Alan Devonshire said he cannot wait for the visit of his old club to his Hampton and Richmond Borough tonight, in their first pre-season friendly.
Former midfielder Devonshire - who made over 400 league and cup appearances in the claret and blue between 1976 and 1990 and is still a firm fans' favourite today, is delighted that Alan Curbishley is bringing his side to the Beveree Stadium.
"I am really looking forward to it and so are our players. It will be our first pre-season game as well, so to have this against West Ham is great. I think it will be a competitive game and it will give our players the chance to play against some of the best players in the Premier League. It will also help us financially. There is a lot of interest from our own supporters, but I have also heard there are many West Ham fans coming down to see the match, so that will be good."
Devonshire explained how the match came about and said he was pleased when his former team-mate Curbishley said yes to his invitation. "Myself and Alan go back a long way, we both played at West Ham together in our early days and I have kept in touch with him ever since. When he took over at West Ham, I thought of asking him, but it was busy time back then and so I waited a while.
"I put the idea to him last season and he said yes, so I was really pleased. I am sure he will bring as strong a squad as possible, so we are really looking forward to it." Devonshire became manager of Hampton in 2003 and in that time, has seen them rise from the Ryman Division One South to the brink of the Conference before narrowly losing in a play-off at the end of last season.
He said he enjoys his role now as a manager and has high hopes for the season ahead. "We have had six training sessions now, we are only a part-time team, but we have a few young players who I feel will do well this season. We had a few leave us this summer, they have gone to bigger clubs where there is a bit more money. At our level, we are limited in that situation, so that is why a match like this against West Ham is so important to us financially as well."
Devonshire said his memories of being at West Ham United will never leave him and the 52-year-old is looking forward to seeing the supporters - of whom he always had a good rapport with in his playing days at the Boleyn Ground. "The West Ham fans were just brilliant - I can't describe them any other way. I think though, they might get a shock when they see me now - Some of them still think I have long dark hair and a moustache, but I am much different these days," he laughs.
"I had a terrific time at the club and the supporters were always second to none, I still think they are and that will never change. West Ham coming here tonight to play us, means so much to me, it really does."