Former West Ham captain Mark Noble pays tribute to Queen Elizabeth II. pic.twitter.com/GDTbNLvURP
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Mark Noble has paid tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and shared his pride in the way the Claret and Blue Army honoured her memory at London Stadium.
The recently retired West Ham United captain watched on as the Hammers’ players, staff and supporters stood as one for The Queen before the UEFA Europa Conference League Group B fixture with FCSB of Romania last Thursday evening.
As the late Monarch’s image was shown on the big screens and the stadium announcer called for a minute’s silence, the crowd spontaneously broke into applause and began to sing ‘God Save the Queen’.
Noble appreciated what was a hugely emotional and poignant scene, even from afar, and a fitting tribute to a person who loved sport, opened two Olympic Games, including London 2012 in the stadium and on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park West Ham United now call home, served as patron to the Football Association, and had a lifelong passion for horseracing.
“To be honest, when I saw the game at London Stadium the other night and I saw the fans sing the National Anthem, it gave me goosepimples actually because it was incredible,” Noble told Sky Sports.
“We should celebrate The Queen’s life because she was dear to everybody in our country and around the world. What a fantastic woman she was.
“It made be proud to be a West Ham fan.”
After fixtures were postponed last weekend, Noble believes the football family will come together in tribute to The Queen again when fixtures restart this week, and West Ham fans will again show their respect when Premier League football is given the go-ahead to resume.
“When football returns, it will give everyone the opportunity to pay their respects. I think sporting events going ahead is key because she loved her sport, she loved her country and we should celebrate that,” he observed.
“As I said, what the West Ham fans did the other night, you can always rely on them to do something like that and it was so special. Watching it on the TV actually gave me goosebumps.
“It was a very special occasion at the stadium and I can imagine it was quite emotional.”
West Ham United and The Queen shared a number of historic moments together, including the opening of the West Stand at the Boleyn Ground during Her Majesty’s Golden Jubilee in 2002, and, of course, the afternoon in July 1966 when she presented the Jules Rimet Trophy to captain Bobby Moore following England’s 4-2 victory over West Germany in the FIFA World Cup final.
“What a fantastic and iconic photo that is – someone who served her country all her life and someone in Bobby Moore who gave so much joy to football fans and who will be remembered in history, especially at West Ham,” Noble observed.
“It’s an incredible photo of an incredible moment and we should celebrate that because she loved her sport, she was The Queen when Bobby brought the World Cup home and, as I say, we should really celebrate that.”
