceaselessly against the unfair nature of what was proposed. Whether you see it as a ‘climbdown’ or listening to common sense- the decision of the board is to be welcomed although it would have been nice to see it ‘announced’ as a public admission that West Ham got it wrong, rather than just posted on the whufc.com website without an explanation – with words being pulled out much like a dentist pulling teeth later, as an afterthought. Who does their PR?
No matter. The end result is the same. Maybe it can be a new template? Board and supporters really do have areas where their interests co-incide. We know we are ‘consumers’ that need to be charged. But the board are only transient, temporary custodians of ‘our’ club and they would do well to give -if nothing else- lip service to the interests of those for whom it is a life-long passion.
Business is business, yes. But passion is passion too, and in this instance the two have been drawn together in a ceasefire. Long may it continue.
