Monday 16 April 2018 07:30, UK
West Ham legend Trevor Brooking is hoping that the club can get a win against Stoke on Monday Night Football to end the threat of relegation and put a difficult season behind them.
David Moyes' team are six points clear of the drop zone and victory against Stoke at the London Stadium would surely be enough to secure West Ham's Premier League status.
Speaking at a Prostate Cancer UK golf day, the 69-year-old Brooking gave his verdict on the situation and discusses the stresses and strains that come with following West Ham. "I think a win on Monday would almost be enough," he said. "I think 37 points would be enough.
"Stoke have done quite well over recent games. They were quite unlucky to lose at Arsenal and then Spurs at home so we have to make sure we play well. But I think three points will mean the last month of the season will be more relaxed than it was the previous one.
"It wouldn't be the same if we didn't have the rollercoaster of being a West Ham fan. You don't know what's around the corner. That's part of the attraction to a certain extent.
"If you are challenging for trophies every year a lot of fans say it will be nice to find out but I don't think we will ever quite find that out. More than anything when the good times come it will be fantastic to look back on it.
"Then sometimes, like in recent weeks you have some challenging issues that the club gets the wrong attention for. But during those moments the genuine fans seem to pull together in order to be want to be seen to be lifting the club.
"That's what happened in the Southampton game and now for the remaining matches of the season, we just need to get the confirmation of the Premier League status and then look at what can be done in the summer to try and make sure we don't have another rollercoaster.
"From a playing point of view, West Ham like to put us through the ringer most seasons. It would be nice halfway through the season to be looking top half rather than the bottom half."
Brooking, whose family have been touched by prostate cancer, is backing the charity's Football March for Men which takes place on Sunday July 22, with the London Stadium one of four starting points for an event that ends at Wembley.
"Football has been very strong regarding prostate cancer with the Soccer Saturday panel and managers always wearing the 'Man of Men' pin badge," he added.
"I always wear mine and it's great to see more and more people now knowing what it means as the charity becomes more well known. Football is our national sport and having all those managers wearing them can hopefully encourage that one reluctant person to take that extra step.
"If, fingers crossed, West Ham get a win in the next week or two in order to make sure of their Premier League status at London Stadium for a third season, then I think the celebration of stretching your legs to Wembley seems like a good idea.
"More than anything you are given the opportunity to raise awareness of prostate cancer and raise some funds. Om the back of hopefully staying up I think there may well be a few West Ham fans that decide to take part."
Many are unaware that prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. For the first time, the number of men dying from prostate cancer every year has overtaken the number of women dying from breast cancer, making prostate cancer the third biggest cancer killer in the UK. One man dies from prostate cancer every 45 minutes, but fans are fighting back to make prostate cancer a disease that the next generation of men do not fear.
To sign up for the March for Men or find out more information go to: www.prostatecanceruk.org/footballmarch
