- Darren Randolph and Jose Fonte spent the afternoon at the Club's Liberty Romford Store
- Pair spent nearly two hours signing autographs and posing for selfies and photographs
- Hundreds of supporters turned out to meet the Ireland goalkeeper and Portugal defender
West Ham United duo Darren Randolph and Jose Fonte spent their afternoon meeting the Claret and Blue Army at the Club’s Liberty Romford Store.
Goalkeeper Randolph and centre-half Fonte happily posed for photographs and selfies and signed footballs, autograph books, shirts and baby grows galore as fans of all ages took advantage of the Easter holiday to meet two of their heroes.
Stopper Randolph said he and his fellow Hammers were always happy to take time out to give something back to the supporters who roar them on every Saturday.
“It was a very big turnout at our Romford Store, which is clearly right in the centre of our heartland in Essex,” said the No1. “We spent an hour-and-a-half or so meeting the fans and seeing how many of them were here was another reminder of how big our fan base and the Club actually is.
“The Romford Store is just around the corner from our training ground in Rush Green, so I’m in no doubt there will be plenty more visits from the players in the future.”
It was a very big turnout at our Romford Store, which is clearly right in the centre of our heartland in Essex
Darren Randolph
Randolph was given another reminder of the size and passion of the Claret and Blue Army when the Hammers defeated Swansea City in the Premier League.
Having gone seven matches and two months without a win, the victory meant a lot to the tens of thousands of fans who cheered their team on at London Stadium.
“Certainly since I came into the team, that atmosphere was the best we’ve had at home since we beat Crystal Palace 3-0 in January,” Randolph confirmed.
“I think the support is always there as long as they see we are trying. It can be a little bit frustrating when things aren’t going well, but the support was there for us on Saturday and it helps when the place is rocking like that.
“Sometimes the danger is that we are expected to beat the teams below us in the table, and those games tend to be the harder games, but the fans stuck with us and we got the goal and managed to hold out, which is what we needed.”
One fan who turned out to meet the players was 21-year-old student Louis Webber from Wickford, who is a Season Ticket Holder for the first time this season.
“It’s nice that the players take time out of training to meet this many people,” he said. “I try to pop down whenever the signings take place and, as a student at London Metropolitan University, it’s nice that they do it for free, too!
“I have got a Season Ticket for the first time this year, along with my Dad and we've renewed for next year too. I live in Wickford so it’s really easy to get to by train, plus the prices are affordable, so all the stars aligned and luckily I was able to get one."
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