Stop. Think. Immerse.
- Monday, 12th May 2025
- Steve Barlow
Football eh! Once again, as soon as our line-up at Old Trafford was announced, you would have thought the end of days had been brought forward by three months.
This is a low
- Tuesday, 6th May 2025
- Steve Barlow
It’s been one of those seasons, and the visit of Tottenham Hotspur encompassed everything about it.
There’s Something About St. Mary’s
- Wednesday, 23rd April 2025
- Steve Barlow
...And all who sail in it. Southampton, is a bit of an enigma. As a place, as cultural hub, as a football club. My first ever West Ham game, was at home to Southampton on Boxing Day 1983. We lost 1-0. Enough for me to bare a grudge that’s lasted until this day.
Pep Will Eat Itself
- Wednesday, 9th April 2025
- Steve Barlow
Pep Guardiola has a lot to answer for. Not just to the fans of Manchester City for their worst season since they became cash rich, but for aesthetic reasons.
The memory remains
- Monday, 24th March 2025
- Steve Barlow
And so the last weekend before this season's 742nd international break, saw our final ever visit to Goodson Park. Traditionally until recent years, never a happy hunting ground for us, but a ground synonymous with football heritage.
Below the belt
- Thursday, 20th February 2025
- Steve Barlow
Vice-Chairman Karren Brady’s latest sideswipe at our support has left yet another bitter taste in the mouth.
Broken Hearts & 45s
- Sunday, 2nd February 2025
- Steve Barlow
Football. A universal language. A openly abusive relationship that you find hard to escape morally based purely on geographical grounds.
Crass and clueless
- Wednesday, 8th January 2025
- Steve Barlow
Rest assured, dear reader. This isn’t an in-depth look at the Essex-based punk band or the 90s Alicia Silverstone classic movie, which is still to this day a guilty pleasure of mine.
Happy new year
- Tuesday, 7th January 2025
- Steve Barlow
Even by West Ham’s standards, 2024 was one hell of a rollercoaster.
United States of Apathy
- Monday, 30th December 2024
- Steve Barlow
The latest in a set of lacklustre, uninspiring and apathetic performances has surely seen the end of the short reign of Julien Lopetegui. No other top flight club in the country would be content with the turgid, disjointed and soulless displays produced by our team this season.
Rio’s Christmas List
- Monday, 23rd December 2024
- Steve Barlow
'Tis the season of festivities, joy and goodwill to all men and women. So as I’m no longer able to exercise and put the timber, on I’ve decided to don the Father Christmas outfit and hand out some gifts to mark the season.
Geordie heat
- Tuesday, 26th November 2024
- Steve Barlow
The Monday night trip to St. James Park, brought not only a welcome and much needed three points, but an audible sigh of relief as it appeared that for the first time this season we actually saw a sense of identity, style and work ethic firmly in place.
Lo-go zone
- Monday, 4th November 2024
- Steve Barlow
It was only a couple of weeks ago that I wrote assessing the start of Julian Lopetegui's regime, acknowledging the need for patience. I also noted the basic errors that had been a worrying part of the new era.
Pretty hate machine
- Friday, 18th October 2024
- Steve Barlow
With the international break comes a time to reflect, panic and mentally prepare for the next task at hand. For us, it comes with a visit to our foes from N17.
The Lopetegui breakdown
- Thursday, 17th October 2024
- Steve Barlow
The summer of 2024 saw major upheaval in the artist formally known as E13. The departure of Divisive Moyes, a plethora of new signings, some departures and the beginning of the Julen Lopetuigi regime. Given the seismic shifts in the West Ham world, it would have been incredibly harsh to make judgements and critique so early.
On the road again
- Monday, 30th September 2024
- Steve Barlow
15 December 2021 was when I was last part of West Ham's travelling army. A miserable 2-0 defeat at the Emirates, accentuated by the fact that my body gave the first clear indication that Multiple Sclerosis was truly beginning to affect me, eight years after being diagnosed.
May the restless find peace
- Monday, 16th September 2024
- Steve Barlow
Since I can remember, football has touched my life. The earliest recollection of watching it came on FA Cup Final day 1977.
Somewhere in time
- Wednesday, 4th September 2024
- Steve Barlow
9 May 1987 will always be etched in my memory. It was the final day of the season, the first season I had been a regular at the Boleyn Ground. 14 years old, full of awe, belief and with the first feelings of disappointment, as we failed to capitalise on the previous season's third-place finish.
Patience
- Monday, 12th August 2024
- Steve Barlow
I compose the bulk of this piece in strange circumstances. Instead of being in the Stratford sunshine, enjoying/tolerating our friendly against Spaniards Celts Vigo. I’m instead sitting at home watching us on YouTube.
Not creative enough, not positive enough
- Monday, 15th July 2024
- Steve Barlow
It’s a mantra about the English national team throughout this Euro 2024 tournament. But its roots lie a lot deeper.
Whining. It’s What We Do!
- Friday, 28th June 2024
- Steve Barlow
To paraphrase David Moyes... But it’s evidently clear that as a nation we’re an unhappy bunch.
This is how it goes
- Monday, 10th June 2024
- Steve Barlow
It always felt like a season of transition. No sooner had the corks opened in Prague than it was announced our talismanic captain was soon to be departing. Despite the euphoria, the seeds of discontent had been sown through a string of underwhelming league performances.
Sighs matter
- Tuesday, 21st May 2024
- Steve Barlow
And there ends another chapter in West Ham’s history. Season end, managerial reign finished and for now forays into Europe are on hold.
A bumpy road ahead
- Tuesday, 7th May 2024
- Steve Barlow
Sometimes it’s hard to be objective in the aftermath of a result and performance. Particularly one of the ones witnessed at Stamford Bridge.
Passion, pride and appreciation
- Tuesday, 16th April 2024
- Steve Barlow
(Please note this piece was written prior to Sunday’s game. Any optimism was at the discretion of the author and fuelled by blind loyalty and claret and blue vision.)
Parallel lines
- Monday, 25th March 2024
- Steve Barlow
The international break is once more upon us. For many, it’s approached with a sense of apathy.