Up the Hammers Masher.

http://www.westhamonline.net/forum_flat.php?2320303||1||

Great photo from Anfield after Havant had scored their second goal. The Havant player, Jamie Collins, an ardent West Ham fan, went up to Masher and made the Hammers salute. Sheer quality

 

I know that c and p is frowned upon, but this bit was a part of an article in the Hampshire Echo, after the local part timers had held Liverpool at Anfield for 45 mins. It shows the love and passion, both for the game and for West Ham that we all feel.

'The Liverpool fans began to sing and, no matter how odd Steven Gerrard thought he was, Jamie Collins just couldn't help himself.

The Havant and Waterlooville skipper broke out in song, joining the thousands of fans in the Kop in a rendition of You'll Never Walk Alone.

It may have confused the Liverpool captain, but Collins didn't care.

"Towards the end of the game, when they started singing it, I was standing next to Steven Gerrard and I was actually singing it along with them," he said.

"They had a corner and I was standing next to him and I was just singing. He was just looking at me like I was a weirdo."

The die-hard West Ham fan also had a few words for the Liverpool skipper when he arrived as a late sub, having watched him deny the Hammers in the FA Cup Final two seasons ago.

"I was at Cardiff when Gerrard scored a 30-yard screamer when we lost the Cup, so as soon as he came on I said You broke my heart two years ago,' but unfortunately today I couldn't break his," he said.

Speaking in the tunnel after the game, Collins' beaming face conveyed just how proud he was of the team.

"To score two goals at Anfield, not a lot of Premiership clubs do that," he said. "With the amount of effort and desire they put in, I just couldn't be any prouder.

"The best thing for me was leading the team out and you look at the Kop and you just think This is unbelievable'.

"I just can't describe the feeling I got when I was leading the team out. Apart from my son (Jay) being born, that's the proudest moment of my life.

"As soon as that first whistle went it's been a blur to be honest. That's why I had my video camera with the players who couldn't play, so they were videoing the whole thing for me.

"For the first half we matched them. With our desire and commitment, we maybe deserved to go in 2-1 up. But, at the end of the day, they're bringing Gerrard, Carragher and Kuyt on, so what chance have you really got when the boys couldn't even walk?

"When they went 4-2 up, I just turned around to the players and told them to smile and enjoy the day, because realistically we didn't have a chance of coming back after that."

I hope that don't scrap this, as Ithink it's nice.

P.S. if you cannot get the page, it's on WHO. West ham online, under the thread irons irons irons