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      Frank Lampard is on the brink of the sack… but who would want the Everton job with Moshiri and Kenwright in charge?

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      IS THERE anyone at Everton who is not on the brink?Boss Frank Lampard is on the brink of the sack.
      Frank Lampard is battling to keep his job as Everton managerCredit: Getty
      Owner Farhad Moshiri is on the brink of hiring a fifth manager in as many years.
      And the suffering Toffees fans are on the brink of giving up hope they will avoid relegation.
      They have gone eight Premier League games without a win — losing six.
      The latest — a 2-0 defeat away to fellow strugglers West Ham — leaves them joint bottom, only in 19th thanks to a marginally better goal difference than Southampton.
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      The most frightening thing for Everton fans is that those in charge are both devoid of answers.
      There seemed to be a mini post-match competition between Lampard, Moshiri and chairman Bill Kenwright: Who could utter the most obvious or useless phrase?
      Lampard went with: “The solutions aren’t easy.”
      Kenwright said: “We’ve just got to start winning.”
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      Moshiri then admitted Lampard’s future is “not my decision” to make.
      Everton supporters are fed up to the back teeth with the ineptness that sees their club free-falling towards the Championship.
      Don’t forget, this is a club that was last relegated in 1951.
      The new £500million stadium could be welcoming lower league sides when it opens at Bramley Dock next year.
      And the civil war between the fans and board has seen death threats, vandalism and Goodison sit-in protests.
      Banners in the packed-out away end at the London Stadium on Saturday summed it all up, from “A board full of liars” to one that read “To hell with Kenwright and Moshiri too”.
      For once, Moshiri had full sight of these, attending his first Everton game since October 2021.
      It was an appearance that has thrown up more questions than answers.
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      Was he there to gaze over Lampard’s flailing side in the flesh before making his decision on whether to swing the axe?
      The irony is that due to their financial restraints, it would be cheaper not to sack him.
      But fans would argue the cost of relegation would be far greater.
      And who would take on this circus of a potential career-ending job anyway?
      There are those that point to Sean Dyche, a man who knows a thing or two about survival.
      He has made clear his desperation to prove himself at a top club after overachieving with Burnley, but Everton are barely in that category anymore.
      Lampard has his critics but there are not many coaches who could do better with this current squad.
      Richarlison was never replaced. Dominic Calvert-Lewin is injury prone. Seamus Coleman’s legs went years ago.
      And this motley crew are now expected to perform miracles in their next two league games against leaders Arsenal and Mersey foes Liverpool.
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      Lampard said: “We are trying to rebuild. That doesn’t mean you start climbing the stairs straight away. It means you have to dig in.”
      For now, he is digging in his fingernails to keep hold of his job, as is the club to their top-flight status.
      Owner Farhad Moshiri (second left) and chairman Bill Kenwright (right) were in the stands at West HamCredit: PA
      Fans in the away end showed their anger towards the club’s hierarchyCredit: Reuters More

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      Arsenal vs Man Utd is the biggest game in English football again… both Arteta and Ten Hag have worked miracles

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      THE more things change, the more they stay the same.And after the best part of 20 years off the top of the agenda, Arsenal versus Manchester United is the biggest game in football once again.
      Mikel Arteta and Erik ten Hag have led sensational revolutions at their clubsCredit: Getty
      All of a sudden, this means more.
      Two clubs who feared their time as the eminent forces in England was over have revived their rivalry to slug it out for a Premier League title which has eluded them both for far too long.
      And up in the directors’ box, 81-year-old Sir Alex Ferguson was relishing the sight of two old adversaries absolutely refusing to take a backwards step.
      It is almost ten years since the most successful manager in British history retired but, on occasions like this, you still can’t keep him away.
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      And he was by no means the only enthralled onlooker perched on the edge of his seat.
      In fact, it is hard to think of a time when the Emirates has ever been this loud since it first opened its doors back in 2006.
      You could argue the Arsenal fans haven’t had a great deal to cheer about during that time, so have spent most of those years arguing among themselves.
      But suddenly they are all singing from the same hymn sheet in praise of ‘Super Mik Arteta’ and it’s hard to believe the positive effect their backing has had on the team.
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      The Arsenal boss has worked tirelessly to get those fans on board and was at it again here, dancing up and down the touchline like a man possessed.
      Even a 32nd-minute yellow card for demanding a booking for Luke Shaw couldn’t curb his enthusiasm — or keep him within the confines of his technical area.
      He was so close to the action he was almost blocking United throw-ins at times as he urged his players on to greater efforts.
      But he’s not the only one having a transformative effect on his team, because Erik ten Hag is working a similar miracle at Manchester United.
      This last-gasp defeat effectively ends their title challenge for another year but does not detract from the speed with which Ten Hag has turned United into a credible force again.
      Just like Arteta, he was constantly in the ear of fourth official Andre Marriner over every contentious decision as this game swung from end to end.
      And the way he has got his players throwing themselves into every challenge and defending as though their lives depended on it, suggested that the days of them being a soft touch at the back are well and truly over.
      In the end, it still wasn’t enough, as a second last-gasp goal conceded in four days left them down and out.
      And maybe Ten Hag will now be regretting his decision to send on Fred for Antony for the final 20 minutes to try to protect a point, rather than going for a late winner.
      Yet this Arsenal team has become so proficient at taking it right to the death that there is very little any opponent can do to stop them right now.
      The bad news for the chasing pack is that they are only going to get better after bolstering their squad this month with the signings of Leandro Trossard and Jakub Kiwior.
      Trossard enjoyed a late cameo off the bench while Polish international Kiwior was watching from the stands ahead of this morning’s medical to seal his £22million move from Spezia.
      Arteta has been given the green light to spend because Champions League qualification is now a virtual certainty after six years out of Europe’s premier competition.
      This result leaves them 17 points ahead of fifth-placed Spurs with a game in hand and a scarcely believable 21 clear of Liverpool and Chelsea.
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      United still have work to do to cement their top-four status but will take heart from the knowledge they have caused more problems for Arsenal than any other team this season.
      And that is quite some achievement. More

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      Troy Deeney: Trust me, black footballers are genuinely furious at John Yems, I can’t deal with someone so ignorant

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      I DON’T think I’d ever heard of John Yems before this week and, frankly, I hope I never hear his name again.I’ve never met the former Crawley Town manager and hope I never do.
      Troy Deeney has revealed black footballers are genuinely furious over an FA Commission’s findings in the John Yems caseCredit: Getty
      I don’t mean that in a threatening way, I just don’t think I could deal with being in the company of someone so stupid and ignorant.
      Yems, 63, was banned from football for 18 months this week for 12 aggravated breaches of FA rules on discrimination.
      He was found to have referred to some of Crawley’s black and Asian players as “curry munchers”, “terrorists” and “Zulu warriors”, along with other slurs.
      I’m in a WhatsApp group with several prominent current and former black footballers — including some of the biggest names in the game — and I’ve rarely heard such genuine fury from them than the response to the Yems case.
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      Because while an FA commission banned Yems, they limited his punishment, stating that he is not a “conscious racist”.
      That was a profoundly embarrassing and worrying thing for the FA’s independent commission to state.
      There is a lot of genuine anger about it, believe me.
      If those insults do not constitute conscious racism, I honestly don’t know what does.
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      Does someone have to dress up in a Ku Klux Klan outfit to be deemed a “conscious racist” because that is how it feels to me and a lot of black players.
      Put it another way, how many conscious racists do you know — people who’ll say, “Yes, I’m a racist”? Very few.
      When someone starts a sentence with, “I’m not being racist but . . . ” you know what’s coming next.
      Or, “How can I be racist when I’ve got black friends?” That’s always a good one.
      Yems then went on talkSPORT on Thursday and was interviewed by Jim White.
      He sounded unrepentant, even claiming HE should be receiving apologies.
      When I heard that interview, my initial thought was that the station shouldn’t have given him the platform — although if I was still working for talkSPORT, I know I’d have wanted to grill Yems and challenge his views.
      Yes, Yems will have received criticism.
      But a lot of people will have been happy and proud to hear Yems spouting his nonsense because they will feel it has added justification to their own offensive views.
      If you are going to have Yems on the radio, trying to make himself sound like some kind of victim, then we really should hear from the actual victims.
      Some of these players who were bullied by Yems say their careers have been wrecked by him.
      We cannot imagine the toll this sort of behaviour might have taken on their mental health.
      People in football make the right noises about racism but this Yems verdict makes me feel everything is going backwards.
      The England team and the manager Gareth Southgate, have been very strong on taking the knee as an anti-discrimination message at the start of matches — even despite opposition from some Three Lions supporters.
      But then something like this happens, under the auspices of the FA, and there is horror and disbelief among black players.
      We still feel we are at the bottom rung when it comes to tackling discrimination.
      Controversy has also come from a chant about Wilfried GnontoCredit: Rex
      There has been another recent racism controversy, surrounding the 19-year-old Leeds winger Willy Gnonto and a song from his club’s fans which includes the line, “his c**k’s f***ing massive”.
      There have been similar chants about black players before.
      Leeds and their manager, Jesse Marsch, have been outspoken in trying to educate people that the line is based on an offensive racist stereotype and have asked supporters to adapt or scrap the song.
      But when Gnonto scored a wonder goal against Cardiff in their FA Cup third-round replay on Wednesday, the song was sung again.
      I find the levels of stupidity unbelievable — the idea that 40,000 people can get together, in 2023 and decide that singing a song like that is a good idea.
      Talking of stupidity, the incident where Arsenal keeper Aaron Ramsdale was kicked by a Tottenham fan after Sunday’s North London derby was also troubling.
      Especially the idea that Ramsdale somehow provoked the incident by kissing his badge after the final whistle.
      Ramsdale had been taking stick, so he gave a little back.We don’t want players to have to act as robots.
      We should be able to show a little passion but now it feels that, by doing so, we’re risking our safety.
      I hope the Spurs fan is given a punishment which affects his everyday life, such as a football banning order.
      It seems part of a growing culture of supporters feeling they are entitled to invade the playing area — a fan ran on during Wednesday’s Crystal Palace v Manchester United match and took a selfie with Red Devils midfielder Casemiro.
      Again, it’s that worrying sense of entitlement — and stupidity.It’s been one of those weeks where you despair for football and wider society.
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      The only positive thing I’ve heard is that when my Birmingham side play Preston today, referee Rebecca Welch will become the first woman to take charge of a Championship fixture.
      That’s one step in the right direction in terms of equality.But the Yems case shows that, in other areas, we still have a hell of a long way to go. More

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      Karren Brady: Premier League is UK’s most enviable asset but its success is rooted in competition.. it must remain elite

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      IN the eyes of most of the world, the most enviable thing in Britain is the Premier League.It beat the BBC, our universities, Rolls-Royce and many other famous institutions in a recent ‘Icon Index’.
      The Premier League has been named UK’s most Iconic exportCredit: Getty
      Elite competition has helped the Premier League become one of the most enviable assets in the UKCredit: Getty
      I can’t say I’m taken aback and it comes as no surprise either that foreigners want at least a piece of it. Some want whole chunks.
      EFL leaders are at the head of the Oliver Twist-like pleas for “more please” — although their “please” is not all that audible, not even a whisper really as some practically regard it as a right.
      They’ve made demands so loudly and so often the government is now convinced football needs an independent regulator, a sort of deity who divvies up Prem cash even more than it currently is.
      Let’s not forget the Prem already gives away over 15 per cent of gross revenue — a whopping £1.6BILLION over the next three years. No other industry or sporting organisation in the world does that.
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      I’m not against a bigger share as such, provided EFL clubs introduce stronger financial regulation based on sustainability.
      On average, Championship clubs spend 100 per cent of turnover on wages, so they are all loss-making!
      But experience of government interference in controversial matters only promises more confusion and anger.
      It is like VAR dealing with handball in the box — sound on paper but baffling in practice.
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      Big-money clubs in Europe want a bigger share of Prem pie, too. Hardly a surprise.
      They look at our £10bn revenue last season and, of even more concern to them, evidence this week from a Deloitte report on football finances that showed 11 Prem clubs are in the world’s top 20 earners and Manchester City now lead with £619m revenue from the 2021-22 season.
      Fifa must froth at the mouth at these figures and takings at major clubs across the whole of Uefa.
      They dressed up resentment in terms of needing more money to spread the gospel of football across all 211 members worldwide.
      This poses as another laudable objective but Fifa territories include countries who must have more pressing priorities than posh HQs and smart cars for representatives?
      Some of us, well the English of us, have concerns about the increase of foreign players and managers, irresistibly tempted by the Prem.
      There is at least one first-team squad with only three English players.
      As for owners, 13 of the 20 clubs have no English representation and this surely will increase as Middle East and American interest in the massive turnovers increase.
      Even last season bottom club Norwich earned £100m before they received £44m in one of three parachute payments.
      There’s a “demand” parachute payments are drastically cut, but these calls are from people who do not understand football finance.
      It is simple. If you’re promoted and want to try and stay in the Prem you must spend big on players, and therefore on players’ salaries.
      And if you get relegated you cannot simply walk away from their contracts so you need the parachute payment to pay for the heavy burden of these salaries when you have to rely on reduced earnings in the EFL after you go down.
      Without it, relegated clubs go into administration, or worse, bankrupt.
      If you cannot count on parachute payments, you cannot take on new players’ contracts in the Prem.
      That means you will not only be uncompetitive and likely relegated, you will contribute nothing to the competitiveness of the division.
      If you roll that movie forward — how long before there is a call to cut the 20 clubs to 18, on the basis the promoted ones are contributing little or nothing to the league?
      Money also seemed to be on the mind of Javier Tebas, the head of La Liga, who this week moaned that the Prem’s spending in the transfer market — £1.92bn last summer — is unsustainable.
      If he takes a closer look he will find the secret of the Prem’s success lies in high-class competition, with 97 per cent capacity crowds, a global audience of 4.7 billion people — and they can’t all be wrong!
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      The trick, and the government would be wise to remember this, is to ensure the English top-flight remains as strong as possible.
      It must be as competitive as possible so that it can continue to step in and help the charities, the EFL, the FA, grassroots, the PFA and endless other good causes for many years to come. More

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      Harry Redknapp: Fighters Xhaka and Partey are Arteta’s Vieira and Petit… and will be key to Arsenal beating Spurs

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      WHEN you think of those great Arsenal sides of the past, some of the greatest names to play the game come to mind.Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp are the obvious two, although there were so many others that you are spoiled for choice.
      Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey are fast-emerging as one of the most important midfield pairings in Arsenal’s Prem historyCredit: Reuters
      The Gunners’ most famous link-up in the middle was Patrick Vieira and Emmanuel Petit, who helped them win the Double in 1997/98Credit: Action Images – Reuters
      Everyone remembers the fantastic football they played, how they would rip sides to shreds with their brilliant passing game.
      Patrick Vieira and Emmanuel Petit were magnificent in the Gunners’ midfield and then Cesc Fabregas and Gilberto Silva after them.
      All great players and, although you don’t immediately think of Arsenal as a team of scrappers, up for a battle with anyone who fancied it.
      If things turned rough, those midfielders were all willing and able to fight against the best of them.
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      They didn’t lose many, either, and you can add Ray Parlour to that list, as well.
      And that is  the thing you get with all the great teams.
      They can all turn on the style but you need to have a bit of a snarl to your game as well.
      Well, there have been plenty of Arsenal sides since those glory days under Arsene Wenger who have played great football.
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      But when it got a bit nasty and they needed to roll up their sleeves, too often heads went down instead and they would be outmuscled.
      It has been their undoing so many times over the years.
      So when Arsenal went top of the Premier League table in August, most of us thought it was only a matter of time before things went belly up again.
      Only this season there is no sign of that happening.
      Mikel Arteta has got such a great blend that nobody is asking if they’re the real deal any more, as we  can all see that they are.
      Their football has been right out of the top drawer, with Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka magnificent down the wings, while Martin Odegaard is just  having a simply sensational season.
      But while they have the magicians — and none bigger than Odegaard — this time they’ve also got the dogs of war.
      And that could be the crucial thing that gets them over the line.
      Because while Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey might not win prizes for midfield style and sophistication, they have played as big — or maybe even bigger — part than most.
      Arsenal playmaker Martin Odegaard is having a ‘sensational season’Credit: Getty
      Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry formed a brilliant attack in front of Patrick Vieira and Co, but the current Gunners are exciting tooCredit: PA
      Both of them are real fighters — big, strong, powerful and aggressive — like a couple of minders taking care of the ball players around them.
      There’s no messing about, they just steam in, break things up, win the ball and then give it to others to make things happen.
      Partey looks the player we always felt he was, while Xhaka has gone from someone his own fans hated to someone they love.
      You’ll see how important they are in today’s North London derby because Tottenham will be right up for it — and any side with Harry Kane in it always has a chance.
      While Arsenal have the magicians — and none bigger than Odegaard — this time they’ve also got the dogs of war.Harry Redknapp
      But if Xhaka and Partey get on top in the middle, then I think those wingers will give Spurs’ full-backs a really tough afternoon.
      I can’t see Arsenal leaving with anything less than a draw, and  maybe three points, with how they’re playing.
      The bookies still make Manchester City title favourites and, obviously, when they’re in full flow they can mow down anyone.
      But they’ve also had a few bad performances this season, with a shock cup defeat at Southampton and league loss at Manchester United yesterday.
      Brentford went to the Etihad and won, Everton got a point there on New Year’s Eve and City are  well capable of chucking in the odd bad one.
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      Arsenal and City still have to play each other twice in the league and it could be a different story after that.
      But it’s definitely the Gunners’ title to lose  — and this time nobody sees it as only a matter of time before they do. More

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      Harry Redknapp: I love the magic of the FA Cup… but it has stung me as both a player and manager

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      THERE are some games that live with you forever — and this weekend always brings back loads of memories for me.But the way the FA Cup is treated these days, I doubt many current players will look back on the competition with the same affection once they’ve retired.
      Harry Redknapp looks back on his FA Cup memories as a player and managerCredit: Splash
      Harry Redknapp’s West Ham was eliminated by Wrexham in 1997Credit: Getty
      The third round was always one of THE big days of the year.
      And the draw itself wasn’t too far behind either.
      I was in a West Ham side that had three World Cup winners in Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters.
      But even though they’d won the biggest competition of all, they would be crowded round the radio with the rest of us to find out who we had drawn.
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      There were times we’d rush back into the dressing room from training, still in our kit and caked in mud, before tuning in. It was such a big deal.
      And there was certainly no way any manager would even consider playing a weakened team. That was just unheard of.
      In fact we’d have special FA Cup training weeks. We would go to Southend for a couple of days and have a walk on the beach to prepare for a game that was always very special.
      I’m not talking about the final here — this was the early rounds. And any changes were because of injuries — everyone wanted to play.
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      West Ham were also knocked out by Mansfield in 1969 with Redknapp on the teamCredit: Mansfield Town Football Club
      It was just magical, even though I was on the wrong end of a few shocks.
      West Ham — with Hurst, Moore, myself, Billy Bonds, Frank Lampard Snr and the rest — were beaten by Mansfield in a game that was snowed off FIVE times.
      That particular nightmare in early 1969 became known as ‘The Miracle in the Mansfield Mud’ — but sadly it wasn’t the only giant-killing I was involved in.
      In January 1997, I was West Ham manager when Wrexham came to Upton Park and broke our hearts with a 90th-minute winner from Kevin Russell.
      Then two years later we lost a third-round replay 1-0 away to Swansea, then in the lowest division, after a 1-1 draw at our place.
      If there are any shocks these days you always hear the excuse, “Oh, they played a weakened team”.
      Well, I’m sorry, but I’m just not having it.
      At the start of each season, how many teams have a genuine chance of winning the Premier League? Three or four at best. Sometimes only a couple.
      If there are any shocks these days you always hear the excuse, “Oh, they played a weakened team”. Well, I’m sorry, but I’m just not having it.Harry Redknapp
      By the time the FA Cup starts of course some will be fighting to stay up and I can understand why that is the priority with all the money involved.
      But the majority pretty much know they are safe, so why not have a go for a trophy? Most of them don’t — and it will be the same this weekend.
      If you’re, say, Brentford, Fulham or Aston Villa, this is your chance to win a pot.
      When I was at Portsmouth in 2008, we knew we weren’t going to win the league but were seventh or eighth in the table and gave the FA Cup a right good go.
      We played our strongest team in every round, beat Manchester United at Old Trafford on the way to the final and ended up winning the thing!
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      It was one of the greatest days in Portsmouth’s history, one of the best in my career and gave us memories none of us will ever forget.
      There’s a lot that has changed for the better over the years but the FA Cup definitely isn’t one of them — and, sadly, I can only see it getting worse. More

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      Troy Deeney: I love Arteta’s touchline antics and Arsenal stars will want to know their manager is in trenches with them

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      AFTER Mikel Arteta threw a wobbler on the touchline the other night, I’ve heard a few people urging the Arsenal boss to keep calm.They reckon that it’s important not to lose your head, especially in a title race, and that Arteta’s antics might have a negative effect on his team.
      Mikel Arteta’s touchline antics vs Newcastle were criticised by someCredit: Alamy
      But Troy Deeney has backed Arteta for setting a tone for his playersCredit: Getty
      But I disagree with that and I think his players will, too.
      If you’re playing a crucial match, you want to know your manager is in the trenches with you.
      It’s not so much about showing ‘passion’. It’s about intensity. It’s about a manager setting a tone for his players.
      I see Arteta kicking every ball, slinging the ball back in for throw-ins and getting in the ear of the match officials — and I like it.
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      Against Newcastle on Tuesday night, Arteta was particularly hyper and I think he overstepped the mark right at the end when he was appealing for a penalty for handball.
      That was a case of clutching at straws and it looked as if he felt Arsenal were simply entitled to get a penalty.
      But, generally, I love Arteta’s demeanour on the touchline.
      One thing I do know for a fact is that the Spaniard is not putting on any kind of a show during matches.
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      I’ve heard from his players that he has the same sort of intensity during every training session.
      I think this is one of the reasons why Arteta is really getting a tune out of his players this season.
      Most of the very best managers are the same — Sir Alex Ferguson, Pep Guardiola.
      Even Arsene Wenger, supposedly one of the nicest gentlemen in the game, was sent off several times.
      Being successful in management is not all about keeping a cool head. I’ve had managers who are even more manic than Arteta — one in particular, Walter Mazzarri at Watford.
      To be honest, he was an absolute nutter during matches.
      Mazzarri would be up and down the touchline, frequently on the pitch while the ball was in play, swearing in Italian, sweating profusely.
      He was maybe a little over the top. If you were winning, you’d have a sly smile at him.
      If you were losing, you did wonder whether he was doing more harm than good — that some players wouldn’t react well.
      Mazzarri’s successor, Marco Silva, was clever. He would leave it to his fitness coach or other assistants to get into the referee’s ear on his behalf.
      I see Arteta kicking every ball, slinging the ball back in for throw-ins and getting in the ear of the match officials — and I like it. Troy Deeney
      Nigel Pearson knew he had a bit of a reputation with referees so, by the time he was at Watford, he would try to kill the fourth official with kindness.
      I tell you something, though, however loud it is inside a stadium, players always hear what their manager is shouting — pretty much every word.
      It then becomes a case of selective hearing.
      We will hear every word of praise we get from a gaffer but if we’re getting criticism we will cock a deaf ’un.
      But the way managers act and what they say during matches really can have an affect on the outcome of a game.
      Arteta will not be calming down on the touchline any time soon and his players won’t want him to.
      As he enters his first title race as a manager, he will be even more aware of the effect his words and actions have — it becomes psychological warfare.
      Arteta described it as ‘scandalous’ that Arsenal’s two penalty shouts against Newcastle were turned down by the officials. That was a classic deflection technique.
      Putting the blame on the referee and VAR when Arsenal simply hadn’t done enough to break down an excellent Newcastle defence in the 0-0 draw at the Emirates.
      Just like Jurgen Klopp, when Liverpool were well beaten at Brentford the previous night.
      Klopp claimed talking to referees was like speaking to his microwave. He knew it was an easy headline to deflect the fact that his team hadn’t been good enough.
      Players appreciate that kind of thing too — especially if you know that you personally have had a stinker.
      You know your manager has taken some heat off you.
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      Of course, Arteta doesn’t want to have a Kevin Keegan-style meltdown in front of the cameras and I don’t think he will.
      But if you are expecting the Arsenal manager to chill out on the touchline, you can think again — he’s probably going to get even more intense from here on in. More

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      Karren Brady: David Gold was kind, thoughtful and one of the Three Musketeers – life at West Ham will never be the same

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      DAVID GOLD of the Three Musketeers died this week, and life at West Ham will never be the same for David Sullivan and I, nor quite so enjoyable.At such a sad time it’s important to hold onto the happy memories which give you strength as you come to terms with the fact that someone so important to you won’t be in your life anymore.
      David Gold passed away on Wednesday at the age of 86Credit: PA
      Gold and Karren Brady worked together at Birmingham City and West HamCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      David was a kind and thoughtful man, who was a key to the partnership that took over Birmingham City and then his beloved West Ham.
      I first met him 34 years ago when I was 19, and at 23 when I took over Birmingham City we formed our football partnership and became the Three Musketeers — he, David Sullivan and I.
      There was a great friendship, respect and trust between the three of us. Over those years, we have gone through so much in our business and personal lives.
      I went from teenager to middle-aged woman with two children and he was always supportive and a dear, dear friend.
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      A gentleman in every sense of the word, he made time to speak to everyone, from the warehouse to the stewards without any airs and graces.
      He lived for his family, his football and his friends.
      He and David Sullivan never missed a home or away game in 17 years of owning Birmingham City and not many owners can say that!
      He also made his time at St Andrew’s a family affair. His mum, in her 80s at the time got very involved.
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      She set up Monday bingo mainly for pensioners and went to every match with her son.
      He took his daughters and later his beloved grand-daughter to West Ham. All of them his pride and joy. He was never happier than when he was with his girls.
      He claimed he drank whisky because he thought his tipple, Tia Maria, wasn’t manly enough, we always had a giggle about that!
      He flew his own helicopter, once landing in my back garden, only narrowly missing a tree.
      He also crashed his plane at the training ground. Passengers beware, none of us would fly with him!
      One of the greatest days in his life was becoming an owner and joint-chairman of West Ham in 2010 with DS, both life-long Hammers fans.
      In 1990, before they owned Blues, together they owned 27 per cent of West Ham.
      But the club’s owners at the time would not even give them a seat at games let alone the board, so they sold their stake, sadly, after about a year.
      No wonder they had tears in their eyes when their Boleyn dream became real — two lifelong fans, two local boys made good, two best friends taking over their boyhood club.
      DG played for West Ham boys teams, but his father refused to sign the scholarship forms, said he had to get a proper job!
      The best he could do was keep a prized scrapbook of his mentions for the teams as well as the medals he won playing for the club as a lad.
      He really did love WHU, he was a supporter through and through.
      No question he was the East End boy made good. Growing up in poverty in a terrace house opposite the Boleyn Ground, he built his own retail business with his daughters by his side and eventually moved to a mansion with his own golf course.
      He has seen his club transfer successfully to the London Stadium and the Hammers growing in hunger for the big successes the Musketeers worked so hard for.
      No doubt he’ll be wearing our colours in heaven; I bet he is having a kick about with his hero Bobby Moore right now!
      Tributes have poured in from across football for him; from players, boards and managers.
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      One of the most touching was the applause Spurs fans gave him at Crystal Palace — from our fiercest rival, he would have loved that unique act.
      For me and David Sullivan it is the end of an era. And we will miss him terribly. More