Come on you Iron Men

Here’s something to cheer us up and a fine Christmas present for the Hammer in your life. Finally sat down and watched my Iron Men dvd. It concentrates mainly on the game against Man United in the Cup, the final Saturday game against Swansea and the epic finale against Man United. It all seems an aeon ago, as West Ham have a French midfielder who looks quite classy, finish seventh and play in a tightly-contained ground. 

The footage of the fans concentrates mainly on characters like blind supporter Matt Datson, Gary Firmager of OLAS, Nathan’s pie and mash, the two-for-£1 sweet man, the Rib Man and 100-year-old super-fan Mabel. Although there’s perhaps a little too much of Ray Winstone being a diamond geezer as it doesn’t really need a celebrity angle. It has some great footage of Mark Noble showing us the park he used to play in at Hermit Road on the site of West Ham’s old ground. Plus Nobes coming in to training and shaking everyone’s hands and Slaven Bilic proving that he gets the West Ham Way.

The coverage of the final game at the Boleyn is terrific, with it hard not to supress a tear as Winston Reid’s header goes over the line in slow motion. The scenes of Bilic in tears and fans lingering at the end are unforgettable. Director Paul Crompton’s shots of the crowd are beautifully filmed and the evocative music really adds to the atmosphere of sadness. It’s now a piece of nostalgia, but Iron Men is well worth a tenner of anyone’s money.