Hurst and Brooking lead tributes from legends after West Ham triumph
David Moyes’s spirited side beat Fiorentina 2-1 within the ultimate in Prague on Wednesday night time due to a last-minute objective by Jarrod Bowen in a match watched on by the nice and good from the Hammers’ proud historical past.
1966 World Cup winner Sir Geoff Hurst tweeted: “Massive Congratulations to David Moyes and the boys. After 58 years another well deserved European success. I couldn’t be happier for everyone involved with our fantastic club. COYI.”
Also on Twitter, Trevor Sinclair posted: “What a night. So proud of the lads & Moyes. Once again a massive thanks to the West Ham fans for your welcome & looking after me & my guests tonight. EUROPEAN CUP WINNERS 2023 COYFI.”
Tony Cottee, who had two stints at West Ham, merely tweeted: “What a moment! History made.”
Brothers Rio and Anton Ferdinand graduated by the membership’s academy throughout its golden age within the Nineties. Rio Ferdinand posted: “Congratulations to everyone connected to @WestHam! 58 years… Big shout out to @_DeclanRice & @Noble16Mark.”
Meanwhile, Anton Ferdinand mirrored: “This is just an amazing time to be alive.”
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, Sir Trevor Brooking mentioned: “You could not have written it in a script. I am so chuffed because it has been a tough year. They signed three big names last summer for £120million in Nayef Aguerd, Lucas Paqueta and Gianluca Scamacca and before the World Cup, they had seen nothing.
“We were in the bottom five and everyone was worried. Then, after [co-chairman] David Gold died and his daughter Jacqueline a couple of months later, everything seemed to be going wrong. Everyone was looking to this final wondering if we could round off a tough 12 months.
“So to win it in the last couple of months, with an Englishman scoring the goal… if you had read it in a book, you would have said it was a bit far-fetched. It is a wonderful feeling.”
Working as a pundit overlaying the sport for BT Sport, Joe Cole mentioned: “This is a moment not just for West Ham fans. All other clubs should aspire to this. There are so many clubs like West Ham who haven’t been able to touch the heights of the Premier League or the Champions League, but this competition has given these players this.
“This can be a springboard. I want this to be a springboard for the club. I want this to be something that David Sullivan and Karren Brady look around and they see what this is.”
Midfielder Kevin Nolan made greater than 150 appearances for the Irons between 2011 and 2015, and has been the membership’s first crew coach since 2019.
He instructed BT Sport: “I played for the club, I’ve come back in a coach capacity, and it’s been unbelievable. To make it a third [European season] on the spin is just absolutely massive for this club.”