While their players are preparing for the biggest game of many a career so far, West Ham United supporters are revelling in a first major European quarter-final in a generation.
The Hammers are taking a 1-1 draw from the first leg to Parc Olympique Lyonnais and, while the Ligue 1 side have home advantage in the second half of the tie, the Irons will be backed by just over 2,800 fans, singing their hearts out inside the impressive arena.
We spoke to several sets of supporters due to attend Thursday night’s historic game in France…
If you're in Lyon for the game, please read this important information.
Jim
Lifelong West Ham supporter Jim travelled in unique fashion to southern France to maintain his proud European attendance record…
I travelled from Staffordshire on Tuesday evening. I’ve got a motor home, so I travelled down to the Eurotunnel on Tuesday evening, crossed over, crashed out about two hours into the journey overnight in the back, and then travelled down yesterday and got here late afternoon on Wednesday!
I went out on the town, got a bus back to the campsite, and everything’s been hunky dory since.
I follow West Ham everywhere, home and away. I went to Seville and that was great so I thought ‘Why not? It might be the last time in my lifetime’ – you never know!
In 1976, I travelled all around Europe following West Ham in the Cup Winners’ Cup, so why not now too?!
I’ve been to all of our European away days so far this season! Not always in the motorhome, but that was a necessity because the price of flights had gone through the roof by the time I came to look at them, so I thought: ‘Oh well! I’ve got my hotel on the back of the car, so I might as well take it with me!’
I’m camped only a ten-minute bus ride out of the city, so it’s straight there.
I’m hoping for a sneaky 1-0 tonight, and I’m hoping Michail Antonio gets it!
Emily & Harry
Claret & Blue couple Emily & Harry are confident that the Irons can make Club history against Olympique Lyonnais on Thursday evening…
We came out to France yesterday. It was a good journey. We got the Eurostar to Paris, which it was easy enough, and now we’re buzzing for tonight.
Harry does home and near enough every away game. It’s a good buzz, you know everyone in the away leg, and it’s a good laugh!
Unfortunately West Ham haven’t been getting into Europe every season, so to come out here and see a lot of people we know is fantastic.
You’ve got to go to all of the games. Seville was a big one, and it was 50/50 whether we were going to go through obviously. Lyon aren’t a bad side, but fingers crossed we can get through tonight and can go and play Barcelona – or maybe Eintracht Frankfurt – before we go back to Seville for the final!
The decisions didn’t help us last week, but we can beat Lyon tonight. Not to be biased but we think we’re the better side and we just have to take it to them.
They’re tenth in Ligue 1 so they’re not having a great season – we just need to play better than we did against Brentford.
It should be a good night! We’ll go 1-0 – someone from a corner, maybe Craig Dawson. We’d take a 1-0!
Andy & Elaine
Andy & Elaine led the way with an early arrival in Lyon, and are looking forward to the atmosphere of Parc Olympique Lyonnais...
It’s been good to be out here! We got here on Tuesday evening so we’ve had a few days here in France for a while.
We did the sight-seeing things yesterday – and visited a few bars! We’re looking forward to the game now.
We both went to Genk, then we went to Seville as well, and we just loved it. It was so good. It’s just about the whole experience… and this has been really good so far as well!
We think we’ll win 2-0 tonight. It should be really good either way. Hopefully, everyone just stays safe and we’ll all have a lovely time.
