West Ham’s torrid conflict between the board- David Sullivan and Karren Brady principally- and tens of thousands of aggrieved fans has caught the attention of national media this week as the vote of no confidence in the West Ham board was made very public. One of the most surprising-aired comments on [Claret and Hugh’s readers comments](https://www.claretandhugh.info/west-ham-v-chelsea-claret-and-hughs-team-predictions/) is that _“fans” would willingly accept relegation if it hastened the departure of the current leadership._
Which I must admit I find astounding. Whatever your opinion of the current ownership, surely you want the best for your club and the players who, for the most part give their all each week. Relegation, as I’ve now witnessed twice as an ‘active’ supporter, is depressing, destabilising and catastrophic for the club regardless of ownership.
Sides are broken up, the endless departure of expensively collected squads is heartbreaking. The best get sold, the decent ones leave anyway and the West Ham side becomes unrecognisable. A load of questionable-quality loanees, a few youth team players and if you’re very lucky one or two senior players from the relegated side remain to try and muddle through that first distressing few weeks away from the top flight.
The grind of Championship football is more physical, less skilful and there is no hiding place. And it is of a worse quality than ever Moyes, Lopetegui or Potter served up. Week after week. Month after month.
Well I remember sitting in Upton Park against sides like Rotherham or Watford in the championship with dreadful, dull football in front of 15,000 bored fans who could, at least, get a half time cup of tea without queueing. But that was all there was to look forward to.
And the prospect of ‘doing a Leeds’ is always the danger for poorly organised relegated sides, who could easily find themselves facing relegation in consecutive years and landing in the third or fourth tier of English football.
So, have your own opinions as to the ownership and the way the club is run. But don’t think, ever, that those who argue vociferously ‘_that relegation is a price worth paying’_ have the best interests of West Ham United, or most of its loyal fans around the world – currently four million plus – at heart.