West Ham fan Chis Knoll, better known as ‘Knollsy’, appeared emotional in a new viral video which sees fans chanting his name after his clash with the Dutch ultras.
The 58-year-old has been widely praised for putting himself at risk to help protect the families of club players following Thursday’s Europa Conference League win over AZ Alkmaar.
Knoll refused to allow hooded thugs to reach the seating area where the players’ partners and children sat as he single-handedly fought the Dutch ultras.
The supporter, dubbed the ‘Angel of Alkmaar’, received a standing ovation as he watched the Hammers 3-1 win over Leeds on Sunday – sporting a huge black eye.
A new video has now been released in which Knoll appears emotional as West Ham fans chant his name outside the Carpenters Arms pub, which is a short walk from the London stadium.
West Ham fan Knollsy appeared emotional as supporters chanted his name outside the Carpenters Arms pub after heroically battling Dutch ultras last week
The West Ham fan fended off AZ Alkmaar ultras as they tried to flood the family stand
It shows dozens of fans chanting “Knollsy is massive everywhere we go” outside the pub, with Knoll at one point appearing to be trying to hold back tears.
One supporter is seen hugging the 58-year-old as others attempt to talk to him and one even takes a knee to greet Knoll, who has become a hero among the club’s fanbase.
After West Ham’s win over Leeds, the father-of-four was spotted by other fans and posed for selfies with a number of them.
He was seen smiling and in good spirits with a bruised left eye outside the London stadium.
Fans were also heard chanting “We love you Knollsy, we do”.
Knoll had played down the praise that followed him on social media, with images of him fighting at least half a dozen AK Alkmaar ultras having circled the globe.
He was then photographed with his shirt torn, but still smiling.
He told Mail Sport: “I’m not a hero. I just did what I had to do. There was another guy pushing them back.
“I don’t like bullies and I just had to try to stop them.
Knollsy seemed on the verge of tears over the love shown by West Ham supporters
Knoll (left) posed for selfies with fans after West Ham’s 3-1 win over Leeds on Sunday
The father-of-four refused to allow hooded thugs to reach the seating area where players’ partners and children sat
He was seen smiling and in good spirits with a black eye with fans outside the London stadium
“I just thought the best form of defense was to attack. You could see they intended to cause trouble and I didn’t want them to get to those behind us.
There have been calls for him to receive free tickets to the Europa Conference League final, and some fans have already started paying tribute to Knollsy with artwork, posting paintings and drawings of his battle on social networks.
On Friday, West Ham and France goalkeeper Alphonse Areola called Knoll a “legend” while his wife Marrion Areola Valette added he was the “biggest hero” on a historic night for the hammers.
A West Ham supporter who witnessed the fall posted a heartfelt message of thanks and support for Knollsy.
They wrote: “A bit of background: we were sitting behind Thilo Kerher’s girlfriend. Knollsy was worried about her and headed up the stairwell, pushing away the Alkmaar fans. He’s a lovely guy and he did what he thought was right at the time. He stopped those fans.
The post received a stream of support from other social media users who applauded Knollsy’s actions.
Order has finally been restored and David Moyes’ side could head away to toast their 3-1 aggregate victory, sealed by Pablo Fornals’ stoppage-time winner who fired West Ham in the final of the Europa Conference League next month.
The UEFA Disciplinary Body must review the footage and reports from the AFAS Stadium and decide on further action.
He was given a standing ovation for helping to protect the families of the club’s players after Thursday’s game against AZ Alkmaar.
Knollsy is seen after the confrontation still smiling and in great shape despite his torn shirt
After the match, manager David Moyes said: “I can’t explain what happened and why it happened.
“The players were involved because it was the family section… that was probably the reason for the reaction.
“I don’t want this to ruin the night in any way because the West Ham fans weren’t looking for trouble. Hopefully they (UEFA) will look into it.
“My family was there and I had friends in that section. You hope they would try to get away from it… I didn’t recognize it because I was too happy.
“Security wanted to take me inside but I had to make sure my players weren’t involved.”
Some fans have said the club – or the players who were so worried they tried to reach their families during the shocking scenes in the Netherlands – should give Knollsy tickets to the final in the Czech capital, Prague, by as a thank you for his heroism.
West Ham will face Italian side Fiorentina in the final on June 7.
