05 June 2023 , 09:10
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Jarrod Bowen has branded the violence which tarnished West Ham's gateway to the Europa Conference League final a “disgrace.”
The Hammers winger's grandfather was uncomfortably close to the appalling scenes in Alkmaar last month, when the players' families were attacked by around 50 masked and hooded 'ultras.'
Pablo Fornals' late winner in the semi-final second leg was the cue for Dutch thugs to force open a gate and ambush West Ham's VIP ticket-holders seated behind the dugouts.
Several Irons players jumped over the barrier to offer their terrified relatives support and Bowen revealed some of the hoodlums were brandishing bike chains as weapons.
He said: “I had a 70-year-old grandad there, so I was looking over to see if he was okay.
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“We went there and did our job on the pitch, but they (players' families) didn’t enjoy the moment and what happened was not acceptable. It was a disgrace.
“Us lads were angry - we are role models and we have to keep a calm head but when it is your family there getting attacked, people have to see it in a different light.
“It's your own flesh and blood, and when you see people hitting them with bike chains, it wasn’t nice.
“When everyone was all safe it didn’t take it away from the result because at the final whistle we were tired and didn’t know what was going on.
Unsavoury scenes marred West Ham's win in Alkmaar (DeFodi Images via Getty Images)“We just celebrated and then we saw a few people in a kerfuffle. I was looking for my family and then you hope security does the best they can.
“I don’t think I have ever seen anything like that in football - that number of fans going over there and wanting to cause violence.
“Last year Frankfurt fans ran onto the pitch but no-one attacked us as they won the game. Maybe it was different (in Alkmaar) as we went to their home and beat them.
“Where the tickets were in the stands was the only place they could put our families, and when Pablo scored they are going to celebrate.
“Luckily in the end I didn’t hear that anyone was seriously injured, which is the main thing. But they don’t want to go to a game and get punched by 50 people.”