CRAIG Edwards has sensationally challenged West Ham United’s superstars to a match against Billericay Town.

The Billericay manager was responding to comments made by Bilic, who used the non-league side to emphasise a point that the move to the 50,000-seater Olympic Stadium next season will not automatically make the Hammers a big club.

He added his former boss Harry Redknapp used to use Billericay as “an example of a small club, or something that was not good” back in his playing days.

But Edwards, while criticising the Croatian’s comments as “disrespectful and pretty ignorant”, has called out the Hammers chief and invited the side currently sitting sixth in the Premier League for a game at New Lodge.

“Being an East Ender myself we settle our differences in the arena so I challenge Bilic to bring his team of superstars to New Lodge and find out just who Billericay Town are,” said Edwards.

“We are what we are, a small non-league club. We have the best pyramid system in the world in England so Bilic is being a bit disrespectful and pretty ignorant.

“Everything is relative. Every West Ham fan will know of Billericay Town but I would imagine 99 per cent of football fans here couldn't name three top division Croatian sides let alone anything below.”

Bilic admitted he did not know which level Billericay played at, while adding if Town played their home matches at Wembley that would not make them a big club.

However, Billericay are not as unfamiliar to Wembley as Bilic may think. Back in the 1970s, Town played three FA Vase finals at the ground, as they became the first club to win the competition on three occasions.

And Edwards made reference to the glory days.

“As for Billericay Town moving to Wembley well it's like a second home to us anyway,” he said. “At the end of the day Billericay Town FC will be around long after Bilic has split.”

West Ham take on Southampton this weekend, while Billericay will be looking to reignite their play-off charge at Staines Town.

 

What did the players have to say?

Glenn Poole: “Slaven Bilic’s comments about Billericay is a slap in the face of non-league football in general. It’s a shame such arrogance has been shown. Let’s have it right, football isn’t the Premier League. So many good people on and off the pitch in the lower leagues.”

George Beavan: "I think the comments made by Bilic are a bit big time and not just disrespectful to Billericay but any club at our level of football. It can’t be all that bad because his assistant is Julian Dicks and he was my manager at Grays when we played in the Conference! I would like to play West Ham at Upton Park as I fancy a 90-minute tussle with big Andy Carroll!”

Alex Stephenson: “The comments made by Bilic have probably been taken out of context. I have always been a West Ham fan so a chance to play against them for Billericay would be something I would cherish and remember for a long time.”