West Ham fans delivered a hilarious reminder of football’s golden rule | OneFootball

Ally McCoist is, apparently, dangerously close to The Drury Zone.

What was once a welcome novelty is in danger of becoming tired and annoying, at least according to all the usual misery guts on X.

You can hear where they’re coming from. It feels like every single game on TNT features McCoist alongside ‘Fletch’ and their pally banter isn’t necessarily welcome when you have skin in the game – i.e. a fan of either side slugging it out to make their first FA Cup semi-finals in forever.

The Rangers legend might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but there’s an argument that his particular brand of Glaswegian incredulity was the perfect soundtrack to the scenes – equal parts ludicrous and hilarious – at the end of West Ham and Leeds’ quarter-final humdinger.

We shouldn’t take for granted a commentator who sounds like he actually likes football and recognises the privilege of earning a living from watching and talking about it.

Crucially, in this age of rage-baiting and a race to the bottom of finding the most polarising narratives, McCoist also doesn’t take the game too seriously. Not everything has to be an opportunity to grandstand and fan the flames of tribalism. Every defeat doesn’t have to be a disgrace, every conceded goal doesn’t deserve an immediate inquest into What Went Wrong (take note, Andy Hinchcliffe).

There is a lot about football that is inherently silly and it’s healthy to acknowledge that.

And football doesn’t get more silly than the West Ham fans sheepishly returning to their seats as Nuno Espirito Santo’s men mounted an unlikely injury-time comeback.

As ever, McCoist sounded as though he was having a whale of a time from the London Stadium commentary box as the match director made the inspired decision to cut to the fans emerging back out from the concourses.

We were even treated to the lesser-spotted stadium exterior shots, usually only reserved for Manchester United’s tonkings at the hands of Liverpool, that showed irate Hammers pleading to be let back in for extra time. Too late – should’ve had faith.

Given West Ham ended up losing on penalties, scoring no further goals, some might have ultimately felt justified to beat the bottlenecks and escape to the pub or the sofa with their trotters up, to use the parlance of West Ham’s favourite son (who, of course, stayed until the bitter end).

West Ham’s day might have ended in disappointment, but anyone who left early missed a minor FA Cup classic. A rare extra time that was actually entertaining; not just the usual of two knackered sides killing time before trying their luck from 12 yards.

Two sensational disallowed goals, albeit those moments of jubilation cut short by VAR and the linesman’s flag. An unknown child making his debut and briefly promising an instantly iconic FA Cup fairytale. That adrenaline rush is why you shell out for a ticket, isn’t it?

Nuno’s men demonstrated both spirit and quality that ought to give them belief they can make up four points on a Leeds side that looked rattled and unconvincing, fortunate in the end to cling on for penalties. Stay within three points and they ought to back themselves to get revenge come the rematch on the Premier League’s final weekend.

Former Leeds United striker Jermaine Beckford wheeled out the classic “never leave early, because you never know what can happen in football” in the brief pause before extra time.

It’s difficult to disagree on this occasion; these expressions became cliches because they’re often right. Never leave early.