A West Ham fan who shot to fame recently, after videos surfaced of the man trying to fight off hoards of AZ Alkmaar fans, has been given tickets to his club's upcoming Europa Conference League final against Fiorentina in Prague.
Clips emerged, after West Ham's recent semi-final against Alkmaar, of the fan they call 'Knollsy' fending off masses of hooligans at the stadium following their 1-0 win over the Dutch club.
In an interview with the Daily Mail Knollsy described his emotion after finding out that the club were gifting him tickets 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,” he explained. “She said she was sitting two rows behind me and saw what happened. She said I had been very courageous and that I deserved a ticket.
It's ironic that she was the one who phoned me today. I remember joking with her earlier about whether she could get me a ticket if we got to the final.
I know how difficult it is to get a ticket. I am so happy at this.
West Ham Legend Gets Tickets To Europa Conference League Final
West Ham fan "Knollsy" protecting the family stand and fending off AZ ultras
pic.twitter.com/C7XoXlxBBa— West Ham Central (@WestHam_Central) May 19, 2023
Knollsy is MASSIVE. Thanks for all the love ⚒️🙏🏻🫶🏻 pic.twitter.com/Dk6KcOpTBF
— freddie bonfanti (@freddiebonfa) May 21, 2023
READ HERE: West Ham Fans Not Impressed With Declan Rice Conduct As He Pushes For Move Away
"I don't like bullies," added Knollsy.
"You could see they were intent on causing trouble and I did not want them to get to those behind us. I saw them all congregate on the side of the pitch and then they broke down the barriers and headed to the first group of West Ham fans.
"I know what they were intent on doing and was not going to let it happen. It was fairly obvious what was going to happen because they were intent on coming to us. They were the ultras, you could see that from what they were wearing. I just decided I wasn't going to let them come up.
"I just thought the best form of defence would be to get to the top of the stairs where they were coming up and just stood there and tried to stop them. I know they were swinging punches and I just did my best to stand there and take it."
SEE ALSO: Manchester United Reportedly Concede Major Evan Ferguson Mistake
