West Ham United 3 Lusitans 0

Going out of my way to attend the first competitive fixture of the new season involving an English side suggests I have some addiction issues but we'll gloss over that for the time being. I was motivated by a desire to attend a match at Upton Park before West Ham's move to the Olympic Stadium for the 2016/17 season. It's still an old fashioned stadium in many respects, I've enjoyed my trips to Fulham and Charlton in the past more. Not least because when making my way around the ground I witnessed one West Ham fan land a punch on another. It took place outside the Bobby Moore Stand. What one of the game's true gentlemen would have thought of such a scene, I'm unsure.

An inconsequential first half ended in two simple finishes for Diafra Sakho, a backpost header and a shot into the near corner from 8 yards out. West Ham grew in confidence second half, adding a third through James Tompkins with another header. Mauro Zarate was man of the match for me, setting up one of Sakho's goals and frequently causing a nuisance with his pace and drive. A comfortable victory for the Hammers.

Following the distasteful scene pre-match I was heartened by a spontaneous round of applause followed by chants of "Sign him up" for the ballboy who stopped a fast moving ball stone dead with his right foot. I also discovered that there are bubble machines positioned in front of the East Stand to accompany the numerous renditions of "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles". I wish there were more football anthems that were ostensibly sad in nature.

"Fortune's always hiding, I've looked everywhere. I'm forever blowing bubbles, blowing bubbles in the air"

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