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The familiar Anne Boleyn pub remains as does the church on the corner of the ground but if I needed a reminder that I haven’t been for some time I certainly got it when I got through the turnstiles and realised that I just did not recognise the Boleyn Ground at all.
The once intimidating home of West Ham with the crowd inches from the touchline on all four sides is gone and in fact down one side the supporters are so far away from the action that it is a wonder the club don’t provide binoculars as they go in.
This was always meant to be West Ham’s day with new manager Alan Pardew taking a pre-match bow, how times have changed when West Ham fans can get excited about poaching Reading’s manager. This is what Roeder does to you.
That was followed by a curtain call for caretaker Trevor Brooking and on this occasion there was also warm applause from Burnley fans for the former England international who will now be returning to action at the BBC.
Yes we were an irrelevance as far as the media were concerned no matter what happened, this was all about the home side. The trouble is nobody bothered to tell Stan, his players and the many Burnley fans there.
We made a couple of changes that saw both Lee Roche and Gareth Farrelly dropped to the bench at the expense of the returning Arthur Gnohere (back from QPR) and Luke Chadwick after illness.
There were no signings despite us making a late attempt to sign a goalkeeper with Newcastle connections only to be turned down at the last minute.
Despite the changes we feared the worst and having seen the defending at Ipswich four days earlier it did make you wonder just how we would manage against David Connolly and Jermain Defoe.
We had started well at Ipswich but the opening was not quite so bright for us this time with the home side getting on top of the game almost from the off. We had a couple of narrow escapes and were giving the ball away far too often.
The defence at times was looking anything but assured and the captain Graham Branch was again looking a worry in this position that hardly seems to suit him.
The home side put an effort wide, had another saved by Brian Jensen and had a goal rightly disallowed for offside and there wasn’t even a quarter of an hour gone.
It had to come, and it did, and just as on Tuesday it came after 20 minutes. It was no surprise that the ever dangerous Connolly was the player to score either. It was a bad goal from our point of view as Defoe was able to get in for a shot with far too much ease and when his shot rebounded to Connolly he rounded Branch to score with ease.
He nearly got another within two minutes but a superb challenge by Arthur prevented him from getting a shot in and once again we were looking under the cosh.
Things went worse when Paul Weller had to go off with an injury to be replaced by Tony Grant and almost immediately Jensen made a good stop to halt Connolly again.
But we were still trying to get forward and we were still trying to play our football. And it paid off just seven minutes before half time. It all started when Chadwick played in Ian Moore down the right hand side and his cross found Delroy Facey who had the simplest of jobs to hit home from close range,
As the half came to a close both sides had half chances but we went in level and although we had been under so much pressure at times there was no doubt this was far better than at Ipswich.
Apart from having no daft goal music down at West Ham neither do they drive us mad with cheerleaders at half time, the entertainment on this occasion being provided by a band promoting the National Anti-Racism Week of Action in Football.
The second half almost got off to a frightening start and we were nearly behind just 27 seconds in when Branch allowed Connolly in but thankfully his effort cannoned off the woodwork. Fingers were pointing in the Burnley defence but we had got away with it.
We hardly learned our lesson and two minutes later Jensen came to the rescue again after Defoe had been given space in the box.
It settled down for a while after that and in fact we played some of our best football with Richard Chaplow and Chadwick standing out. The West Ham defence, with two former Blackburn players there, were somewhat fortunate on a couple of occasions after good work from the real Clarets got us into good positions.
Trevor Brooking might well be taking a back seat but he was to make two substitutions that both had a major effect on the game. The first saw loan man Neil Mellor come on just after the hour and the whole game changed as West Ham got on top for their best spell of the game.
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We saw it off without conceding a goal and to be honest we deserved to. No matter what they threw at us, and they certainly created some chances, we were strong enough to keep them at bay.
And then it was our turn and all of a sudden it was Burnley going for it and putting the home defence under some pressure. And we really should have gone in front with ten minutes to go through Tony Grant.
Chadwick got down the right and the ball dropped nicely for Grant some 15 yards out and David James stranded at one side of his goal. He somehow contrived to hit the post with it when it really did look easier to score.
There were sighs of disappointment in the Burnley end but that wasn’t to last long and within two minutes we were in front. Ian Moore, now up front after Stan’s tactical switch saw Farrelly replace the disappointing Robbie Blake, latched onto Farrelly’s ball.
He got there before David James and lifted it over him. With Repka looking as if he could keep it out Mooro followed in and he bundled the ball in. The Burnley fans who had been as noisy and as committed as they had been for some time went crazy.
Remember me metntioning Brooking’s substitution. He immediately made another as we celebrated the goal and four minutes later this substitute Don Hutchison was to end our hopes of a win when he crashed in an unstoppable shot from the edge of the box with his first touch of the ball.
It probably gave the game a fairer result although I, and I am certain the other 2,000+ Burnley fans would have been more than happy to come home with all three points.
But don’t let any of this pro West Ham national media tell you that they were unlucky and don’t have them telling you that we were not very much part of this game. We more than played our part, we gave the Hammers a tough afternoon and nobody could possibly argue that we didn’t deserve to bring that point home with us.
We won’t play too many sides with a front two of the quality of Connolly and Defoe and we won’t play many sides who can bring on a player of the quality of Hutchison in the dying minutes.
And if we continue to play like this and with this level of commitment then we won’t lose so many games either no matter who the opposition bring on.
This was so, so much better and just when it was needed most. And some players had exceptional games.
Chadwick certainly looked to have thrown off the effects of flu with another top show despite being away from his favoured right hand side for much of the game. Jensen produced his best showing to date in goal whilst there must be special mention of the returning Arthur who was a rock at the back.
But for me one player stood out as man of the match, one young local lad in midfield who was absolutely magnificent. Stand up Richard Chaplow. The youngster was up against the likes of Michael Carrick and Rob Lee in the midfield and Lee for one certainly played well.
But he was better than Lee and certainly better than Carrick and it really did make you question which player there is really the international prospect. He’s going to have some bad games at some time but right now the youngster is playing so well and taking every opportunity that comes his way. He was without doubt my Man of the Match.
So well done Clarets and if all the clouds haven’t been lifted then at least it is those big black rain clouds that have disappeared for now.
I don’t think we should report on this game either without a mention for referee Iain Williamson from Berkshire. It is the first time I have seen him in action and although he did book five players, I wonder how many of them we could actually question though, he was another referee who seemed intent on keeping the game moving and allowing the players to play football. Well done Mr. Williamson.
I can hardly remember my last visit to the Boleyn Ground but I’ll remember this one for a while as I am sure all the Burnley fans will. What a difference four days can make and the reaction from the fans at the end and as we left said it all.
This journey home didn’t seem quite so long.
The teams were,
West Ham: David James, Tomas Repka, Ian Pearce, Christian Dailly, Wayne Quinn (Neil Mellor 63), Niclas Alexandersson (Don Hutchison 83), Matthew Etherington, Michael Carrick, Rob Lee, David Connolly, Jermain Defoe. Subs not used: Stephen Bywater, Anton Ferdinand, Matthew Kilgallon.
Burnley: Brian Jensen, Dean West, Graham Branch, Arthur Gnohere, Mo Camara, Ian Moore, Paul Weller (Tony Grant 27), Richard Chaplow, Luke Chadwick, Robbie Blake (Gareth Farrelly 78), Delroy Facey. Subs not used: Lee Roche, Joel Pilkington, Matt O’Neill.
Referee: Iain Williamson (Berkshire).