Hero West Ham fan 'Knollsy' who fought AZ ultras given ticket to Conference League final

Mark Knolls, more commonly known as 'Knollsy', has been rewarded for his efforts for who fighting off AZ ultras after their triumph over Feyenoord.

The 58-year-old fan made headlines when West Ham progressed to the final, fighting off home supporters in Alkmaar who attacked travelling fans, including family members of the players.

The disturbing scenes came shortly after Pablo Fornals secured a 1-0 win (3-1 on aggregate) and the Hammers first European final in 47 years.

Knollsy was seen fending off dozens of AZ ultras and received a nasty black eye for his efforts.

But along with the physical damage, he also came away with tickets to the final against Fiorentina which left him feeling emotional.

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"I am at work and when I got the call today, I nearly cried," he told The Daily Mail. "I am, so pleased, so happy. I am made up.'

Revealing a club official called him to tell him the news, the West Ham employee was sat behind Knollsy being protected.

"She said she was sitting two rows behind me and saw what happened," he explained. "She said I had been very courageous and that I deserved a ticket.

"It's ironic that she was the one who phoned me today. I remember joking with her earlier about whether she could get me a ticket if we got to the final."

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"I know how difficult it is to get a ticket. I am so happy about this."

West Ham and Fiorentina have only been allocated under 5,000 tickets each for the final on June 7, with the Eden Arena in Prague only holding 19,370 supporters.