Dublin Hammers - Club Meetings 2004 - 2005
Dublin Hammers Meeting - 30th May, 2005
PRESTON NORTH END 0 vs WEST HAM 1. (Play-Off Final in Cardiff).
We did it! Bring 'em on Chelsea, Arse, Mancs and those Tarts from white hart lane... West Ham are back where they belong!
With most of the hard-core members attending the game I wondered what sort of a turn out we would have? I need not have worried, the place was full and up for it!
We started brightly and repka had us all off our seats as a good move ended with his shot clipping the post. Then we had a couple of penalty calls, both involving zamora who looked well up for it. The ref turned both down, although the first looked like a penalty to me. As the half came to a close Preston came more into the match but didn't really have a decent shot on goal.
Half time grub was 'scampi and chips' plus more pints!
They started the second half like we had the first, then we caught them on the break and... how we didn't score I'm not sure, as the preston goal became a shooting gallery, the keeper saving the first shot, a defender clearing the second shot off the line and the keeper saving the third shot! At that stage I thought that it wasn't gonna be our day then... zamora layed the ball off to etherington (who was again liberally kicked by the opposition) who put in a great cross... zamora was on the end off it, and it was one nil to the cockney boys... mayhem, absolute mayhem!
It took a good few minutes to restore order... then zamora had a free header... which he sent sailing over the bar!
Pardew then made a baffling substitution, dailly on for zamora? and we sat back for a 10 minute spell as preston pushed for the equaliser. Then walker got injured while attempting to turn after catching the ball on the edge of the area. The replay put us all off finishing off the chips as his knee bent into an angle it wasn't designed to go... yuck!
After the resulting free kick was saved the pressure seemed to ease, and we cruised through the 7 minutes of extra time without sweating too much.
The final whistle was greeted with a great shout and handshakes all round and a bloody great sing-song!
No one left as we watched the team celebrate on the pitch and receive the trophy. A loud cheer went up as Charlie picked out the 'Dublin Hammers' flag on the TV.
A great afternoon, well done to all who attended for making it a memorable atmosphere, and as I said bring 'em on... come on you irons!
Dublin Hammers Meeting - 18th May, 2005
IPSWICH TOWN 0 vs WEST HAM 2. (play-off semi 2nd leg).
A full house in Brannigans with new members, visitors and plenty of cockney voices to be heard. From the outset we were confident and the most common shout of the evening was "Go on Matty" as if Matty was a racehorse.
Not much happened in the first half, we were good, Ipswich were rubbish, one scary moment when Jimmy Walker gave us an impression of Packie Bonners world cup cock up, except Jimmy got away with it.
Half time and the usual hot and cold food served, Dessie must be running out of spot the balls at this stage. Another few sold tonite.
Into the second half and what more can be said. Bobby Z a legend, Marlon Harewood giving his all, Christian Dailly back and Super Tommy Repka trying to assassinate the Ipswich Keeper with a thunderous shot.
2-0 Final whistle cue mayhem, The best atmosphere I have witnessed in the club ever.
Then the realisation of Cardiff, the internet shop across the road became The West Ham Booking Office, flights being booked and going up in price every 2 minutes.
Everyone was sorted, so Cardiff here we come AGAIN. The Dublin Hammers are on their way again, we estimate that 20 to 25 are travelling and those who are not are off work on the Monday, Brannigans will be the place to be if not Cardiff.
Then the huddles of people trying to sort out tickets, membership numbers, pricing and credit cards... are we all mad.
However that's what being a West Ham fan is all about, Ups and Downs "Anyone buying or selling a ticket?".
Dublin Hammers Meeting - 7th May, 2005
WEST HAM 2 vs IPSWICH TOWN 2. (Play-Off Semi 1st leg).
A great meeting this one with a good turn out of members bolstered by a large group of lads over from the UK.
Well, what a start, we a were at them from the off and within 7 minutes we were one up and the room was filled with a rousing rendition of bubbles. Then a few minutes later the room exploded again as zamora made it 2 nil, and we were playing a bit of football for a change with etherington roasting their left back at will. Zamora missed a good opportunity and the buzz around the room continued with plenty of cracks flying around. Then just before the break repka made a bad tackle (not like him?), then abused the ref who ordered the free-kick to be moved forward. Ipswich scored as the ball rebounded off the post onto the keeper who deflected it into the goal.
The sandwiches and chips went down well with everyone at half time. Whoever came up with that idea... it's a winner!
Within 10 minutes of the second half Ipswich had kicked etherington out of the game and any football that was being played disappeared... hoof... hoof... We had one good opportunity from a header which the ipswich goalie saved brilliantly, but that was it. Ipswich pushed on and just before the end a cross came over, walker and ferdinand crashed into one another, the ball dropped to an Ipswich player who gleefully belted it into the back of the net...
2-0 up and then to give away two crap goals... bit of a sickener or what... 2-2 at the mid way stage then. Bring 'em on!
One thing that upset me was the sight of Mr Potatohead giving out to pardew when he complained about the tackles going into some of the west ham players, he's havin' a laugh, especially as they then proceeded to kick matty out of the game...
cheeky caaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaant!
Dublin Hammers Meeting - 11th April, 2005.
QUIZ NIGHT.
A good turn out for the quiz. Winners: Gerry O Keefe and Des Doyle. Simpsons: Mark Napier and Eddie Cox.
Dan Holland had the simpsons ring tone on his phone so that got a great reaction at the end. Jim Conway deserves a mention on the site after insisting he seen the painting of the last supper in Rome (it's in Milan} Maybe Jim had one too many and thought he was in Rome at the time!
Thanks to Brian for the report.
Dublin Hammers Meeting - 18th March, 2005.
WEST HAM 2 vs LEICESTER CITY 2.
Strange meeting this one? Of a small turn out, half were 'well on', while the rest of us were stone cold sober. West Ham served up the usual blend of 1 tactic attacking coupled with dodgy defending... so according to the press, Gordon Strachan has been approached as a replacement for Pardew ('you don't know what your doing' the Chairman). Bring it on... perhaps at least he might get us playing with some passion and belief. And so to the game... with four goals, two of which were crackers, I suppose the neutral was happy, but for a hammers fan it was upsetting, after having twice come back from a goal down, then getting a penalty ('we're gonna win 3-2' Jerry), only to see harewoods weak shot saved (but.. wasn't sheringham on a hat-trick?). Crap.
To be fair we went for them in the final 10 minutes and had a couple of chances, but not to be. Another opportunity wasted! Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. What really got to me was... time and again we were good attacking positions, then either stopped and twiddled about in midfield, thus allowing defenders to get back OR the player on the ball choose the wrong passing option... every time! Infuriating!!!!!
I've calmed down abit now, on the brightside Noble again looked good, but that was about it.
Dublin Hammers Meeting - 21st February, 2005.
QUIZ NIGHT AND FREE TRIP DRAW.
The lucky winners of this year's two Free Trips to West Ham's last home game of the season against Sunderland were... Anto and Paul (yeeeee haaaaa!!!!!).
The results of the quiz... Winners - Brian, Jim and Josh. The Simpsons... Gary & Gerry N!
Dublin Hammers Meeting - 13th February, 2005.
SHEFF. UTD 1 vs WEST HAM 1. FA Cup 4th Rd Replay. (aet. Sheff. Utd won 3-1 on penalties).
Another packed meeting saw another poor performance from the Hammers. "We used to be shite and play football.. now we're just shite" was the quote of the day! We were a shade better in the second half, but overall the usual crap. Anyway enough of that... proceedings were kept bright by the usual array of wisecracks and banter, the grub at half-time was as usual more than welcome. And so out of the cup to concentate on promotion... god help us!
Dublin Hammers Meeting - 23rd January, 2005.
WEST HAM 1 vs DERBY COUNTY 2.
A well attended meeting saw our beloved West Ham serve up another luke warm performance! Derby came to Upton Park and in my opinion played most of the football. They deservedly took the lead as ball after ball came into our penalty box only to be greeted with comic defending, notably the slack marking... it was only a matter of time, and bang we were one down! That sparked us alittle and in our only decent move of the game we scored a good goal. Now the controversy... Harewood was clean through when the Derby keeper brought him down just outside the box. He made no attempt to play the ball... just the player. The ref booked him and we wasted the free kick!
Thank goodness half time came and we all tucked into the usual half time food. Always a winner!
The second half was much the same, derby playing the football, west ham playing the long ball? what is going on? Ball after ball into the penalty box and... yes derby went 2-1 up. Our reply was poor, we came close in time added on, but it was all too little too late!
There seems to be a feeling of apathy over our televised meetings these days, not even a chorus of angry shouts greeted the final whistle, just shakes of the head and mutual agreement that this team is one of West Ham's worst for a long time...? Come on West Ham... sort it out!! OK we are not gonna win much, not with T.Brown at the helm anyway, but lets have some heart and pride for the shirt, can we...
On a lighter note, the young lad Noble looked promising after coming on early (chelsea or spurs was the cry) and the bubble machine that went off at various intervals during the match was a welcome distraction. I took my little girl along for her first taste of the dublin hammers... this morning she said "Dad, what does 'dick 'ead' mean?".
Dublin Hammers Meeting - 10th December, 2004.
WEST HAM 1 vs LEEDS UNITED 1.
A good turn out of members for this meeting. It was the usual bad tempered game with this lot, a draw being just about the right result. We even played a bit of football in the second half, but only in all to brief spells. In fact overall Leeds had the better chances, luckily they all fell to Brian Dean who missed an obsolute sitter from a dodgy back pass in the first half!
We took the lead through Chadwick early in the second half which cheered us all up, then we actually took the game to them causing the noise level to rise, we didn't score and as time began to run out for leeds, Healy dived in the area to mug the ref for a penalty. Cue an angry response from club members. They scored and a few of the West Ham players had to be restrained from Healy at the final whistle. In fact leeds had had two earlier apeals turned down, both of which were a better shout than the one given?
Thanks to the committee for organising the ever welcome sandwiches and sausages and chips!
Dublin Hammers Meeting - 18th October, 2004.
QUIZ NIGHT
OK we have the results... The Winners were Charlie O', Pat Mc and Graham N! Well done lads!
So who were the Simpsons? They were... Garry P and Mark N!
Dublin Hammers Meeting - 22nd September, 2004.
NOTTINGHAM FOREST 2 vs WEST HAM 1.
A rather chaotic meeting this one, with a grim outcome to a match we should have wrapped up long before the final minutes. So why the chaos? Well it was final day at croke park and the place was awash with Mayo and Kerry fans. I arrived to find that the kerry fans had 'taken our end!' and to make matters worse the telly was on the blink. So there we were making the best of things by drinking plenty (as usual). As for the first half it's difficult to say what actually occured? The TV was bad, you know the one "snow storm", so at half time we all headed off downstairs to watch the second half.
As the game restarted, we were all encamped at the bar (so wots new?) watching the two small screens and once our friends from the country started to drift off, the sandwiches appeared. As for the game we were all over them, but had no finish until eventually Marlon tapped in a cross, and at last we were happy! But then we sat back, Pardew brought on Lomas (what about going for the throat Alan? 2 strikers on the bench, what about going it?) So we sat back, and then after a mistake by Lomas, it was 1-1. Then in injury time, substitute KIng (who Iooked a complete donkey in last seasons fixture) scores a great goal with a curling shot? What Crap! A friend, a forest fan, sends me a text saying "It had to happen on Cloughie's day". No it didn't! We threw it away!
On a positive note, our new defensive pairing of Davenport and Malky looked good, especially Davenport. It's a shame he's only on loan, he 'looks a player' as they say.
A couple of our members are in the wars, Liam who had to have his index finger amputated due to an unsavoury incident with a dog, and Eddie who is recovering from a hip replacement operation. Get well soon lads, and fair play for making the effort to attend the meeting! Especially Eddie who had to endure chants of "Get yer hips out for the lads".
Also, another long standing member Robbie C and his good wife are expecting their first baby shortly, so we wish them all the best!
Dublin Hammers Meeting - 30th August, 2004.
QUIZ NIGHT
And so the first Quiz Night of the new season... this evenings winning team consisted of Dave R, Gary P and Danny H... congatulations to them, and now to our "Record Breaking Simpsons"... yes... Brian and Jim, many congratulations for having the lowest score ever recorded at a Dublin Hammers Quiz Night (11 from 36).
Dublin Hammers Meeting - 10th August, 2004.
WEST HAM 1 vs READING 0 - Coca Cola Championship.
So here we go again... A good turn out of members saw the Hammers begin the quest for promotion! New hopes... New dreams... but unfortunately no new central defenders!
The game burst into life immediately, as Reading, then West Ham had excellent chances to open the scoring within the first 5 minutes. It was end to end stuff with Reading shading the first half, Marlon 'headless chicken' Harewood wasted our best chances. Sheringham looked bright and won header after header, only to see his efforts go wasted. So 0-0 at half time then and we tucked into the sandwiches and caught up with the stories from the lads who went to the play-off final.
The second half began as the first half had, chances for both sides. All I can say is thank goodness they were crap, with a decent striker it could have been all over for us very quickly! We huffed and we puffed but were totally devoid of any creativity, no spark and when we did have openings they were wasted with bad passes. All very disappointing, it seemed too much like last season for my liking!
With 10 minutes to go, Pardew brought on new signing Luke Chadwick. At last we had a player who looked like he could make something happen... and upon his third good cross, Teddy Sheringham swept the ball into the net... que 'member mayhem', not to mention huge sighs of relief! As we hung on for the final few minutes Mr Chadwick also made a couple of outstanding tackles in defence to deny Reading an opening for an equaliser... my man of the match!
So we went home happy, but the truth is, up until the goal it had been a very frustrating evening. Thank goodness for the wisecracks coming from members. It don't seem so bad when you're laughing... Come on you Irons! We can do better than that... surely?