Henry Winter: West Ham chose money over morals by picking cat kicker Kurt Zouma for Premier League clash

So it was dismaying to see Moyes include Kurt Zouma to face Watford 24 hours after a video emerged showing the defender kicking his cat. This wasn’t just a teamsheet — it was a statement that points matter more than principles, it was money over morals and two fingers to the RSPCA. It was also reckless in regard to the further damage it inflicts on West Ham’s image as a community club.

West Ham will sanction Zouma but the ink forming his name on that teamsheet won’t fade. He should have been omitted simply to underline that the club’s words about condemning the player’s offence actually meant something. Viewed through Moyes’s football-only prism, West Ham should really have been able to cope against Watford at home without Zouma. Issa Diop is not in the best of form but he would hardly have been a rookie replacement.

Zouma started because “he is one of our better players,” Moyes argued. “I’m a big animal lover and I think it [footage of Zouma kicking his cat] is something that will have affected a lot of people so I’m really disappointed with it. But overall my job tonight was to try and find a way to get a win for West Ham.” That was so disappointing to hear, and fair play to those West Ham fans who registered their disapproval. Moyes is better than this. He’s usually strong on discipline in his dressing room. Let’s hope he re-finds his moral compass quickly.

This is not about cancel culture or seeing somebody deprived of their employment. West Ham are right to avoid calls for Zouma’s dismissal. It’s about appropriate punishment and the opportunity for rehabilitation, and West Ham could have bought themselves some time by not having Zouma represent them against Watford. Now they look almost as bad as him.

And that’s sad. Because West Ham are a club who try to do the right thing. As well as great role models in Noble and Rice, West Ham have one of the most impressive foundations, coaching in prisons, supporting food banks and offering degree courses at the University of East London. The foundation works on diversity, literacy and climate change initiatives, and tackles online hate crime, even extremism. Now this excellent foundation will be associated with a club who take a weak line on animal cruelty.

At the very least, West Ham should be negotiating with the Professional Footballers’ Association, which has already voiced its disappointment with Zouma, to be allowed to increase the fine it can impose on Zouma from the maximum two weeks’ wages to six. This would be donated to the London East branch of the RSPCA, which is urgently seeking volunteers and donations to help with its work.

The RSPCA’s most recent accounts showed a £17.2 million deficit, and the need to make 269 redundancies and close four sites. It enjoys decent reserves in the bank and is expecting a better financial year but the pandemic has hit all charities’ fundraising events hard. They need help. So does Zouma.

He needs educating in pet welfare. Zouma needs to go with RSPCA inspectors and visit some of the other places where animal cruelty occurs, feel their disgust and begin to understand the enormity of what he did.

Moyes’s arrogant inclusion of Zouma simply exacerbates matters. He has let the club down and also the sport he loves.

Those who dislike West Ham now have new chants to direct at them. Those who loathe football will simply use Zouma’s presence as confirmation that the sport believes itself above society’s rules.

Zouma has been fined, which hardly matters to Premier League players, and he will be admonished internally. The real punishment for Zouma will come not from a meek club, but from the public. Wherever he goes, whenever he plays, Zouma will be remembered as the man who was heartless enough to kick a helpless pet and then thick enough to allow it to be posted online. He needs to show more contrition and West Ham need to show they are serious about animal welfare. A community club need to remember their values.

– The Times