All the build up to the match

West Ham v Leeds
By Neville Nixon
December 9 2004

Alan Pardew can afford himself a wry smile as he sits down for this week’s press call at the Hammers training ground in Chadwell Heath.

. The air in the non too salubrious press ‘cabin’ will surely be better than in the last few weeks, with some lunatic fans calling for his head, the West ham manager could have been forgiven if he had chosen to send out his assistant Peter’granite’Grant instead to face the media, but chose to do so himself, including cold sore!

How sweet it must be for AP to have a smile on his face and a jaunt in his stride now, the training ground has no doubt been a happier place following the come back against Watford and the victory away at Sunderland, BUT, all this could count for nothing if the Hammers slip up on what could be a live banana skin in the shape of Leeds United, who, despite the traditional animosity between both sets of fans, must feel some sort of affinity, as they see their once great club spiral into potential oblivion, much the same as those who attend the Boleyn have had to., they  at least have the knowledge that the major painful work has been carried out, of course this situation would change should Pardew’s boys not make it to the premiership this time!

The fact that the match will be televised will no doubt have all fans of a nervous and superstitious disposition going through strange rituals like running in and out of the room, hiding in the kitchen etc, this is also the same for Hammers fans in Australia and the United States  of which there are many.

With West Ham, you can expect the unexpected, and don’t forget, big Brian Deane will have a point to prove, as will young Killgalon!