WEST HAM MANAGER David Moyes called for players and supporters to stay united following a disastrous 3-0 defeat on Saturday which was marred by crowd trouble at the London Stadium.
The Hammers face a heavy fine or possibly even a temporary ground closure as a result of fans’ behaviour on Saturday afternoon, as the side suffered a third consecutive loss in the Premier League.
Burnley’s coaching staff allowed children caught up in the chaos to shelter in their dug-out and Hammers boss Moyes, whose side are only three points clear of the relegation zone, admitted he could understand why tensions boiled over.
“The players understand. We want to do well, just like the fans do,” he said.
“We want the supporters behind us, since I’ve been here they’ve been really good. But they can’t cross the line and come onto the pitch.
“What I’d say to them is we are fighting for the points. I’d ask that everybody sticks together.”
Ashley Barnes blasted Burnley in front from 18 yards out in the 66th minute, prompting an angry West Ham supporter to run onto the pitch, where he was tackled to the ground by Hammers star Mark Noble.
The mood among the home fans turned even more toxic when Burnley’s Chris Wood doubled the visitors’ lead in the 70th minute.
Supporters flocked towards the directors box chanting “sack the board” at co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold, while another ran onto the field to grab the corner flag.
Wood added insult to injury in the 81st minute when he tapped in after a mistake by Hammers goalkeeper Joe Hart.
Gold and Sullivan were asked to leave the stadium for their own safety before the final whistle as the West Ham fans continued to turn their anger on the directors.
