By 7 PM, the local pubs were full of Hammers fans doing what they do best: drinking away the sorrow while planning a glorious return. “You know what?” a bloke named Dave announced to a captive audience. “I’m excited. We can win some games now! Remember what winning feels like?”
His mate chimed in, “Yeah! We’ll get promoted next year. Easy. Right?” A nervous silence followed, broken by someone ordering another round of shots. The optimism was fragile, but it was there.
One older fan, wearing a 1966 FA Cup badge on his cap, took a philosophical approach. “Look,” he said, “we’ve been relegated before. We came back. And you know what? Championship football is fun. You actually get to see goals.” The crowd let out a reluctant, beer-soaked cheer.
