West Ham were the visitors for the first Premier League game under the lights at Everton’s impressive new Hill Dickinson Stadium and there were plenty of sub-plots to the 1-1 draw.
A reunion with David Moyes is always a big deal for West Ham after what he did for the club over two spells.
The Scot is now embarking on a similar return journey with Everton following his Hammers exit last year.
An extra layer of intrigue was added to the Premier League clash when the Hammers sacked Graham Potter 48 hours out from the game, replacing him with Nuno Espirito Santo.
West Ham put in a markedly improved performance and it was one of Moyes’ best ever signings who earned his old side a precious point with Jarrod Bowen deadly once again.
Plenty of sub-plots to West Ham draw at Everton
Bowen was the first opposition player to score at Everton’s shiny new ground, which lit up the Merseyside sky.
The spectre of a first game under the lights at the Hill Dickinson was a daunting one for West Ham given their dismal start to the season.
Hammers fans love a challenge, though, and the impressive 3,000-plus strong travelling army made themselves heard all night long.
A bit too much for Everton’s liking on occasion.
Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images
But scoffing Everton fans have totally missed the point of a chant aimed at them by West Ham.
Toffees supporters were well aware of discontent between the Hammers faithful and their ownership ahead of the game.
Indeed followers of Everton will be able to empathise with what West Ham have been going through.
Everton supporters have been busy protesting over various issues in recent years from how their club was being run to ticket pricing.
Everton fans miss the point of chant aimed at them by West Ham
There has been something of a role reversal over the last year.
Everton have the ambitious new owners they craved in the Friedkin Group and money has been spent to bolster their squad for Moyes.
More than 4,000 Hammers fans took to the street leading to the director’s entrance at the London Stadium in protest against the owners ahead of the defeat to Crystal Palace last week.
Hammers United is the supporter group leading a season-long campaign of activism against the board, including a planned boycott of the next home game against Brentford.
West Ham fans are demanding majority owner David Sullivan and vice-chair Karren Brady stand aside, using their initials in their slogan ‘No more BS’.
Photo by Richard Martin-Roberts – CameraSport/CameraSport via Getty Images
Things have been getting messy in what the nationals are billing ‘civil war’ at West Ham.
Sullivan’s reality TV star fiancée has been rowing with West Ham fans in a series of social media clashes.
Classy Hammers supporters called off a protest out of respect to Everton ahead of the trip north.
West Ham supporters did not let that stop them venting their feelings during the game, though.
Hammers fans belted out four chants aimed at the board in the clash with Everton.
But a fifth that was also designed as a jibe at their owners has been misunderstood by many Everton fans.
West Ham’s Everton jibe was irony aimed at owners
West Ham supporters chanted ‘You sold your soul, for this s——-‘ on several occasions at the Hill Dickinson.
Many Everton fans and accounts reacted angrily to the chant, taking to forums and social media after the game saying West Ham need to look at themselves and realise how bad their rented London Stadium home is.
But that was the whole point.
West Ham fans are famed for their wit. But this one appears to have gone right over the heads of many Toffees.
It was pure sarcasm from Hammers supporters aimed at Sullivan and Brady. Ironic, self-deprecating gallows humour highlighting how good Everton’s ground is compared to the soulless athletics bowl that is the London Stadium.
Visiting fans sing that to West Ham at every single game played at the former Olympic Stadium.
So in supreme irony, Hammers fans used it to hold a mirror up to their board showing Everton’s ground is everything West Ham’s is not.
Those Everton fans getting defensive need not worry.
Because West Ham supporters know their new ground is top class and something, with 90 years remaining on the current lease, they can only dream of.