Friday, November 7

That Obama speech in full

West Ham have invited Barack Obama to attend a game at Upton Park when he's next in the UK. He attended a game in 2003 and so we're claiming him as a Hammer. Here's that acceptance speech in full...

"Even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime - two wards full of injured players, a side in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century and West Ham only two points above the relegation zone.

"Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Hammers waking up in the deserts of mid-table and the mountains of mediocrity to risk their careers for us. There are Icelandic businessmen who will lie awake after their children fall asleep and wonder how they'll make the payments to Lucas Neill, or pay their club doctor's bills, or save enough to pay off Sheffield United. There is new energy to harness and a new side to be created; a new academy to build and threats to meet and alliances to repair.

"The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. But Hammers fans - I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there."

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Apparently GQ magazine is knocking the story down, but what do they know. If he came in 2003, it was either the relegation season, or the mediocre start to the Championship. If he saw the dismal 1-0 defeat against Stoke, how could he failed to have had a dream - that one day he would see West Ham lose at home to Stoke in the Premier League...But The Audacity of Hope - this guy has to be a West Ham fan. If the next book is called The Inevitability of Failure, surely that will be the final proof.

Pete May said...

He was probably at Rotherham away long before Nigel went... promotion and Pardew's boys gloriously triumphing in the FA Cup Final (at least until the 90th minute) must surely have sustained Obama's dream during the two years of struggle against McCain.

Anonymous said...

"I have a Team"