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West Ham United have thanked the Claret and Blue Army for their unrivalled support after the Hammers attracted the biggest crowd of this season’s EFL Cup to Wednesday’s third round win over Accrington Stanley.
An impressive 39,877 supporters were at London Stadium to see Dimitri Payet’s dramatic injury-time free-kick see off the challenge of the Hammers’ League Two opponents – beating the 39,276 who watched Chelsea defeat Bristol Rovers in the second round.
That figure – West Ham’s highest home League Cup attendance in 45 years – is set to be smashed when the Hammers host the Blues in the fourth round in front of an expected sell-out crowd in October, and Joint-Chairmen David Sullivan and David Gold have paid tribute to the Club’s loyal support.
“Wednesday night was what West Ham United and football are all about,” said the Joint-Chairmen. “We had a big crowd in for a traditional cup tie between a big Premier League club and brave lower-division opposition which went right down to the wire.
“Both sets of fans made for a real cup-tie atmosphere, with the loudest cheer of the night coming when Dimitri Payet netted his fantastic free-kick to put us through.
“Now, we want to take the momentum of our win onto Sunday, with two sets of fans determined to both entertain and be entertained, when we host Southampton in the Premier League in front of another full house at our new home, when we all sincerely hope to be celebrating another win and a welcome three points.”
West Ham have broken their attendance record three times since moving into London Stadium in July – against NK Domzale, Juventus and AFC Bournemouth – with nearly 320,000 supporters attending the opening six matches.
The Hammers’ man of the moment Michail Antonio, whose arrival helped spark West Ham’s late victory over Accrington, has been impressed by the atmosphere created inside the Club’s iconic new home.
“It is a fantastic Stadium and one where we feel the support of the fans from everywhere,” he said. “When I came on last night the reception from the supporters was incredible, and I can honestly say that kind of thing pushes you to put in a performance.
“The support inspires us to play better, and we hope we can repay it with a few more victories over the coming weeks and months.
“I have said a number of times since I joined that the West Ham fans are special and create an incredible atmosphere, and they deserve all the success we can give them.”
West Ham return to action at London Stadium on Sunday 25 September at 4pm, when will they host Southampton in front of another sell-out 57,000 crowd.
Fans attending Sunday’s fixture should take note of the important travel information regarding Greater Anglia rail services into Stratford.