It's 10 minutes before kick-off and almost all seats are taken by now. The number of seats (26.000) gives it a nice cosy atmosphere.

The're all kinds of people in the stadium. Left of us we see an older couple (80!) in full West ham kit waiting for the match to begin. The're also some children in our block. I see a little boy (maybe 4 years old!) sitting on his fathers lap, both wearing the claret and blue shirt.

Our part of the stadium seems to be a 'singing section'. "I'm forever blowing bubbles" is the West Ham Anthem  for almost 70 years now. It seems to be the favorite chant of most supporters in our block.

'I'm forever blowing bubbles, Pretty bubbles in the air, They fly so high, nearly reach the sky, Then like my dreams they fade and die, Fortunes always hiding, I've looked everywhere, I'm forever blowing bubbles, Pretty bubbles in the air ...'

During the game we hear people shout "Come'on West ham" and "Come'on you irons". We have to stand up most of the time, which gives a nice atmosphere.

On the right of us there's one guy who seems to be pretty nervous. Maybe he doesn't know that he's paid for a seat to sit on. The people behind him are not too happy with him standing up all the time. Once in a while we hear a loud "SSSSit Down!!" which is the sign for our 'friend' to sit down again.

The're also some nice 'conversations' between the Bradford and West Ham supporters. They both never stop singing, it goes on and on.

West Ham is expected to win today, but they're not having one of their best starts of the season. Despite of that the fans expect them to end within the first ten this year. The match of today should be the end of a difficult time.

Bradford has the same troubles as West ham, but it's in the line of expectation that we'll see the 'Bantams' in the first division next year. The West Ham fans help the Bradford fans getting used to the first division by singing "Going down, going down..."

After 35 minutes it's Joe Cole who opens the score with a nice header.Cole is the biggest talent of West ham. he's 18 years old and already invited fur the english selection which plays a crucial game against Germany later this week. After his goal the whole ground is singing on the tune of Spandau Ballet's 'Gold':

'Joey Cole, Always believe in your soul, You've got the power to know, You're INDESTRUCTIBLE, Always believe it ...'

West Ham is the much better team and Bradford should be lucky that it's only 1-0 at half-time.

West Ham starts the 2e half good again, but the 1-0 isn't enough to be sure of the 3-points. Captain of West ham is italian Paolo Di Canio. The fans are singing his song during the whole game, even now he's playing an unlucky match today. The "Paoloooo Di Canioooo" sung by the West ham supporters is repeated by the Bradford fans ... "Shit-ty Di Caniooo".

The end of the game is coming close. The Bradford supporters are getting louder evry minute because it's still 1-0 and there team is playing better now.

 

One of the Bradford players has to leave the pitch by stretcher. A nice quiet moment in the game for the West Ham fans to sing "just a bunch of wanckers" and "1-0 to the cockney boys".

We're in extra-time when Benito Carbone takes a free-kick 20 meters from the West Ham goalkeeper. The italian Bradford star places the ball on Dan petrescu's head ... 1-1 ! Everybody was afraid of this going to happen and now it really happened.

The West ham supporters are more quiet now, while the Bradford fans sing "You're not singing anymore!"