A West Ham supporter who who wore an anti-board T-shirt while volunteering as a pitchside flag-waver before last month’s home defeat by Liverpool has had his punishment decreased by the club.
Cameron Robson was banned from attending West Ham’s games for the rest of the season after staging a protest against the club’s beleaguered board when he volunteered to wave a giant club flag before Liverpool’s 2-0 win at the London Stadium. Robson, a season-ticket holder, unzipped his jacket to reveal a T-shirt with the message “GSB OUT” – a reference to the club’s co-owners, David Gold and David Sullivan, and the vice-chair, Karren Brady.
He had passed through stadium security while wearing the top under his jacket.
Robson received a letter from West Ham telling him that “your display of provocative messaging was deliberately intended to incite the crowd”. The letter says that he breached regulations prohibiting the presence in the ground of anyone “who is or could (in the Operator’s reasonable opinion) constitute a source of danger, nuisance or annoyance to any other person”.
It initially seemed that Robson’s appeal against his punishment had failed when he received a letter from LS185, the stadium’s operators, laying out the evidence against him. Robson was told that his GSB Out T-shirt “represents a protest against the owners of the club and as such could be deemed to be inciteful of fans either for or against this message”. LS185 said that he had not been honest with the club when applying to become a flag-waver and that he had hidden his GSB Out T-shirt from security.
However Robson was then told by the club that his appeal was successful. He has effectively served a two-game ban, missing the 3-3 draw with Brighton and Wednesday’s rearranged trip to Manchester City. He will be allowed back to watch West Ham continue their fight against relegation from the Premier League.
West Ham are facing growing unrest from supporters. Between 900 and 2,000 West Ham supporters held a static protest against the board before last month’s 1-1 home draw with Everton and Hammers United, an influential fan group, has arranged further demonstrations. It plans to release black balloons from the away end when West Ham visit Liverpool on Monday and has organised a protest march before the visit from Southampton on 29 February.
