West Ham fan's viral reaction to Europe win sees him beat the bullies
- 10 months ago
A young West Ham fan's viral reaction to the team's Europe win has seen him beat the bullies - who now want to be his friend.
Abel Farey, 11, took social media by storm after his tearful reaction to The Hammer's result against Fiorentina.
A viral video of Abel shows the 11-year-old crying tears of joy after watching West Ham's 2-1 win in Prague, Czech Republic.
His mum Billy Farey, 43, says Abel, who's in Year 6, was bullied in school for several years and his viral moment represented a turning point.
She said: "Now those same people who bullied him are trying to be his friends.
"I think he's too young to understand the impact he's had on people's lives.
"I've been getting messages from other people who were bullied."
Abel suffered racial abuse and bullying for several years but says he "kept putting one foot in from of the other" and "got through it".
He said: "I don't mean to sound like a narcissist but look what happened.
"So, to all the kids who are getting racial abuse or getting bullied out there I would say keep putting one foot in front of the other."
Mum Billy made Abel's dream come true when she surprised him with tickets to watch the Conference League final.
Billie had been desperately asking around for tickets when a friend told her she had two spares.
She was able to get hold of tickets just two days before the game and surprised Abel with them.
Billie recorded the adorable moment the 11-year-old found out he was going to watch the game.
The pair left just three hours after securing the tickets and drove for 16 hours, all the way to Prague from their home in Hornchurch, Essex.
Abel said: "It felt amazing, it [getting the tickets] was like a dream come true."
Billie added: "He was over the moon, on another planet.
"I don't promise anything if I'm not going to do it.
"In my mind I was like I'm going to do it but I don't know how.
"We had to leave the same day. I got the tickets at 2pm and we left at 5:30pm."
Abel has been a West Ham fan all his life and regularly go to see matches with his mum.
He said: “When my mum put an Arsenal babygrow around me I was crying and then when she put a West Ham babygrow around me I was clapping and kicking my feet, so I think that decided it you know."
Able is such a fan that he even plays for the West Ham Foundation and has been for the last two years.
He said: “The West Ham foundation hasn’t just helped my football skills but it’s also helped me learn a lot more about people and social orientation.
"So it helps me have social skills."
Speaking about the final, Abel and his mum said the atmosphere leading up to and during the game was unlike anything they'd ever experienced.
Billie said: "It was so tense. We watched one of the games at home and I was so tense. I had to leave so imagine what it was like when they were 1-1."
Abel continued: “The atmosphere during the match was absolutely electric.
Abel Farey, 11, took social media by storm after his tearful reaction to The Hammer's result against Fiorentina.
A viral video of Abel shows the 11-year-old crying tears of joy after watching West Ham's 2-1 win in Prague, Czech Republic.
His mum Billy Farey, 43, says Abel, who's in Year 6, was bullied in school for several years and his viral moment represented a turning point.
She said: "Now those same people who bullied him are trying to be his friends.
"I think he's too young to understand the impact he's had on people's lives.
"I've been getting messages from other people who were bullied."
Abel suffered racial abuse and bullying for several years but says he "kept putting one foot in from of the other" and "got through it".
He said: "I don't mean to sound like a narcissist but look what happened.
"So, to all the kids who are getting racial abuse or getting bullied out there I would say keep putting one foot in front of the other."
Mum Billy made Abel's dream come true when she surprised him with tickets to watch the Conference League final.
Billie had been desperately asking around for tickets when a friend told her she had two spares.
She was able to get hold of tickets just two days before the game and surprised Abel with them.
Billie recorded the adorable moment the 11-year-old found out he was going to watch the game.
The pair left just three hours after securing the tickets and drove for 16 hours, all the way to Prague from their home in Hornchurch, Essex.
Abel said: "It felt amazing, it [getting the tickets] was like a dream come true."
Billie added: "He was over the moon, on another planet.
"I don't promise anything if I'm not going to do it.
"In my mind I was like I'm going to do it but I don't know how.
"We had to leave the same day. I got the tickets at 2pm and we left at 5:30pm."
Abel has been a West Ham fan all his life and regularly go to see matches with his mum.
He said: “When my mum put an Arsenal babygrow around me I was crying and then when she put a West Ham babygrow around me I was clapping and kicking my feet, so I think that decided it you know."
Able is such a fan that he even plays for the West Ham Foundation and has been for the last two years.
He said: “The West Ham foundation hasn’t just helped my football skills but it’s also helped me learn a lot more about people and social orientation.
"So it helps me have social skills."
Speaking about the final, Abel and his mum said the atmosphere leading up to and during the game was unlike anything they'd ever experienced.
Billie said: "It was so tense. We watched one of the games at home and I was so tense. I had to leave so imagine what it was like when they were 1-1."
Abel continued: “The atmosphere during the match was absolutely electric.