It was a night to remember for West Ham and their 4,500-travelling support. Skipper and club talisman Jarrod Bowen opened the scoring early, then secured victory late in a five-goal thriller at Bolton. The result took West Ham to the top of the Championship.
It was their third successive league win - the first time they have done that since December 2023. That was the run which prompted a contract offer to David Moyes that went unsigned and was eventually withdrawn prior to the Scot's departure six months later. The decline continued and ended in relegation last May.
With elation in short supply recently, West Ham's fans made sure they enjoyed this night, staying to acknowledge their team after the final whistle, delaying departure on a journey that, for many, won't end until the middle of the night. Amid homage to Bowen, singing about bubbles and West Ham being 'massive', the visiting supporters also chanted repeatedly about former chairman David Sullivan. None of the songs about him were complimentary.
Bowen double helps West Ham beat Bolton to go top Sullivan was not at Bolton for the Championship encounter. He has been at all of the Hammers' home games so far this season, though. He was also at Watford for a 1-1 draw last month.
For some, this involvement is a surprise. When the 77-year-old resigned as chairman in June, saying his intention was to fight allegations made against him in a joint BBC Panorama and Times investigation, there was an expectation it would eventually trigger his exit from the club. That and Karren Brady standing down as managing director in April, had been cited as a significant factor in West Ham selling a remarkable 50,000 season tickets for their first campaign outside the top flight since 2011.
Their average home crowd in the league so far tops 60,000. The 53,369 who watched their EFL Cup first round victory over Portsmouth was a record for that stage of the competition. Providing the complicated agreement announced on 3 September goes through as anticipated within the next few weeks, he will end up with 40% of the club.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
