Ex- star Marlon Harewood has been noticed within the fracas after AZ Alkmaar supporters stormed a piece of away supporters within the Netherlands on Thursday evening. Footage has emerged on-line of Hammers followers warding off the stampede, which left a bitter style on a historic evening of their membership’s historical past.
Regardless of struggling within the Premier League, West Ham have been in high-quality kind within the European Convention League and now face Fiorentina within the last in Prague.
David Moyes’ aspect took a 2-1 lead into the second leg of their semi-final conflict with Alkmaar and have been compelled to climate the storm for prolonged durations of the tie, with the Dutch crew – riled up by their supporters – dominating proceedings.
Nevertheless, regardless of having fun with 70 per cent of possession, Alkmaar by no means really threatened and a 94th-minute winner from Pablo Fornals put the sport to mattress. Celebrations have been short-lived after the full-time whistle as supporters clashed within the stands, with new footage having emerged on social media that reveals the house followers queuing at a set of stairs close to the away finish to try to break in.
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Two West Ham followers could possibly be seen standing their floor to guard the households and associates of the gamers. The incident prompting David Moyes' West Ham stars to cost over and try to fend off the hooligans. , Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta are amongst these noticed in footage desperately making an attempt to intervene and create distance between the followers.
Harewood, who spent 4 years with the Hammers, was additionally seen among the many drama, standing on his seat and guiding fellow followers away from the state of affairs while shouting away the Alkmaar mob. Moyes and his aspect have been reluctant to let the unsavoury scenes overshadow the performances over each legs and tried to divert the eye onto the ultimate in Prague.
However goalkeeper Alphonse Areola admitted that the squad have been fearful in regards to the security of their family members within the crowd and that they'd no alternative however to try to assist as a result of safety being lapse.
He defined: “I had household though they have been a bit removed from the incident, however we have been fearful about our households. Safety is an important factor at a stadium, particularly for an occasion like this.
“Safety was a bit too open for the opposition followers however ultimately, we managed to cease them. When household or followers come to a stadium you don’t wish to see issues like that. We would like them to benefit from the occasion.”