by Staff Writer
Thursday, 7th May 2026
West Ham United have cancelled an appearance by Ray Parlour as a host for their fixture against Arsenal in the wake of a number of complaints from supporters.
The former Arsenal midfielder hails from a family full of Romford-based Hammers but is well known as an Arsenal legend.
Therefore when it was recently confirmed West Ham were promoting him as a host for the forthcoming meeting with the Gunners in Stratford, the move was met with criticism from sections of the West Ham fanbase, who questioned why a former Arsenal player - especially one so closely tied to their London rivals - would be given a platform at a fixture carrying emotional significance.
However on Wednesday evening, at a meeting with supporters the club's new temporary CEO, Karim Virani confirmed that plans to hire Parlour for the this weekend's London derby had been shelved in the wake of the furore caused.
Although an official explanation is yet to be made, the cancellation suggests that West Ham - and Karren Brady's replacement Virani specifically - responded to the backlash.
Parlour, affectionately nicknamed the “Romford Pelé,” spent over a decade and won multiple major honours with Arsenal, including three Premier League titles and four FA Cups.
The offending advertisement
His identity as a lifelong Arsenal figure makes him a popular media personality but also a controversial choice in certain contexts — particularly when involved in events connected to rival clubs.
The story resembles another embarrassing marketing failure by West Ham United's current regime back in 2014, when they advertised a forthcoming home match against Manchester City with the slogan "Come and watch Manchester's City's superstars!".
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