In the moments before this fixture, West Ham stood together as one. The joint owners David Gold and David Sullivan, the manager David Moyes, and every West Ham player and supporter rose in the London Stadium to acclaim the greatest player in the club’s history. To mark the 25th anniversary of Bobby Moore’s passing, his daughter stood on the touchline as the stadium applauded.
For a fleeting moment, the club unified. It would, sadly, prove to be a brief period of detente. For just over an hour later, this famous club plunged new depths, as club captain Mark Noble threw a pitch-invading supporter to the ground, fans mercilessly abused owners Sullivan and Gold and only a belated police presence prevented dozens of West Ham fans from raiding the pitch at the full-time whistle.
Within 90 minutes of full-time, the police confirmed they were investigating assault allegations, West Ham called an ’emergency meeting’ and promised a full-scale investigation.
Mark Noble threw a West Ham pitch invader to the ground in the 3-0 defeat to Burnley as the game descended into chaos
The game will be remembered for the staggering scenes which saw multiple fans able to enter the playing field mid-game
Goalkeeper Joe Hart restrained the Hammers captain who was furious at what was happening and looked to set an example
Stewards eventually managed to restrain and remove the invaders but not before they made their feelings quite clear
An ashen-faced Moyes admitted the behaviour of West Ham fans had damaged his side’s performance during an extraordinary 25 minutes in which Burnley scored three times and four separate pitch invasions took place.
‘As a supporter you can’t cross the line. You can’t come on the pitch. We were 1-0 down, in with a good chance. I would say it didn’t help.’ Moyes was then taking questions as to whether he had previously managed games behind closed doors and it will certainly be interesting to see how the Football Association punish West Ham for both the conduct of their supporters and the apparent frailty of the stadium’s security.
West Ham supporters also threw missiles towards the directors’ box and one is understood to have struck co-owner Sullivan. His glasses ensured he wasn’t harmed.
The FA said in a statement: ‘The FA strongly condemns the crowd disturbances seen today at West Ham United versus Burnley and will be seeking observations from West Ham as well as awaiting the match referee’s report.’
The club itself also plan to launch an internal investigation. A statement read: ‘West Ham United have immediately launched a full and thorough investigation into the incidents which marred the second half of today’s match and are committed to taking decisive and appropriate action.
‘An emergency meeting has been called with all London Stadium stakeholders. There will be no further comment at this time.’
The actions came during a furious protest from home supporters which took particular aim at owners David Gold and Sullivan
James Collins was one player that engaged in a fiery exchange with a disgruntled supporter as fans looked for answers
Burnley striker Ashley Barnes, who scored in the win, tripped up one of the hooligans as both sets of players were angry
The Burnley striker was one of numerous players on the London Stadium pitch to get involved with invaders
With the game in total disarray, it became even more bizarre when a supporter lifted aloft the corner flag he had stolen
Stewards and players alike struggled to rid the London Stadium pitch of the unexpected – and unwanted – invaders
And like the FA and West Ham, the Premier League are plotting actions of their own. Their statement read: ‘It is essential that everybody who plays or attends a Premier League match can do so safely. There is no place at any level of the game for what happened at the London Stadium today (Saturday).
‘While the official investigation of the incidents will be carried out by the Football Association, we will be asking our own questions of West Ham United about what happened this afternoon, especially to ensure similar events never reoccur.’
In the weeks leading up to this game, a section of West Ham supporters had threatened to march in protest against the ownership of Sullivan, Gold and vice-Chairmen Karren Brady.
Brady subsequently met disgruntled fans and the march was cancelled. However, tensions simmered and came to the boil after Ashley Barnes gave Burnley a 1-0 lead in the 66th minute. The chaos began when a West Ham supporter scurried onto the pitch and evaded security officials. Noble confronted the fan, manhandled him and threw him to the ground. Goalkeeper Joe Hart raced to the scene to restrain Noble and referee Lee Mason also diffused the scene.
The fan was eventually captured but West Ham had by then collectively taken leave of their senses. Within a couple of minutes, Chris Wood had doubled the advantage and the atmosphere toxified once more. Many fans flooded out of the stadium on 70 minutes but some of those who remained became poisonous. Hundreds congregated on the concourse in front of the directors’ box and turned their ire on Gold, Brady and Sullivan. The chants rained down.
‘You’ve destroyed our f***ing club’, they seethed, before breaking into choruses of ‘We’re not West Ham any more’ and ‘Get out of our club.’ In and among the rancour and discontent, matters turned terrifying. Supporters tried to grapple with security officials, and one female steward was seen to be dragged to the ground before being helped up by a colleague. Fans made throat-slitting gestures towards the owners. Some supporters, who could sense the impact on their team, then fought with supporters who were leading the protests.
Much of the complaints were directed towards the West Ham owners, with co-chairman David Sullivan on the receiving end
Supporters hurled missiles towards the director’s box, and one is understood to have struck Sullivan in the head
The FA, Premier League and London Metropolitan Police are set to conduct independent investigations into the events
Burnley allowed some young supporters to take shelter from the aggressive scenes in the stands in their dugout
The sour scenes proved overwhelming for some of the Hammers’ younger fans as Marko Arnautovic looked to console one fan
Signs were held aloft and chants were sung across the stadium with supporters demanding for a change at the top
The supporters seethed chorus’ of ‘You’ve destroyed our f***ing club’ and echoed ‘We’re not West Ham any more’
Cameras panned to concerned parents and terrified children. Burnley’s substitutes’ emerged with credit, allowing a few youngsters to sit on their bench and be out of harms’ way. Burnley’s striker Barnes attempted to halt one and West Ham’s James Collins also intervened. Another supporter entered the pitch, claiming the corner flag and attempting to plant it by the centre-circle like a modern-day Graeme Sounness. Referee Mason briefly paused the game, speaking to Moyes and Sean Dyche in the dugout. By then, it appeared more dangerous to call the game off than let it continue as supporters grew more irate.
Dyche said: ‘It is a tough situation as a player. Nobody wants to see fans on the pitch.’
In the 81st minute, Wood scored his second and Burnley’s third. In the 84th minute, Gold and Sullivan made their way from the ground, protected by strong-armed security. In the directors’ box, cameras panned to Sir Trevor Brooking sitting alone and taking in the scenes of shame unfolding before his eyes. It was a powerful and haunting image and it is difficult to imagine quite what Moore’s family made of it all.
Police investigations are set to be launched after the London Metropolitan Police confirmed they are investigating two allegations of assault and over forty officers appeared inside the stadium as matters turned ugly in the final twenty-five minutes of the game.
The Met said in a statement: ‘Towards the end of the fixture, four separate pitch invasions by individuals home fans took place. During the pitch incursions an impromptu protest took place place within the stadium.’
Once the owners departed, the mass of fans began to funnel towards the edge of the pitch by the dug-outs. Fears of a largescale invasion on the final-whistle grew, and 16 police officers entered pitch-side.
On the final-whistle, the match officials and West Ham players scarpered down the tunnel. Marko Arnautovic was the only to remain motionless in the circle, aghast at the situation. Quite where West Ham go from here is anyone’s guess.
Sir Trevor Brooking takes in the scene as he sits alone in the director’s box after Gold, Sullivan and Brady are escorted out
Some supporters took matters into their own hands and were involved in heated exchanges in the London Stadium stands
Manager David Moyes condemned the actions by fans, with the FA, Premier League and club itself set to launch investigations