July 3 – The season has started and anyone who says it is too early, the Europa League is a distraction, or that it people just aren’t interested at this time of the year, should talk to the 35,000 in the capacity crowd at West Ham’s Upton Park last night on a balmy summer evening that saw the Hammers play Andorran minnows Lusitanos.
West Ham qualified for the Europa League via the Fair Play League and played their first match of the 2015-16 season just 40 days after the final Premier League match of the 2014-15 campaign.
Since the close of the last season the Hammers have sacked one manager, appointed another and been embroiled in the on-going cost controversy of their move to London’s Olympic Stadium which is currently being adapted at a cost of £272 million of which West Ham are contributing £15 million – probably the football stadium deal of the century and certainly making the club the big winner in London’s much criticised Olympic Legacy programme.
West Ham can’t be blamed for negotiating a killer deal and last night the Upton Park fans did not care either way as their team romped to a comfortable 3-0 win with their new manager, Croatian Slaven Bilic, watching from the stands.
The entry to European competition this season is a huge bonus for the club as it builds towards its move to the huge commercial opportunity of the revamped 54,000 capacity Olympic Stadium. An opportunity that could provide the club with the revenue boost to break into England’s top six clubs who dominate the Premier League and the European club competition qualification place – with the ultimate goal being Champions League football.
West Ham’s player line-up was a mix of experience and youth with Senegal international striker Diafra Sakho scoring twice and James Tomkins getting one. 16-year-old midfielder Reece Oxford made his debut and became the youngest player to represent the club – a trivia fact that will please the Premier League mandarins who are keen to see local talent make it through to first team line-ups.
West Ham play the second leg in Andorra on July 9. They open their Premier league campaign on August 8.
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