Football hooligans mercilessly trolled after posting thug image

These West Ham hooligans will be regretting posted this threatening image online after being mercilessly trolled by Twitter users. Photo / Twitter.

God bless the internet - a place as cruel as it is creative.

Some young football fans in England have been given a taste of just what life is like when those in cyberspace decide you're going to be their next target.

A photo of five mates - all presumably West Ham United supporters - was uploaded to Twitter on the weekend before the Hammers played Everton.

English football has a long history of hooliganism and it seemed the boys in the photo were doing their best to intimidate any opposition supporters.

The caption on the photo read: "We'll be waiting for your boys tomorrow."

@Everton we'll be waiting for your boys tomorrow COYI⚒⚒ pic.twitter.com/JblKe7dhZ8

— Liam (@Liam__whu) April 21, 2017

Four of the boys in the photo were holding instruments intended to do damage: a baseball bat, machete and a golf club. But one of them had nothing but empty hands, and that's when the internet took over.

Enjoy.

You'll never guess what some of the West Ham hooligans look like now pic.twitter.com/Ltru5GESZ5

— Nostalgic Things (@Nostalgic_Thing) April 23, 2017

What you look like and what you think you look like #homeintimefortea pic.twitter.com/mVvxkL2zkm

— Martin Bayfield (@MartinBayfield) April 22, 2017

pic.twitter.com/zG1efwduH7

— Harry O’Sullivan (@Harry_Sully) April 21, 2017

Uh oh, it looks like someone's secret identity is out of the bag. pic.twitter.com/zckwTXhvZX

— That big number 5 (@Thisisred5Five) April 21, 2017

can't wait to get my hands on this pic.twitter.com/VcNECM2vXt

— J.H (@_JackHoad) April 21, 2017

The photo was reported to police, and has been retweeted more than 8500 times.

For the record, West Ham and Everton played out a 0-0 draw in a desperately poor Premier League encounter at the London Stadium.

It took 28 minutes for the first effort on goal and recalled Everton goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg saved comfortably from Havard Nordtveit's shot from outside the box.

Visiting manager Ronald Koeman made a double change at the break, introducing Gareth Barry and Ademola Lookman, and the tempo improved in the second period.

Lookman forced two opportunities in quick succession and put both wide, while Stekelenburg saved from Manuel Lanzini but there were few nervous moments for either side.