Tens of thousands of West Ham United supporters lined the streets of east London to welcome their UEFA Europa Conference League winners home.
Less than 24 hours after their heroes defeated AFC Fiorentina 2-1 in Prague to lift the Club’s first major trophy in 43 years, manager David Moyes and his triumphant squad boarded a Claret and Blue open-top bus for a two-hour trip they will never, ever forget.
The streets from Upton Park, where West Ham called home for 112 years, to Stratford, where the Irons moved in 2016, were lined with jubilant fans of all ages and backgrounds, united by the sheer elation of seeing their beloved Hammers.
Scenes that had not been witnessed for over four decades filled the East End, where supporters found every available vantage point to congratulate Moyes and his players.
Captain Declan Rice took centre-stage at the front of the bus, grabbing a microphone to sing a succession of terrace anthems, including Bubbles, Ice Ice Baby, Oooh Said Benrahma and many more.
At the back of the bus, Thilo Kehrer took over, producing a virtuoso performance of singing, rapping and leading the Claret and Blue Army throughout their journey through Plaistow to Stratford Town Hall, manager Moyes, captain Rice and his trophy-winning teammates spoke to the assembled masses.
The manager said: “I had about three hours’ sleep but that’s only because the bar shut in the hotel very early when we wanted it to be open much longer!
“For me, the thing about it, being a football manager, in the football industry, the majority of weeks you go home disappointed because your team hasn’t won, so to actually get to the final of a European competition and win it was massive.
“It sunk in for me when we got back to the East End of London tonight and saw the supporters on the streets. It was incredible.
“West Ham is a huge football club with huge support in East London and the proof of that is tonight. There were thousands of supporters on the streets tonight and the support we had last night in Prague was unbelievable.
“I hope we can continue to make progress and I think we have done over the last two or three years and last night was progress because we won a trophy. It was massive for us to win a trophy!”
Now, Moyes’ plan is to make nights like we experienced it this week happen more than every four decades.
“It’s very hard to compete at the top end every season, but all you can do is try to do your best every season and that’s what we do, and next season that’s what we’ll do,” he continued.
“We want to be involved in these competitions, especially when some big clubs are involved in them in them and didn’t win them, so for the players to play Thursday/Sunday and get a trophy at the end of it is some achievement.
“Last night is gone and we’ll have to win the next one now!”
