LONDON – At 5 p.m. on May 11, 2016, West Ham Football Club was to play their final game at the Boleyn Ground Stadium in East London, before moving to their newly renovated stadium where London had hosted the 2012 Olympics.
There were forewarnings everywhere, as newscasters and those familiar with the European Football Club, anticipated mass crowds and fans becoming reckless in the square.
On the way to East London, the Tube was packed with West Ham fans, all dressed in claret and blue, waiting semi-patiently for the train to pull into the stop. There was a rush for the escalators as the environment surged with excitement while the street and sidewalks were crowded with vendors and fans laughing and drinking beer. High above the street, near the stadium, David Gold and David Sullivan, the West Ham co-owners, could be seen on a balcony overlooking and observing the rowdy behavior of the fans below.
The noise gradually became louder toward the final destination of the stadium, where a large group of raucous men became visible in the center of the crowd. This group is known as the Inter City Firm (ICF) and is a well-known gang among the football community.
This group of supporters built their platform in the 1970’s and was then known as the most violent and aggressive supporters of all 92 football clubs. While the ICF has historically had their run-ins with the law due to gang violence, they have toned down their “image” and have become a reliable sight at each West Ham match.
The atmosphere at first was incredible as men barrel-climbed light posts with a can of beer in hand, while other members of the ICF scaled the statues of several famous players to hang a West Ham flag on the outstretched arm of Bobby Moore.
As the West Ham bus finally turned onto Green Street, they were greeted by cheering support from fans who wanted to get close enough to touch the vehicle, while police in riot gear surrounded the team’s bus on horseback.
All around the square, men climbed on the top of parked buses, cars and trucks and began yelling “Come on you Irons!”
As the environment became more unpredictable, cans of beer began flying across the square, closely followed by food and glass bottles of alcohol. Suddenly, pandemonium broke out as people who were in the wrong place, at the wrong time, ran through the crowd screaming “We aren’t fans! We aren’t fans!” and everyone surrounding the scene covered their heads in terror.
An elderly man standing a few feet away from the incoming opposing team’s bus, fell to his knees as a glass bottle hit him on the head and the windows on the Manchester United bus were shattered.
The scene was broken only by smoke that filled the square as police let off flares, but realizing this did more harm than good, they turned quickly and set off in the opposite direction.
After an additional 30 minutes in the square, the notion that calm might follow became wishful thinking and the crowds thinned as people found side alleys to escape the bedlam of the ICF.
Although the day may have had unexpected results, ICF’s plan to thoroughly carry on their version of fun, mixed with West Ham’s victory of 3-2 against Manchester United, was certain to be the best closing ceremony these die-hard fans could hope for.
Discover Your Voice 