ROB DRAPER: The return of fans to Premier League football after nine months away stirred the soul… the West Ham faithful sang, roared and jeered – and it finally feels like football is back
- West Ham welcomed back 2,000 fans for their clash against Manchester United
- There have been few versions of ‘I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles’ than Saturday’s
- The quirky anthem was belted out as loud as possible by socially-distancing fans
- It finally felt like football is back with the atmosphere in London stirring the soul
There have been louder and more-intense renditions of West Ham’s quirky music hall anthem ‘I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles.’
At the old Boleyn Ground, it could fairly shake the foundations of that East End landmark. It’s never felt quite like that at the London Stadium.
But few versions have been more evocative than Saturday evening’s, sung out as best they could by the lucky 2000 fans sat in the Billy Bonds, socially distanced, looking for all the world like mannequins from a distance.
The crowd at West Ham produced one of the more evocative versions of West Ham’s anthem
The lucky 2,000 fans were spaced by social distancing and sung the tune as best they could
‘Fortune’s always hiding,’ they sung as loud as they could manage, to a man and woman.
And for those of us who have been fortunate enough to attend football matches while fans have been locked out, it stirred the soul.
Football without fans is better than football on the television. But it’s a peculiarly sterile experience devoid of the vivacity of life that a full stadium can give.
Tomas Soucek’s strike was met with a welcome roar in London like an echo of a former time
Like an echo of a former time, this was a reminder of hope coming. For fans, it must have felt like a release from house arrest.
Suddenly, the banal things of life in the previous order – and with the greatest respect to West Ham, ‘Bubbles’ wouldn’t ordinarily merit huge musical significance – have been magnified into life affirming symbols.
They sang as the team came out, the roared in the early minutes when Pablo Fornals bore down on goal and saw the chance smothered by Dean Henderson, they stamped their feet in rhythm for maximum decibels and the jeered Manchester United’s failures.
Though few in number, the home faithful made their presence felt during a positive first half
The atmosphere made it feel as though football was back and certainly helped stir the soul
They cheered when Jarrod Bowen found the net and booed the assistant ref when he raised his flag for offside.
‘Come on you Irons,’ they exhorted their team. They booed Alex Telles when he jogged over to them to take a corner. They screamed when Harry Maguire to handle the ball.
In short, though few in number, they made their presence felt. And, just as a small amount of seasoning can made all the difference between bland and flavoursome, it felt as though football as it is meant was back.
