• iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • Australia
    • Ireland
    • World News
    • Weird News
    • Viral News
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Science
    • True Crime
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV & Film
    • Netflix
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • TikTok
  • LAD Originals
    • FFS PRODUCTIONS
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube

LAD Entertainment

YouTube

LAD Stories

Submit Your Content

Home> Sport

Published 20:22 23 May 2023 GMT+1

West Ham fans want to identify 'unsung hero' who fought off thugs alongside 'Knollsy' at euro away day

Footage of the trouble following the conclusion of the Europa Conference League semi-final shows 'Knollsy' was not working alone.

Callum Jones

Callum Jones

West Ham fans have taken to social media in a bid to find another man who fought off thugs alongside the now well-known 'Knollsy' last week.

The Hammers made history in the semi-final of the Europa Conference League on Thursday (18 May), after beating Dutch side AZ Alkmaar 3-1 on aggregate to make the final in Prague next month.

But Friday's (19 May) headlines were anything but what happened on the pitch, as a group of hooded AZ football fans attempted to storm into the West Ham area reserved for friends and family behind the dugout.

Advert

Of course, footage of the attack has been circulating massively in recent days, with a 58-year-old man known as 'Knollsy' praised online after footage emerged of him fending off an entire group of AZ Alkmaar fans single-handedly.

Chris 'Knollsy' Knoll has since been gifted a ticket to the Europa Conference League final next month - something that is hugely converted, as less 5,000 West Ham fans will be in attendance for their game against Italian side Fiorentina.

'Knollsy' is now heading to the Europa Conference League final following his heroics.
Twitter/@westhamnetwork

The man who is now dubbed 'Angel of Alkmaar' for his heroic antics has said he was overcome with emotion when he found out he would be heading to the final.

"I am at work and when I got the call today, I nearly cried. I am, so pleased, so happy. I am made up," the father-of-four revealed.

Advert

The super-fan disclosed he had been personally contacted by a club official who he had met during Thursday's match.

But while many footie fans have labelled 'Knollsy' as the hero, others have pointed to a second fan who they believe deserves similar credit.

A still of the man in one of the viral videos has been posted to the Hammers Reddit forum, with the user @nepourjoueraubingo captioning the post with: "Are you the Green Shirt man from the video? You deserve as much praise as Knollsy - anyone know him?"

As the Reddit user said, the West Ham fan was wearing a green t-shirt, alongside a dark jacket and some blue jeans.

West Ham fans want to identify an unsung hero.
Twitter/@westhamnetwork

Advert

In just that still, he can bee seen pushing away AZ ultras, though it is unclear if he is actually a West Ham fan or a supporter of AZ Alkmaar.

Nonetheless, a lot of West Ham fans want the 'hero' identified, as they believe he stopped a lot of trouble on what was a momentous night for the Premier League side.

"This bloke was my favourite, hope he gets a ticket for the final," one person wrote.

While a second added: "This guy is a modern day hero!"

Featured Image Credit: Twitter/@westhamnetwork

Topics: UK News, Football, Sport

Callum Jones
Callum Jones

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

a day ago
2 days ago
7 days ago
8 days ago
  • Mandel NGAN - Pool/Getty Images
    a day ago

    US responds to World Cup fears after Donald Trump banned 15 countries

    Donald Trump's latest wave of visa bans sparked concerns about fans attending the upcoming World Cup

    News
  • Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
    2 days ago

    Donald Trump has just banned 15 countries that have qualified for the World Cup from entering the US

    Fans of some countries will not be allowed into the US despite their team playing at the World Cup

    News
  • BBC
    7 days ago

    Shay Given forced to respond after shocking ‘holocaust’ comment live on BBC

    The former Newcastle United star has since apologised

    News
  • Warren Little/Getty Images
    8 days ago

    Luke Littler lands £20 million payday one week after scooping £1 million at World Championships

    It's not a bad deal for the 18-year-old

    News
  • West Ham fan ‘Knollsy’ who fought off dozens of thugs breaks silence
  • Mum who died alongside newborn in home birth shared posts about traumatic first delivery
  • Lawyer struck off after claiming she worked 28 hours a day to get £69,000 bonus
  • Officer who arrested British teen 4,000 miles away from where she went missing shares 'what he found'