West Ham fans are protesting tonight.placeholder image
West Ham fans are protesting tonight. | Wolves via Getty Images
Nuno Espirito Santo looks for his first win as West Ham manager, but it could come in front of a depleted London Stadium.
West Ham take on Brentford in Premier League action on Monday night but the London Stadium is much more empty than usual due to a protest from the home supporters.
It’s been a dire start to the season for the Hammers, who sit 19th in the division with just one win to their name. A victory over London rivals Brentford, in what is Nuno Espirito Santo’s first match in charge in Stratford, would see the club move above Nottingham Forest to 18th.
West Ham started the season with Graham Potter in charge, the former Brighton and Chelsea manager having taken over from the struggling Julen Lopetegui in January. However, Potter never managed to turn the tide and was replaced by Nuno last month.
Why are there so many empty seats at West Ham v Brentford?
There are so many empty seats at the London Stadium for West Ham v Brentford because West Ham fans are protesting against the club’s ownership. The protest is being led by supporters group Hammers United.
The ‘No More BS’ campaign started at the end of August and the latest stage is a movement to ‘Boycott Brentford’, seeing many Hammers supporters not turning up to the London Stadium on Monday evening.
Hammers United have claimed that ‘thousands’ of supporters are supporting the boycott tonight. The group said: “To all West Ham fans we say: stand firm, don’t give in, and together we can put an end to the BS.”
Why are West Ham fans angry at David Sullivan and Karren Brady?
While West Ham supporters are desperate to see an improvement on the pitch, the boycott is targeted at those higher up in the club and not at Nuno or the first team.
When launching the No More BS campaign in August, Hammers United claimed that the club would ‘die’ under the ownership of chairman David Sullivan and vice-chair Karren Brady. The group is calling for the two to resign.
A statement read: “With Brady and Sullivan at the helm our club is going to die. It is in serious decline and dying a slow death as we speak, with thousands of long term, time served fans walking away, another relegation fight beckoning, and another early cup exit. We cannot allow this to happen on our watch.
“Remember those who came before us, and those we travelled with to watch the Hammers who are no longer with us. What would they say if we did nothing? We must show the world that Brady and Sullivan’s position is untenable and that they must step aside for the good of the club.
“They must have no more involvement in the running of West Ham United, which must be handed over to professionals with the expertise and drive to move the club forward.”
Nuno Espirito Santo responds to fan protest
West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo was asked for his reaction to the boycott ahead of taking on Brentford on Monday night. The manager had been penned an open letter by supporters, outlining their support for the new head coach and that anger was directed above him.
Part of the frustration is a lack of identity. When asked what he believed the ‘West Ham Way’ to be, Nuno said: “It's subjective. It's so subjective. It's a feeling. We have to achieve that feeling first among ourselves and then determine how we want to do things. And if this is the West Ham way, I'll be very, very pleased, believe me, because everything that I hear about the West Ham way is positive.
“Many, many people come to me and say, ‘the West Ham way is doing this, this, and this’. Then you meet another one and they say, ‘no, it's this, this, and this’. It's so, so difficult to understand.”
In other news, 'Verbal Agreement': Why Nottingham Forest didn't hire Fulham boss Marco Silva with new manager imminent.
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