A ballboy was taken away for treatment after West Ham fans bundled over an advertising hoarding at Selhurst Park on Saturday afternoon. Hammers supporters were wildly celebrating Tomas Soucek’s opening goal when players realised that the ballboy was in danger and rushed to help.
Soucek pounced on a loose ball in the box and slid his finish past Crystal Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson in the 67th minute to give Julen Lopetegui’s side the lead in south London.
The travelling fans were so excited by the Czech’s strike that they surged towards the pitch and collapsed one of the advertising hoardings while a Palace ballboy was sitting underneath it.
Soucek was the first to act, lifting up the barrier so the ballboy could crawl out from underneath. The youngster was checked on by Soucek, Jarrod Bowen and other West Ham players.
He appeared to have avoided serious injury but looked shaken up by the incident, and he was led away from his post to be given further treatment. Bowen was among the Hammers players seen chatting to the ballboy while heading back to the dressing rooms at full-time.
Five minutes after Soucek’s goal, Bowen clinically finished off a devastating West Ham counter-attack to double their lead, which they held until the final whistle. The Hammers saw less of the ball but finished the match with more shots and more shots on target than their opponents, who finished last campaign on fire under Oliver Glasner.
Speaking earlier this week, new West Ham boss Lopetegui expected to be given a stern test at Selhurst Park. “We have to be ready,” he said. “It’s a big challenge for us. Palace will demand a lot from us and we have to be ready to have the right answer.
“Palace were one of the best Premier League teams in the second part of last season. They have created a team with quality players and a clear idea.”
West Ham began their new season with a 2-1 defeat at home to Aston Villa last weekend, with Jhon Duran scoring late on to ruin Lopetegui’s competitive London Stadium bow. But the win at Palace ensures valuable Premier League points will be on the board when reigning champions Manchester City come to town next weekend.
The Hammers are in Carabao Cup action between now and then as they prepare to meet Bournemouth in an all-Premier League showdown on Wednesday.
