Sunday 3 March 2013

Why West Ham Fans Were Right To Boo Scott Parker

Poor Scotty was hurt and bemused. He couldn't understand why West Ham fans booed him last Monday night, claiming he didn't expect it and didn't deserve it. Well I beg to differ.

Long standing friends and enemies of this blog will know I was never a fan of Parker as a player and called his selection as Player of the Year, when we finished bottom of the table, a joke. I  maintained throughout his time at Upton Park that Parker was part of the problem, not part of the solution, and it was no great surprise when Allardyce shrugged off his departure, preparing the ground by moving Noble to the holding role even whilst Parker was in the team.

But you don't boo a former player based on his ability, you boo him when you feel he has betrayed you, and all those who Parker made look like mugs were justifiably aggrieved when he shipped up in a Spurs shirt expecting Tevez like adulation. No way Scotte!

Of course, turning out for Spurs is a wind up in itself, but what probably rankled most for West Ham fans was the way that Parker refused to contemplate any other team, backing Sullivan and Gold into a corner and forcing the club to accept a derisory offer of just £6m. Suddenly, belatedly, two and two added up to four, and West Ham fans understood that Parker had taken them for mugs all along.

The man who many were injudiciously terming a West Ham legend had tried to engineer a move 12 months before, but Levy didn't fancy him because of his age and salary demands, and wheeler dealer 'Arry got excited about a cut price Van der Vaart instead. So Scotty was left high and dry on transfer deadline day and was forced to hang around at Upton Park. But no matter, he negotiated an absurdly inflated contract by way of compensation, a contract that ensured a massive salary well into his footballing dotage.

And what did West Ham get in return? The sort of headless chicken performance that saw him give us a leg up with a penalty on Monday. The challenge was absurd: an off the ground lunge inside the penalty box right in front of the referee. And Scotty looked amazed when the penalty was given!

We were duly relegated with Scotty charging all over the pitch with his heart on his sleeve but no brain in his head. Until the climax of the season, when with the European Championships beckoning, Scotty pulled up lame and sat out crucial games, missing our narrow defeat at Manchester City in order to watch his future employers at Stamford Bridge, sat alongside Jamie Redknapp no less!

Amazingly, even then, West Ham fans defended him. In fact, they were still protesting his love for the club even as he defected to Spurs. Fools!

Well on Monday, the fools bit back and booed the man who had betrayed them more than Judas Defoe. The poison dwarf was never loved at the Boleyn, what hurt West Ham fans most about Parker was that they had put Scotty on a pedestal and he promptly pissed all over them from a great height.

I'm not a big fan of booing but in Parker's case, I fully understand where the fans were coming from. What did the club get in return for the huge wages paid to Parker? A narrow escape from relegation followed by the drop the following season. But Parker got his Player of the Year gong and his move to his father's beloved Spurs regardless. And he's surprised the West Ham fans now feel resentful? Like I always said, he's not the brainiest of footballers!

56 comments:

Anonymous said...

Very bitter man. I can't imagine agreeing with anything that would come out of your mouth. Do you have friends?

Hammersfan said...

Can I just say Sol Campbell to you sir?

Dan J said...

We love him at Spurs as we charge our way towards 2nd place. Think you'll beat the drop though this season so you're right, things are going better for you guys now!

Anonymous said...

What is this drivel? Have you ever been to Upton Park? Not one statement I could agree on. Stop writing, stop wasting real fans time, stop supporting West Ham.

Anonymous said...

Ha ha ha ha
Hilarious article.

Shouldnt u be writing bout bobby Moore or other players from decades ago? Lol.

Poor little spammer!!!

Anonymous said...

Yeah he was amazed because he won the ball

Thankfully for you Webb hates Spurs just as much as you. An unbiased ref would never have given a penalty

Anonymous said...

Yet another terrible article, you've got to be the most narrow minded pathetic West Ham fan around. Parker kept us up almost single handedly and you'd boo him. Do the world a favour and close this website down.

Anonymous said...

In the 2008–09 season, Parker played a major part of West Ham's season and on 24 May 2009 was voted Hammer of the Year, by the club's supporters. and became the first player since Julian Dicks in 1997 to retain the award after winning again on 4 May 2010.

He was again one of West Ham's key players in the 2009–10 season, scoring the winning goal in a vital 3–2 win against Wigan Athletic, which ensured another season of Premier League football for West Ham.
In July 2010, West Ham Chairman David Sullivan stated that Parker was not for sale to another club at any price. This came after a bid from Tottenham Hotspur and also public interest from Aston Villa. In September 2010 Parker signed a new, five-year, contract with West Ham which also made him the highest paid player in the club's history.

Parker had a strong start to the 2010–11 season and scored three goals in his first six games. His goals came in games against Oxford United, Chelsea, and Stoke City. He is widely regarded as one of the most consistent English midfielders over the last few years. There were calls from England supporters and Avram Grant for the midfielder to be included in England's squad and feature on a regular basis. On 12 February Carlton Cole praised Scott Parker's "inspirational" pep talk at half time after, being 3–0 down, West Ham clawed back in the second half to get a 3–3 draw against West Bromwich Albion. Carlton Cole was quoted as saying "If you were there you would have had a tear in your eye" after the half time team talk. Parker was named Premier League player of the month for February 2011

Following his performances for West Ham and his England recall, Parker was placed on the six strong shortlist for the prestigious PFA Player of the Year Award. He missed out on the PFA award but was named the Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year.
Sure your talking about this man?

Next bus to Woolwich! said...

He's only a poor little hammer,whose face......:)

Robertoross said...

Nice attempt to compare Campbell to Parker. Campbell was the best CB in Europe when he ran down his contract after saying he would sign a new one, then left for Tottenham's rivals for free.

Parker wasn't the best CM in Europe, nor did he ever say he would sign a new contract. Plus West Ham got £6mil for him. And of course, Tottenham aren't West Ham's closest rivals.

Helen is a Skank - Aran said...

i don't really think Parker gives a toss, he's too busy celebrating Tottenhams victories - if west hams only satisfaction comes from booing an ex player who's gone on to achieve more that the entire spam team put together - then it's a sad sad sad team to support, with even sadder fans. what a bunch of losers.

Anonymous said...

Interesting. I must admit, I think your arguement is inflated and distorted a bit but I can't deny that the facts are there. I don't hate Scotty but to hand in a transfer request to go to Spurs and expect to still be loved? It isn't goint to happen. Booing him? Unecessary. Loving him? Well, not quite.

Anonymous said...

I'm a Spurs fan - and I was appalled at the utter lack of class displayed by the WHam idiots who booed Scotty. The man is a legend. He gives everything in every game and after doing your club proud for so may years he obviously made the mistake of making the leap to join his boyhood club in his final years.

I'm heartened that so many of your fellow supporters have stuck the boot in - otherwise I'd have made the mistake of tarring you all with the same spiteful, moronic brush.

Anonymous said...

You are a massive dick.

Unknown said...

what a dickhead you are pal scott parker ran himself into the ground trying to keep us up which is more than some did that season our fans were completely wrong to boo him defoe is another story that little judas deserves it parker does not

Anonymous said...

Nah sorry but you're all talking shit. Scotty Parker deserved a booing. Turning up to watch Spuds of all teams with a view to move isn't a far cry from Paul Ince's stunt. The turning point was when I was watching him at Watford away last year and he refused to make contact with any players out or in possession in case he got injured and it scuppered a move.

Parker would've trumped Defoe for jumping ship but couldn't get away quick enough. He was quite happy to be an ambassador of West Ham and take his enormous sallary but as soon as he was called upon by Allardyce to put in a shift, he danced and pranced until he forced the substitution.

A little note about jealousy before anyone pipes up with that old chestnut... I never rated Parker. That silly little 360 he did round the ball to avoid a tackle drove me nuts, he ain't no Diamé. I admired his seeming conviction to be a "talisman" but he fucked that up pretty quick. We've sure lost a lot better quality of players and most likely will again, but Parker... Good riddens. People who clapped him off are mugs. He's everything that's wrong with the game. Fuck him and fuck you if you claim to be an Iron who thinks otherwise. Pure mercenary behaviour hidden behind diplomacy. The same mentality that's seen us give up half the England squad.

I respect players like Demba Ba more who come beforehand & tell it like it is. That's some statment considering no other tram would touch him until West Ham shone the light on him.

Well written HF.

Anonymous said...

Seriously?!?!?!!?!?

Surely the player of the year gong would have upped his price?! And you're arguing £6mil was a steal for Spurs?

If you see a mirror, take a long hard look in it, son!

Hammersfan said...

2055, he signed the bloody contract, achieving parity with Dyer's wages, then left 12 months in to a 5 year contract, having creamed off an extra £20k a week (or £1m)for extending his contract. He then refused to move to anybody other than Spurs, and West Ham received one offer of £8m.

Unknown said...

dont be a tool pal sp ran himself into the floor trying to keep us up unlike some i could name our fans were wrong to boo parker save it for judas defoe lads now he deserves everything he gets and some coyi

Anonymous said...

Every comment criticizes your article. I agree with the others.

Parker is the only player from that relegated side who deserves to come back and get cheered, not booed.

If I had been part of that side I would have wanted to leave as well, west ham fan or not.

aphammer said...

Unkind, bitter and twisted. Shame on you

Anonymous said...

Ironic watching the "touching" memorial for B Moore but when he pitched up at at W ham for Fulham and he got booed by a section of the crowd. Also the clubs treatment of him post football is now tinged with regret and a little shame as he was never given an ambassadorial role.
No surprise a generation or 2 later S Parker gets the same treatment. Sadly this is part of W hams dna.

Gee said...

You're a sad man

Anonymous said...

Hammers fan you may possibly be the most hated west ham fan in the world. Parker was clearly our only good player that season, where woul we have been without his 10 goal savig blocks a game. You doubt his commitment, this is a man who made Carlton cole cry at half time in a game with his team talk. Scott Did not deserve to be booed, whatever you say. Sort yourself out

Anonymous said...

You are clearly hammersfan writing anonymously. How an you respect demos ba more. He terminated his contract 4 months after signing because we got relegated. And you respect him more than a man who won hammer of the year 3 times running and was head and shoulders above anything we've had for years. Have a word mate

AppyAmmer said...

@20.27 LOL outstanding comment. Of course it wasent a penalty. He only caught him with both feet and didnt touch the ball.

@20.36 He was right to be booed and did not ALMOST keep West Ham up at all. ANy way whats the point of ALMOST doing anything??!

Robertoross, no parker did not say he WOULD sign a new contract, better than that he actually signed the contract and then forced a move. Whats worse?

People are blind and stupid to think he deserves anything other than booing. The way he left was not honourable at all. The way he treated the club with such contempt he deserves to stay in a side that is being carried by Gareth Bale. Its ok, one way or the other he will get his just desserts.

Either Souds miss out on champions league so Bale leaves and spuds wont be carried anymore and will be a mid table side. or..... they do qualify but Parker wont be there to enjoy it as spuds will sign a better holding midfielder (sandro even)

Anonymous said...

No other *team.

Anonymous said...

You get criticized for being an armchair supporter but you'll continue to find so many comments on here are actually uninformed. The bloke was on a fortune & couldn't have behaved more petulantly. All this Scott Parker adoration comes from head-up-arse part-time Hammers who probably spend more time watching their "second team" Man United, wind-up Spuds or Leeds fans you've rankled. Find me one that was at Doncaster or Watford last season when Parker was disgraceful.

Yeah ok, he worked hard to keep us up but surely for crying out loud that was his job. They get paid enough to produce a bit of passion. Just shows the shower of shite we fielded when a player gets lauded for trying to keep his team up.

Anonymous said...

Shut up you div. Fuck off back to your own sites. Haven't you got a picture of Bale you need to be wanking off to? You're opinion is null and void. Surprise surprise you love Scott Parker.

Anonymous said...

Im so glad to see the reaction to this article. Shows that not everyone is a complete idiot. Scott Parker does nothing less than work bloody hard in the center of the park for both West Ham and Spurs.

He had every right to choose what club he wanted to go to and is protecting his future and family by setting the wages that both clubs have been able to afford.

If he was still at West Ham this blog would probably be about how fantastic Parker is for West Ham cause fantastic is what he was, and is still today.

A player like that and especially at his age does not want to waste his precious last few years outside of the Premier League, even if it is just for a year and i think Spurs and the league benefited from his decision.

Unlucky West Ham but your back up and looking to stay so i dont understand the hatred or the boos.

Anonymous said...

And you support....? Go on say Tottenham smart arse. You win fuck all for all your mouthing off. You play for places.

Anonymous said...

Says it all then don't it. Good job Cole, Tomkins, Noble, Reid, Green, Collison etc don't think like a twat otherwise we'd still be in Championship.

Anonymous said...

The butthurt is strong with this one...

JCxWHU said...

You can tell that most of these people are Spuds fans pretending to be hammers. Just like the Sol Campbell incident you don't leave the team your currently with for their rivals. Don't care what you did for the club as you're just simply undoing it. A true servant of West Ham would of stayed at the club to get us back up but no he left us for the Spuds.

Seriously Spuds, you're all full of shit. Before you got Parker you were all saying how you didn't need him and how he wasn't good enough to get into your first team. But now all of a sudden he's your best midfielder? Never know a bunch of retarded supports in all my life. Jog on!!

Anonymous said...

To me, Parker will always be a Hammer, yes l know he left us after we got relegated, but look at judas defoe he left us the day we got relegated , when Parker played for us he bled claret and teal , l have # 8 and Parker's name on my top ,l will always remember the day he scored l think against liverpool he went straight to Zola with so much passion that he wanted us to succseed in that season . To me Parker is a HAMMER . Ausie John

Unknown said...

All opinions are equal but some are more equal than others

Anonymous said...

Demba Ba is a typical mercenary. He came out and said he wasn't West Ham's saviour. He clearly indicated he didn't have intention of staying if we didn't beat the drop. Bags of skill, no loyalty but honest from the jump. Better than leading fans up the garden path. Parker stood out because of the utter shit we fielded. Arguably the club's worst squad in recent history. That's hilarious must be HF because someone else couldn't dare disagree with the Parker brigade. Plenty of fans put there who think like me and HF. Plenty. Try speaking to a few that went to matches like Docaster and Watford away.

Anonymous said...

To those of you still licking Parkers backside.... I'll like to remind you that Parker was still with West Ham for the first few weeks of the season in the championship and he didn't try in the games that he played in eg Watford away. He deserved all the boo's.

Anonymous said...

Excellent post !!

Anonymous said...

West Ham may well indeed regret Moore's post-career treatment but that's none of your concern. Especially when you're attempting to DARE compare Bobby Moore with Scotty Parker. Are you touched in the head? Back in those days players were considered players for life. Moore moving on was a massive disappointment to the fans. All fans react from the heart and were more than likely hurting. Parker is nowhere near a West Ham legend. Let alone Bobby Moore.

Scott Parker isn't fit to lace Bobby Moore's boots. You complete tool.

Anonymous said...

Fuck off with your protecting his family and future comments. He was paid a BOMB to sign a new contract. You know nothing clearly.

Anonymous said...

Thank fuck finally a sensible comment. You're bang on as I am (basically every comment goes back at the Parker Brigade, and as HF is.

Tottenham fans are the worst. Just SO full of old shit. Next you'll get how they don't consider us rivals because they're too far above us.

Just remember this Spuds, you don't win fuck all either. If Bale wasn't in worldy form you'd be firmly planted in mid-table. Levy hates West Ham and G&S. The OS bullshit didn't help relations. Even FIFA stats recognise us as rivals. This is your best season EVER arguably one of Arsenal's worst. That's what it takes for you to finish above them.

JC - cracking point there about Parker not being good enough to get in Spuds team apparently now he's the man. That's just the typical old tosh Spuds talk, well remembered.

Anonymous said...

Spot on..at least someone with some intelligence can see things for what they are. Legend my arse.

Anonymous said...

Parker threw a whole pram load of toys out at Vicarage Road and at Doncaster. He DID do a Defoe. You just didn't pay attention to it. I'm sure I could rustle up a few memories of Defoe running over to the other snake 'Aary the season we got sent down. Parker was just a bit more diplomatic publically. He was in cahoots with Spuds before we got relegated. Imagine Harry and Jamie's conversations with Parker. "Just bide your time, make it clear you're not going to be part of the comeback season. Don't worry about your contract. West Ham will HAVE to let you go to Tottenham once they realise their options." Good work 'Aary you got your wish.

I've still got my Rio-Coker top. Now that bloke's a complete c*** but at end of the day he was our Captain that got us promoted under Pards. He stayed after the drop for two seasons. Then he went and fucked up Gary O'Neil's career so I'm confused. Bit ashamed to wear it really but at least he actually achieved something memorable and important to the club and the fans. Not ALMOST then jump ship.

Anonymous said...

I was at that game Parker was a complete disgrace. Wasn't just that either. Doncaster was another shinning example. It wasn't even that he wanted to move that really annoyed me. Tottenham was the worst possible choice from the fan's perspective but more than that... If you're contacted to a club, you owe them a shift even if it is in a league you don't want to be in.

You don't do what he did. You just don't do it. So yeah sod him and let the boos ring out so he knows we saw him do it. COYI

Unknown said...

what makes me laugh is all these Yids saying Parker has gone on to success, I'm sorry, but what have Tottscum won recently? At least West Ham fans don't think they're the greatest team on the face of the earth, they know they're a mid table team, yet the Yids think they're this incredible, huge club! City-PL champs, United- various PL, CL and domestic cup wins, Chelsea - PL, CL and domestic cup wins, Arsenal as terrible as they have been at winning things have won more than you in the last 10 years..Even Liverpool have done more than Tottscum in the PL... you will never be as big as those clubs, it's laugable that you think you will/are! you are THE most deluded fans in the world of football and you need to realise that you're actually only a two bob team that will never win anything worth gloating about, you'll just be that team that has a couple of good games. When Bale leaves (or drops his form as he does every season after 5-10 good games) you will have no one carrying you making you look like a good team..and i think 90% of the country cannot wait to see that happen, so enjoy your little run of form while it lasts, but with Yids it never lasts long :)

Anonymous said...

ha ha ha! It was only a matter of time!

HF has history with Scotty Parker so this article comes as no surprise.

Just fucking let it go you twisted, bitter, buffoon.

Anonymous said...

Name an ex hammer at spurs who doesn't get booed? Going to spurs is an insult its like going from man u to city or liverpool to everton, a definate no no. I liked him when he was with us but he turned judas an i wouldn't give him the time of day now.

Hammersfan said...

Please don't refer to them as 'Yids'. The term is racist and offensive, even if moronic Spurs fans use it. Let's not lower ourselves to their level. Cockyfools is my favourite name for them.

Anonymous said...

Absolutely right HF. Parker made his Faustian pact with the devil scum and will never be welcomed back by real WH fans.

Sav said...

Totally disgraceful behaviour. For a player who gave his all while playing for us. You shouldn't even put Scott in the same bracket as Defoe and Ince or Ferdinand. I was ashamed to be a West Ham fan while those idiots were booing Scott Parker. I have come to expect this from you HF, but I thought you were the only one...

Anonymous said...

Reo-Coker. I promise that's what it says on the shirt haha. Typo

Anonymous said...

Well he's obviously not the only one Sav. I heard loads of fans complaining about Parker after Spuds game. Let alone at the beginning of last season. All at matches, mostly away. Most of them were decent normal fans not beered up lairy groups you might expect.

Again about giving his all:

1) Was his wage & contract to enough to justify giving his all? Where did it all go wrong that trying to beat the drop by putting in a shift became a cause for plaudits this far down the line after the events that followed?

2) Carlton Cole gave his all. Parker made a stirring speech sure but Carlton Cole was affected by it. He took it to heart. He loved West Ham so much so that he actually took a big pay cut to drop down and see it all put right.

Scott Parker went to seek out a rival club BEFORE West Ham got relegated. He refused to play football on the pitch for all his wages and new contract signing bonus because he wanted out, fast! He wouldn't even honour a handful of matches whilst the deal went through.

Quite rightly, Parker tried his utmost to show himself as a "Talisman" for us but the proof was in the pudding because he wasn't was he.

I didn't bring Ferdinand into it. Neither did anyone else. Ferdinand's fine by me. Both of them actually. Ince made the mistake of popping on the shirt for a photo, that's the only difference. The bloke still does interviews whilst drinking a cuppa from his West Ham mug. He's still a fan of the club even after all the abuse he brought on himself. Do I dislike him a little less for it? Maybe a little. It was still a dog move much like Parker forcing an over a barrel transfer to Spurs and Spurs only. Defoe was exactly the same!

What's the difference in putting a request the day after (Defoe) and refusing to play beyond a lip-service, half-job until you get subbed off at half time (Parker)? One is in fact a bit more straight up whilst the other mugs fans off and leaves you with 10 men and no holding midfielder for half a match.

They all did well for West Ham when they were at the club. What on earth do you expect? He conspired with and later joined Harry Redknapp's Tottenham! The bloke who double-crossed a true legend Billy Bonds. The bloke who deserted West Ham & took half the England squad with him.

Chirst alive have your opinions & clap him off if that's what you feel but don't call the rest that see it different idiots.

Anonymous said...

In hammerfan we love and trust!!""".........

Anonymous said...

What a good post...ur 100% right

Hammerboy

Nick Reeve said...

oh for crying out loud its water under the bridge, things change and people move on! Newcastle fans don't boo him and he went to West Ham purely on a money basis, he then had to pull out a shift on a weekly basis because we were so poor especially under Grant. I am not classing him as one of the legends of Upton Park but he certainly played brilliantly in a bad team. Remember Di Canio left for Charlton when we were relegated and do you boo him?