Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Dan Warburton & William Walker

West Ham fans go wild as they party into the night in Prague after historic win

Joyous Hammers went wild in Prague as Jarrod Bowen's last-minute winner secured their first European title in a generation.

Die-hard supporters in the Letna Park fan zone sprayed beer in the air as David Moyes' men lifted the Europa Conference trophy on Wednesday night.

And thousands more ticketless fans hit the bars as they toasted their first major European title since 1965 to a chorus of "West Ham are massive, everywhere we go".

Sun-kissed and sozzled, more than 20,000 supporters had spent the day partying in the Czech capital's Old Town Square.

And last night they poured onto the streets of Prague and partied into the late hours after a historic win over Italian rivals Fiorentina.

Dave Harrison, 49, from Kettering, Notts., said: "It's the greatest night of my life. I love this club and now we're part of history. This city is claret and blue tonight."

Declan Rice (FILIP SINGER/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Jarrod Bowen (Getty Images)

West Ham fan Aaron, 18, said it felt “unreal” to win.

“It’s unreal, never felt like it in my life,” he said. He said his plan for the rest of the night was to “stumble back to the hotel”.

“How we get there I don’t care,” he added.

Thousands had made the trip from east London to defy UEFA chiefs who allocated The Irons fewer than 6,000 tickets to the game.

They congregated before midday and brought Prague's historic Old Town square to a standstill with their jubilant chanting.

Riot police stood guard and a police helicopter circled overhead but there was no sign of skirmishes which marred West Ham's semi-final victory over AZ Alkmaar.

Fans were jubilant (AFP via Getty Images)

West Ham have not won a major European trophy since defeating 1860 Munich in the final of the European Cup Winners' Cup at Wembley in 1965.

Their last major domestic trophy was the 1980 FA Cup.

Accountant Elizabeth Rees, 65, made the trip to the Czech Republic 47 years after watching West Ham play in their last European cup final.

She travelled to Brussels for the 1976 European Cup Winners' Cup defeat to Anderlecht with her father Dave Dunster waving a flag she made from his Naval flags.

And the same flag was on display in the Fortuna Arena as David Moyes' men took to the field.

Elizabeth's son, NHS dentist Morgan, 32, from Sidcup, said before the match: "We've both got tickets to the game tonight.

Declan Rice of West Ham United lifts the UEFA Europa Conference League trophy (Getty Images)

"There won't be many people like my mum who were at both of these games.

"I've been a fan ever since I was six years old when my grandfather used to take me to the games. It's a real family thing for us."

Dave Harrison, 49, and his son, James, 14, made the trip from Kettering, Staffs, without a ticket to soak up the atmosphere. He said: "The police have been good as gold.

"It's been an unforgettable experience - one we'll never forget. I had to bring the boy, no matter what happens it's a moment of West Ham history now."

West Ham's Said Benrahma celebrates after scoring his side's first goal (Darko Vojinovic/AP/REX/Shutterstock)

Self-employed electrician Craig Barnett, 45, and his retail worker pal Steve Price, 51, embarked on a 36-hour drive across France and Germany to be in Prague.

This afternoon they toasted the mammoth journey as they arrived in

Craig, from Milton Keynes, boarded the ferry at Dover yesterday before spending the night in Mainz, Germany, before finishing the journey today.

He said: "After leaving home at 7.15am on Tuesday morning we started the 1,100km trip to Prague.

Fans arrive at the Fortuna arena in Prague (Rowan Griffiths / Daily Mirror)

"The distance didn’t matter and with every kilometre covered we were closer to being involved with the West Ham family.

"We've made it to Prague and are absolutely buzzing to be here to soak up the atmosphere before our first European final for 47 years."

Meanwhile, Czech riot police have clashed with some West Ham fans in the centre of Prague’s Old Town.

The violence broke out after fans lit a flare in the centre of the square. A number of police stepped in to take the flare away.

However, a fan lit a second flare, and riot police suddenly stormed the scene.

Fans then surrounded the police, with reports they were then pelted with bottles.

Shortly after midnight crowds in the centre had begun to dwindle and the few hundred left continued to chant and sing football songs.

Are you celebrating? Let us know how and get in touch at: webnews@mirror.co.uk

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.