Having found myself shocked at the recent decision by West Ham to part company with Jeremy Nicholas as the match day stadium announcer, I have decided to start a petition to serve as a message to David Gold and David Sullivan just how valued Jeremy is by the West Ham community, in the hope that our voice is considered and Jeremy can be reinstated as soon as time allows. For those who don't know, Jeremy has been an integral part of the West Ham matchday experience since 1998. He has given years of service to the club he loves, and his voice on match day has become as recognizable as Bubbles itself. Jeremy's wife is very ill with Lyme Disease and is currently housebound. This puts extra pressure on Jeremy, as he is forced to balance his work commitments around being a full time carer. He has already had to stop his work with the BBC to accommodate this. Jeremy is leaving because the board recently asked him to take a 60% wage cut in an attempt to 'cut match day costs.' This would have taken his wages down from £500 to £200 per game; or £10,000 per year down to £4,000. In perspective, the total wage bill last year was a reported £55.7 million pounds. The players themselves receive wages that far eclipse Jeremy's - in fact, their match day bonuses alone would dwarf Jeremy's appearance fee. You can read more about Jeremy's story on his website. http://jeremynicholas.co.uk/dt_portfolio/all-about-jeremy/ I'm sure you will agree he has accepted the situation very gracefully, where others would be inclined to be a lot more angry at such mistreatment. If you appreciate the years of service Jeremy has given to the club , please take a minute to sign this petition. Hopefully we will see Jeremy reinstated before long and he will regain a greater financial security to continue to support his wife in her difficult time.

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