Copy linkFacebookXPinterestEmailShare this article 0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterSubscribe to our newsletterWest Ham will play their first second-tier match in 14 years today when they visit Burnley in their Championship opener at 4pm.The clubs relegation at the end of last season came after the Hammers spent a decade trying to establish themselves as a Premier League force, only to be undone by a series of poor transfers and recent managerial instability.As he sees his old club get set for the new season, former Irons defender Tony Gale believes that the drop could represent an opportunity for the slate to be wiped clean,Gale on West Hams resetWeve spent as much money as everyone else, but weve spent it unwisely, Gale tells FourFourTwo. Its time for a reset.Weve got to be looking more into the players we buy studying their characters, not just their playing style. Character is even more important in the Championship than the Premier League nobody can underestimate that division. You may like Exclusive: Tony Gale explains why West Ham struggle with the 'smell' of the London Stadium West Ham star 'will not play in the Championship': report Ipswich Town have returned to the Premier League as fast as they fell from it in 2025, but will they be better prepared for survival this time around? Ipswich Town 2026-27 season preview Gale insists that the team cannot assume they will be in the promotion mix come the end of the season. Its no good thinking that six teams will get into the Championship play-offs this season, so well get promoted by hook or by crook, he continues. West Ham have to be aiming to go up automatically. Its not going to be a cakewalk.One thing the Hammers do have going for them, Gale adds, is their fanbase. The fans have rallied around, with 30,000 season tickets sold within a few weeks of relegation. Theyve shown their loyalty.Get FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.Gale has first-hand experience of relegation and believes mentality will play a defining part this season. Going down is all about your mindset, he continues. I did it twice and came back up. We were lucky because the footballing world wasnt so financially based then, and a lot of us stayed. Relegation clauses didnt exist at the time. Our attitude was that we went down, so it was our responsibility to get them back up.The first thing on a lot of players minds nowadays is finances. No doubt some will have pay cut clauses written into their contracts but there might be boys going into the Championship who have hardly played lately wholl be on �100,000 a week.West Ham went down because of complacency, thinking that the three sides who come up are always going to go down. But Sunderland were sensational and spent wisely. Leeds? Their home record was brilliant and Elland Road kept them up.Yet despite the anguish of last seasons campaign, Gale does have room for optimism this year.Relegation isnt the disaster that everybody thinks, though, he says. Im really looking forward to the Championship. If youre a fan, youre a fan. West Ham may lose the tourist supporters who came over to London to watch a game of Premier League football and visit the old Olympic Stadium. Maybe 10,000 will drop off the average gate.But youll still have the same number of away supporters, because theyll all want to come to our stadium. Even little Lincoln will fill it, dont worry about that, its their cup final. Our fans have shown their loyalty and hopefully the club is about to turn a corner, for a brighter future.TOPICSWest Ham UnitedChampionshipJoe MewisSocial Links NavigationFor more than a decade, Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor. Mewis has had stints at Mirror Football and LeedsLive among others and worked at FourFourTwo throughout Euro 2024, reporting on the tournament. In addition to his journalist work, Mewis is also the author of four football history books that include times on Leeds United and the England national team. Now working as a digital marketing coordinator at Harrogate Town, too, Mewis counts some of his best career moments as being in the iconic Spygate press conference under Marcelo Bielsa and seeing his beloved Leeds lift the Championship trophy during lockdown.With contributions fromEd McCambridgeStaff Writer
