WEST HAM fan Chis Knoll “nearly cried” when the club offered him a ticket for the Europa Conference League Final after fighting off thugs at AZ Alkmaar.
Knoll, who is better known as Knollsy, was at the stands in the semi-finals when the Hammers beat AZ 1-0 and confirmed their place in the final against Fiorentina on June 7.
Football hooligans attacked the away end where relatives and friends of the players as well as coaching staff were seated after the full-time whistle.
However, the 58-year-old stood up to the yobs and fought dozens of them at the same time as he defended the team’s loved ones.
Knollsy’s defiance was caught on camera and he quickly reached celebrity status among the West Ham faithful, who now dub him the “Angel of Alkmaar”.
That experience didn’t scare Knoll off as he was desperate to find a ticket for the final in Prague.
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And a club official he met before the AZ game called him up and gave him one for free to thank him for protecting the team’s families.
Dad-of-four Knollsy told The Mail: “I am at work and when I got the call today, I nearly cried. I am, so pleased, so happy. I am made up.”
He added: “She [club official] said she was sitting two rows behind me and saw what happened. She said I had been very courageous and that I deserved a ticket.
“It’s ironic that she was the one who phoned me today. I remember joking with her earlier about whether she could get me a ticket if we got to the final.
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“I know how difficult it is to get a ticket. I am so happy at this.”
Knollsy received a standing ovation from the home crowd on Sunday before West Ham’s final game of the season at London Stadium against Leeds.
Knoll revealed it took him over an hour to leave the stadium as fellow fans expressed their gratitude for his bravery in the Netherlands.
Knollsy said: “What a reception, a standing ovation, my own song and I never bought a single beer.
“It took me the best part of an hour to walk half way around the stadium at the end of the game on Sunday.
“I was made to feel like the people’s champion. I noticed the amount of women thanking me for looking after their families. I’m on the crest of a wave at the moment’.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
