For at least one glorious evening, West Ham United found themselves looking down on the rest of the Championship. It may only be September and the league table currently has all the permanence of a sandcastle at high tide, but after Tuesday’s victory at Bolton Wanderers, the Hammers climbed to the summit. Temporary of course but enjoyable nonetheless. We all want to play in the Premier League but playing in the Championship can be fun. Every time we are there (and this is the sixth time in my lifetime) I have mostly enjoyed our time. It makes a change to win more than we lose.
As supporters, we’re under no illusions about the marathon ahead. Forty-six league games leave plenty of time for twists, turns and the occasional bout of self-inflicted heartache. After last season’s relegation, as fans we approached this campaign the same way you’d approach a suspicious kebab at two in the morning, cautiously optimistic but fully aware it could all go horribly wrong. But there is something undeniably comforting about seeing claret and blue occupying top spot, even if only for a fleeting moment. Let’s hope we can continue to occupy the top positions in the table. For the time being at least, although not totally convincing and with more integration work to be done, West Ham are giving us reasons to believe.
Bolton was exactly the sort of fixture that Championship football throws at you. A traditional club, a lively atmosphere and a ground where promotion ambitions can quickly disappear faster than a free pie in the away end. Tough away grounds in the Championship have a habit of chewing up lofty expectations and spitting them out somewhere around the centre circle. But West Ham approached the game with a maturity and confidence that is beginning to suggest this squad is beginning to understand exactly what the assignment is.
There was a controlled aggression to the performance. Not reckless, not frantic, but purposeful. Like a heavyweight boxer who knows he doesn’t need a first-round knockout, West Ham patiently went about their work, confident the opportunities would come. When they did, the Hammers were clinical. I still worry about Nuno’s favoured formation, his team selections, his substitution decisions, the timing and players used and withdrawn, the fact that at times we could make the opposition look good by the space we gave them in midfield. But perhaps that’s churlish? Three wins on the bounce and a rapid rise to the top after an indifferent start should satisfy us, at least for now.
What has perhaps pleased us (supporters) most in recent weeks is that this team no longer feels like a collection of Premier League refugees wondering how they ended up in the second tier. Instead, they are beginning to resemble a side embracing the challenge. There is grit where grit is required and quality when the game opens up. The travelling support, meanwhile, were magnificent as always. 4500 West Ham fans made enough noise to convince half of Lancashire that East London had declared independence.
Championship away days may lack the glamour of Premier League trips to Old Trafford or Anfield, but there is a rawness and authenticity to them that fans secretly enjoy. Real football, real grounds and real atmospheres. No VAR too. When the ball hits the net, the referee signals a goal and the linesman (assistant referee if you prefer) runs back towards the middle with his flag by his side you know the goal will stand. Instant celebration is hard to beat.
The Championship is littered with clubs who assumed their superior pedigree would carry them straight back up. More often than not, the division responds with a swift kick to the backside and a reminder that reputation earns precisely zero points. I think that we are learning that lesson. The victory at Bolton was another step in that education. It wasn’t just about the three points. It was about demonstrating an ability to handle pressure, navigate a difficult away fixture and come away with maximum reward. But the three points were important.
The reward for Tuesday’s efforts is a Friday night date under the lights at the London Stadium against Wrexham, and few could have predicted that fixture carrying quite so much intrigue. If Bolton represented traditional Championship grit, Wrexham arrive with an entirely different flavour. The Welsh club have become football’s version of a Hollywood blockbuster. Everywhere they go there are cameras, headlines and enough publicity to launch a small moon mission. Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney deserve enormous credit for what they’ve achieved, but you still occasionally expect Deadpool to appear at left-back.
Wrexham’s rise has been one of football’s most remarkable modern stories. Backed by Hollywood ownership and accompanied by a global spotlight, they’ve surged through the divisions at breathtaking speed. They are football’s equivalent of a blockbuster film franchise, hugely popular, impossible to ignore and seemingly collecting new followers by the day. Beneath the celebrity sparkle, however, sits a very good football team.
West Ham supporters expecting a comfortable evening should think again. Wrexham have built their ascent on organisation, resilience and an admirable refusal to be overawed by bigger names. They won’t arrive in East London simply grateful to be here. Anyone expecting Wrexham to arrive star-struck by the London Stadium may be in for disappointment. They’ve climbed the divisions by being organised, committed and seemingly immune to pressure.
If there was ever a game made for a Friday night under the lights, this is it. The cameras will be there. The atmosphere should be cracking. Social media will spend all week pretending the fixture is the football equivalent of Avengers Endgame. For West Ham, though, the task remains beautifully simple, we just need to win the game. Lose and the Championship will gleefully remind us that it specialises in bringing ambitious clubs back down to earth.
The Hammers have momentum and must protect it. Momentum in the Championship is like finding a shopping trolley with four working wheels, rare, precious and not something you want to let go of. The encouraging thing is that this squad appears increasingly comfortable with the pressure. Players are beginning to look less like Premier League survivors and more like a team determined to escape this division at the first attempt.
Of course, seasoned West Ham supporters know better than to get carried away. But a look through social media suggests that some are getting carried away. September league tables have fooled many before. Championship campaigns are long, unforgiving and occasionally downright ridiculous. But if Tuesday’s win at Bolton felt like another encouraging chapter, Friday offers the chance to build on it. For one night at least, we sat proudly at the head of the queue. Now comes the harder part and that is staying at the top.
We’ve all been here before. Supporting West Ham is a bit like riding a rollercoaster designed by someone who actively dislikes rollercoasters. Just when you’re enjoying the view, an unexpected twist arrives from nowhere. So strap yourselves in. If we can send Wrexham back up the M40 empty-handed, the bubbles might just keep rising a little while longer. And after the frustrations of recent times, that is a tune every West Ham fan will be happy to keep singing.
The circus is rolling into East London, Hollywood is coming to Stratford, and West Ham have the chance to ensure that when the credits roll on Friday night, the leading role belongs to the Hammers.
Under The Hammers 