Win £5,000 Thanks to West Ham United and Digital Payment App MuchBetter

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Mar 11, 2020 4 min read

The Premier League is the most polished and entertaining sports league in the world and last month PokerNews was fortunate enough to experience the very finest that London could offer us thanks to MuchBetter

MuchBetter are the Official Online and Digital Payments Wallet Partner of West Ham United and they invited us along to show us the ‘West Ham Way’ and to see how both brands operate amongst the finest in their fields.

The London Stadium has been West Ham's home since they moved from the Boleyn Ground in August 2016. Originally designed for the 2012 Olympic Games, it has an iconic look and walking up to stadium was an incredible sight, with the Thames snaking down one side and the tall towers of London’s financial hub in the background.

The Club London entrance was the height of sophistication, with velvet ropes and doormen showing us inside. We were taken to our table, sat down and presented with the menu. We started with an ‘East End seafood platter’, an old-school pint glass filled with mussels, crab, prawns, capers and more, a nod to the clubs regional heritage. For a main, we were afforded the choice between curried lamb rump, roasted salmon bisque and marinated tofu and black-bean stir-fried greens. It certainly beats the steak and kidney pie usually expected at football matches! If you ever usually want dessert at the football then it involves a Mars bar or Snickers, but not today as we chose between chocolate cheesecake, white chocolate and passion fruit tart and a decadent cheese selection.

At this point, 45 minutes before kick-off, we were collected from our seats and taken down into the underbelly of the stadium. As we went down the escalator to the low level we saw the VIP car-park, and the array of flashy motors owned by the players. Then we were directed to the players' tunnel, we walked slowly toward the light, taking in the West Ham legends painted across the claret walls. Walking out of the tunnel into the wide, open space of the stadium fulfilled all by young 'Match Of The Day' dreams. We took in the unique architecture of the design, the colourful seats and, of course, those famous blowing bubbles. After ten minutes taking photos to record our memories, we went back to our table, before finishing another round of drinks and being taken to our seats.

Oh, those seats. You're usually looking at standing in the terraces, stood behind the home end and sighing at the prawn sandwich brigade. That was until we took our seats. So cushioned we'd be happy if the West Ham staff installed them in front of our TVs at home. It gave us the most luxurious place to watch the next 90 minutes of football.

Then the game started, West Ham came alive. David Moyes had his players spreading the ball wide and attacking with real pace and intent. The atmosphere was electric. Jarrod Bowen opened the scoring for West Ham before the Saints quickly equalised. The home side continued to pile on the pressure, with Michail Antonio’s speed and strength causing real issues. Sebastian Haller got a scrappy goal to retake the lead, his dogged persistence paying dividends. The second half saw Antonio get the goal he deserved, giving West Ham a 3-1 lead, but the real highlight was a rabona from Sebastian Haller. The German received the ball in his own half before turning, putting his left foot behind his right and dinking the ball into space for Antonio to run onto. A great save was all that stopped a sure-fire ‘goal of the season’ contender.

The cheers after the final whistle will last almost as long in the memory as the excellent service, which recommenced when we went back inside to toast to the victory. Nothing was too much for the staff, who went to every length to make your day better and give you a real VIP experience.

It’s clear to see why MuchBetter have teamed up with West Ham. There’s a certain way of doing things that represents the finest quality, and both of these brands, MuchBetter and West Ham truly excel and offer people a truly special experience.

_{The MuchBetter payments app is an official partner of PokerNews.com}