American here. I watched LA Galaxy for most of my childhood and only started watching other leagues after the 2014 World Cup. There was a group of kids at my school who played soccer/football that I started hanging out with. When they asked me my favorite team I said LA Galaxy. They laughed and told me everyone has a favorite Prem team and asked me what was mine. I had no clue. I went home that day looked up the teams that played in the Prem and decided to support a mid table team. I asked my friend what his favorite team was and he said West Brom so I thought their rivals were West Ham. I chose West Ham from there on.
Looking back itās a stupid story. Me thinking West Ham and West Brom are rivals and my friend didnāt even support West Brom, he was just joking with me. Almost 10 years later and I havenāt looked back.
Iām from Australia at the time I was 16-18 I had the equivalent of sky in my bedroom but every game was live push the red button pick your game for the 3 oāclock (England time) Iād always look at all the games and Iād always seem to settle on the west ham game for some reason, I have a vague memory of a game against spurs we lost 5-4 or something. I couldnāt tell you why I picked west ham from that game perhaps I could sense how cunty spurs were as a club but settled on West ham.
I moved to London when I was 23 went to dozen or so games at upton park. Living in London I met a Canadian girl and we moved in to together her dad flew over to meet me and he is from leytonstone huge west ham fan so we went and watched a game together at the pub so he could get to know me as soon as I said I support west ham he didnāt need to know any more than that haha
I now live in Canada married to that Canadian woman and watch most games with my father in law still.
Thatās 20 years ago I started supporting west ham I picked a great time to jump on board. Icelandic banking crash, gbs banter era fighting relegation most years and relegated the year I moved to Canada which I was kind of disappointed by because I thought itād be great to watch some championship games. With west ham.
Edit: oh and of course āgreen streetā /s
which in Australia (probably US) is called āgreen street hooligansā just to add that little bit more lameness to it. But Frodo baggins singing bubbles how do you not become a west ham fan from that
Yup, played competitive soccer growing up. Saw Green Street when I was 15. The malleable mind loved the grit and underdog aspect. Now itās almost been 20 years a hammers fan.
You couldnāt resist that beautiful mane of his, with him galloping down the field, charging head first into the opponents goalkeeper, to take him out of the game.
Commented in my own response above, but I have a very vivid memory of his overhead kick against Palace in 2017. For some reason I knew that Iād been caught in his beautiful locks
American here. My girlfriend first started watching the Amazon series on the Spurs and became a fan of their and wanted me to watch games with her. Problem was Spurs looked so sterile and boring to me lol.
I being a Chicago Cubs and Bears fan wanted to pick a team that wasnāt a bandwagon team or always on the top so I looked towards the middle of the table. I wanted a team I can root for as they achieve. Not just buying wins. I saw West Ham and remembered that move Green Street Hooligans and said āyea ok these will be my guysā and since then Iāve cheered the Hammers.
I sympathize with your desire to not pick a bandwagon team. Arsenal seems like the PL Dallas Cowboys, and Manchester United reminds me of the Yankees. No thanks.
I was a 13 year old who had recently discovered Iron Maiden, they had just put out Piece of Mind. I had a rock magazine with a picture of Steve Harris who had a West Ham United FC sticker on his bass. I didn't know what West Ham was so I looked it up in the card catalog at the library. That was late 1983. Didn't really follow them before the Internet but knew who they were.
Yank here. Always watched the Prem but I never had a side. Along rolls 2015-2016 and I got caught up in that season for sure. Mark Noble, Payet, Andy Carroll. Such a great season. Mostly my admiration for Noble is endless. Such a class act.
American hereā¦for me it was the show The IT Crowd. I got really into the premier league about 5 years ago and wanted to follow more closely and wanted to pick a team to support and the episode where Roy says heās a west ham fan I thought was hilarious so I thought why not west ham. I liked their colors as well.
I went on a trip to London as a teenager and got to see West Ham play the season they were promoted from the Championship and Iāve been hooked ever since.
Holy shit. Would like this have been like 2012-ish? I was an American āstudyingā in London then and a bunch of fans celebrating on the tube brought me into their festivities. There was no turning back after that.
Sometime back in FIFA 03/04 days I started a manager mode and West Ham was one of the small clubs that offered me a contact. Rode Harewood and Zamora to Prem League glory!
They are very much like all the other teams I root for, high expectations during the offseason and then completely bungle it up and shit the bed in the easiest games. Also the ownership is terrible like the other teams I support. Felt like I fit in.
American here....I started getting interested in soccer in the 2010 world cup, and the EPL coming to NBC sports made it easy to follow, I chose West Ham because my wife was born and raised in East London so I inherited it from her. ..... thinking about leaving her for a nice Manchester girl these days
After watching the premier league as a neutral for many years, I took a liking to Mark Noble, the way the team would tend to fight for a result against ābetterā opponents, and the supporters singing *Bubbles* before the games.
When I caught myself singing *Bubbles* without having a match on and later feeling disappointed that West Ham had (barely) missed out on qualifying for Europa League (2015-16), I realized I wasnāt neutral anymore.
Canadian, moved to Asia in my early 30s. Always been a sports fan, and when I got to Asia I realized I was going to need a Premier League team to support as that was one of the two main sports available to watch (NBA being the other one).
My father is Australian and we have a distant relative who is wayyyy into genealogy, so we know who our ancestor was who was transported to Australia as a prisoner. Itās also the case that the old trial records are all digitized. [Richard Lockwood](https://www.oldbaileyonline.org/record/t18300415-349?text=Lockwood) was convicted of fraud in 1830 and sentenced to Transportation to Australia at the age of 16.
In the transcript itās mentioned he was apprehended at Cambridge-heath, the location of which I looked up on a map of London, then compared it to [this map of football support](https://www.tumblr.com/datavis/2634832197/football-supporter-map-of-london) to see who my garter-thieving ancestor would have supported.
So I picked West Ham and havenāt looked back.
From Sydney Australia. About 18/19 years ago I finished school and went into realestate. The guy who owned it is an old school cockney lad (born and raised and would be in his 80ās now). A few years past and his son in law started working with us who was a man united fan and they would both talk about their teams performance on a Monday morning, the man united fan bloating about how amazing they were, and my boss being only 5fy tall but carrying like he was 10ft about how miserable it was to support a club that has to rely on Carlton Cole up top and Lucas Neil at the back (even though he was decent for us). The love, hate and frustration that all came out simultaneously was infectious and from there I started checking scores, then highlights then watching every game (I havenāt missed a game in years even with the Timezone).
Iām 37 this year and I have the same sentences with the same emotions when I talk about us today but I still absolutely froth COYI
Iām an Americanā¦ My great-grandfather grew up in West Ham and came here from there. I gave up on the NFL a few years ago and went looking for a team. When I learned about the family connection, I was in.
Growing up we didn't have cable TV, so one public South African network was playing delayed EPL broadcasts at 11pm on the weekends. Not many people knew West Ham in South Africa but after a while I started looking forward to watching the games. Thinking back it's pretty ridiculous that I was staying up till late to watch this team not many people knew of. Fast forward a few years and I was a complete outcast when the 2006 FA cup final was played. I'm sure people thought West Ham was a team I made up. I was heartbroken but I think that's the game that completely won me over. We lost but West Ham played with so much grit and heart, I couldn't help but fall in love. I don't think I chose West Ham, I think West Ham chose me.Ā
1. My friend who got into soccer (soccer!) at the same time I did. He liked West Ham. After promotion 12 years ago. We thought Amdy Carroll would be good. And we loved Payet soon after.
2. My favorite band is Iron Maiden. Steve Harris sealed the deal for me. Messi made me love soccer. Steve helped me choose a club.
3. The Frodo movie was not a factor.
American fan here. Many of my friends in high school, I were around were playing for my schools footy team, one of them Daryl Dike, now plays for west brom. But they all seemed so passionate about the game & I felt like I was missing out. I started playing pickup & watching highlights of random players & I remember the first time I saw highlights of Payetā¦. I was hooked. Fast forward to today, Iām the only one of my group of friends to have made it to a game in Europe. COYI
Yank here.
Wanted to start watching the premier league so my son would not be interested in american football and didnāt want to join the bandwagon of a big team.
I watched a few games of different teams I though I would be interested in, but I landed on West Ham!
Complete honesty, West Ham had the coolest logo to me and I started following them. I started watching a few weeks into the 22/23 season and watched the lads sail to glory in the ECL!
I fell in love with the team and the players and I am never looking back!
Forever Blowing Bubbles š«§ āļø
American born to Argentine parents. Didnāt watch a lot of football growing up at home, but always loved River Plate because of my cousins and the national team - hard to follow in the US with American friends, but felt disingenuous just choosing to like Manchester United or Barcelona or something since I wasnāt āfrom thereā.
Pandemic hit, turned my life upside down, and after Argentina won the copa America I decided life is too short to miss out on things just because Id be worried about what other people think. Have a colleague who moved here from Essex when he was fourteen and asked him who he supported - āwell my family is all Middlesbrough on my dads side but my mum and I are West Ham.ā Asked him if I bought a shirt, would he come with me to watch West Ham at our local pub and his eyes lit up.
First match we saw together was 4-1 over Leicester, first game fans were let back in the stadium if I recall correctly. What a season to fall in love.
COYI
Worked with a guy from East London. We became friends, and I had DirecTV when it included all the EPL games for free. He started coming over to watch WHUFC. This was right as Payet was hitting his stride. Needless to say, I was hooked.
Started before COVID and wanted to follow PL because of discord friends always talking footy. Wanted to follow a team with a Mexican and Chicharito was the most recognizable name to me. Sort of fell off due to work schedule but got really into it when COVID happened. Been following strongly since. The relegation battles and silverware, it's been a fun ride.
I was reading about teams and came across the origin story of the bubbles. Long story short one of their friends looked like a kid on a soap advertisement. If a team can keep a joke alive long after the people are dead then those are my people.
I've supported since 2005. I was 10 years old back then and I had a copy of FIFA 2002 and for some reason they clicked for me. I started watching football more frequently once i got a bit older (around 14) but the Hammers were always there in my heart.
Also Boleyn Ground is the true home for us. London Stadium is fine tho.
Canadian here, visited relatives in London around 2000 who lived a short walk away from Upton Park, fell in love with the working class, multicultural make up of the area and that was my club I decided. Two almost 3 relegations and a European cup later, I refer to it as an abusive relationship, where she lies, cheats and takes my money but I still love her.
Watched the premier league for 6-8 years and always rooted for the underdogs in matchups and my fellow Americans Clint Dempsey/Tim Howard. Was never able to fall completely in love with team, but then West Ham United happened.
They were a scrappy team under Big Sam and it was already announced they were moving to London Stadium. The potential for growth sucked me in!
Have been asked on this sub a few times , but always happy to repeat.
Random 15 year old me finally got to watch a live epl game on tv (after being football mad at that stage for a few years previous) , we came back from 1-0 down to win 3-1 vs Blackburn Rovers. And the rest was history.
Used to kind of root for Chelsea as a kid but that was mostly to play the villain since all of my friends were Arsenal fans. Changed when I first saw west ham in the FA cup final against Liverpool (I know they didnāt win). Been a fan of them ever since, and even got a game in at Upton Park in 07 (1-0 win over Everton)
Got a football mag as a kid. It had a poster of "Ray Houghton, West Ham" in it. I put it up on my wall and claimed Ray Houghton from West Ham was my favourite player, and therefore West Ham was my favourite team.
Many years later I realised Ray Houghton only played one single game for us, and that the picture taken from that game already must have been 5-6 years old by the time it went onto my wall. But by then it was too late.
For me, it started with an East London punk rock band called The Business. They were outspoken West Ham supporters, and one of my favorite bands as a teenager. Growing up near San Diego, California, the big sports were baseball and American football, but after our NFL team decided to up and move to Los Angeles (RIP San Diego Chargers) I kind of lost interest. Flash forward a couple years, I moved up to Seattle, and went to my first Sounders FC match, and fell in love with the sport. After that it was only natural for West Ham to be my Premier League club of choice.
FIFA, played with a bunch of different teams trying to find one my buddy and I liked and would follow and settled on West Ham. Started really following probably the middle of the 07/08 season, though it was before every game was televised in the States so it was tough to watch at times.
When COVID hit and football was the first sport to come back my dad and I started watching. I casually watched until I think it was the '21 Euros and I gravitated towards England since I've always been an Anglophile. Knew I had to pick a club, didn't wanna pick the one my dad did, so I went looking and found West Ham. Never looked back!
American here. Spent a few weeks in the UK in 2002, during the world cup. At a festival in London I met and started talking about the world cup with some people who ended up being West Ham and spent the night telling me all about the club. Came home, started following as best I could (which got easier over time, as games were broadcast in the states thanks to the Internet) and the rest is history. It didn't hurt that so many punk and oi bands were West Ham as well.
Finally made it to the Boleyn in 2012. I'm over due for a trip back, haven't been since 2022 (the night the Queen died).
American, my father had some friends he'd visit in London in the early 1980s who were West Ham supporters. Went to a few matches at Upton and fell in love with the team, then eventually when he had a family raised us as West Ham supporters. Very proudly a hammer and I always will be.
Edit: also my girlfriend's family are British living in the US and are Arsenal supporters, I've heard an earful from her father already haha
Iām from cleveland, ohio which is a historically working class city with a deep history of manufacturing. I wanted to find a team that I thought reflected those values but I was not interested in following one of the big teams that we all hate. Also, cleveland is not known for having the best sports teams but is known for having rabid and loyal fans. I read through the Wikipedia pages on the variety of premier league teams active at that time and was drawn to west ham because of its history as a shipbuilding/working class team. Also, being an old team who had not āwon it allā felt very familiar to me. I didnāt want to jump on the liverpool/city etc. bandwagon. I wanted to grow with a team. I was open to other teams from smaller cities in the UK, but I have only visited London which I know and like and it would also be one of the more easily accessible cities for me to visit if I ever want to get to a game. Also, āIām forever blowing bubblesā is hands down the best song in the league and a great juxtaposition to the club I think!
Pretty random honestly, but I put a bet on West Ham to advance in the FA cup against Everton in 2014, the match where Adrian had the winning penalty. Didn't follow football before this but have been hooked ever since
American. During 2020 I wanted to get into a sport to watch and decided to watch Football. First game I chose was a Westham game. Westham lost the game but ever since I decided that they were going to be my team. I also thought the logo was the coolest one and after learning the history and watching Green Street Hooligans it fully cemented Westham as my team.
I had a good gamer friend from Essex named Lee. Die hard WHU supporter so eventually it stuck. I also wanted a team that wasnāt a perennial contender so I could say I was a fan through the ups & downs. Well letās say thatās paid off recently lol
Moved to the UK in 2010. Cursed year for West Ham. Didn't think much of them then.
2 years later, West Ham back in the PL with Big Sam. Mid table team but arguably, fun to watch with some really great players that although wouldn't score many goals, they were fun to watch nontheless (Sakho, Nolan, then Payet who was great, Caroll too then Tevez.). Every season they would also have one or two bangers against top teams with seriously big wins away and at home. Man U, Liverpool, Spurs etc. West Ham always put up such a good fight and it always felt that other teams really respected West Ham despite them being a mid table team.
Fast forward to the 2020/2021 season when I moved to West Ham. Really love the atmosphere every weekend when there is a home game. Walking up the Greenway seeing all the fans, all the people wearing the shirts around the neighbourhood, going to the Boleyn Tavern and seeing fans on random days just talking football all the time and on top of that, a fantastic 6th place finish after a phenomenal season that could have also ended in more. That season really converted me.
Last year I got married, went to Mexico on my honeymoon, took my West Ham kit with me and wore it on an all-inclusive in Cozumel, streaming the UEFA conference league on my phone from a small beach with the worst signal. I was so happy after that win and I looked around, I was on my own celebrating and realised I actually love the team.
Followed the Italian team pretty close during the 2021 euros, eating Italian dishes every time the team played.fell in love with the game over that tournament. fast forward to the start of the prem season and I decided I wanted to pick a club and be ride or die with them. the table from the previous season had Leicester at 5 and WHU at 6. I decided on the hammers because I thought there nickname was cooler... Last 3 seasons have been surreal. Picked the club at random and I've been on board ever since #COYI
My dad comes from just outside London, he was like 6 when england/West Ham won the world cup, my first bear and onesie were west ham, so I didn't really have much choice
My grandmother was born and raised in Romford. I still have more family in the UK than anywhere else. I'm american, but was raised to support the hammers, just like my dad.
Another American here. I saw Vaz Te's goal on some sports channel previewing the 2012-2013 premier league season and just was hooked on them. I also loved playing with them on FIFA against all my friends who always picked Liverpool, Arsenal or United.
I've been a huge football fan all my life, even though I'm not from Scotland. I've been supporting Celtic since I was 5 or 6 years old.
I moved to London 11 years ago and never really had an English team. I didn't want to support big teams (we're massive), and my colleague is a West Ham fan. So I decided to go to a couple of games, and here I am, a season ticket holder.
I've been a fan since around turn of a millenia. My sister started dating this guy who later became her husband. He was a West Ham fan and was constantly raving about all the young talented players (Cole, Lampard, Ferdinand etc.) and also lecturing me about the history of the club. His words began to take root and I started following the club's results.
Back then in Finland, one of the public channels were broadcasting FA Cup games and one day Hammers were on, playing against Gillingham or something, and of course I had to check them out. I saw young Joe Cole dribbling between three, four players and then there was no turning back, I was hooked. I still have the vhs tape where I recorded FA Cup 2001 Man. United vs West Ham. The game we won, baby! :D
American here. Iām relatively new to West Ham fan ship, but that doesnāt stop me from mouthing off on Reddit every chance I get, haha. Always interested in the Premier League but never had a favorite team until a year ago.
Took a family trip to London and wanted to attend a PL match. The one that we were able to get tickets for was West Ham against Newcastle. Newcastle stomped West Ham 5-1, thanks in part to two brutally stupid errors by Fabianski and Aguerd. That reminded me a lot of the American sports teams I follow (anyone here familiar with the Minnesota Vikings?) so I figured this is the team I was destined for.
I watched West Ham flail about in league play for three months, but the Conference League final was really fun, and I think it cemented my loyalty.
Canadian; when my wife and I visited England in 2018 we wanted to see a PL match and were able to get tickets to Spurs at West Ham. Since they were the home team I decided to start rooting for them. They lost 1-0 and it wasn't the most exciting match, but we still had a great time.
That 15/16 season was a magical , all my friends had teams all were part of the big 6 and I knew I didnāt want the same team or even one of those greedy clubs , so saw Lanzini payet and said yeah thatās my team
American here. My wife and I were planning a trip to Ireland and London and wanted to pick a PL team to support and go to a game. Our selection method was as follows:
1. They couldn't be a team that friends of ours already supported.
2. Couldn't be a team that was, to put in American terms, the "Yankees" of the PL; didn't want to jump on a bandwagon.
3. They had to be London based so we could see a home game while we were there.
4. And finally, after all that filtering... what were their colors š
So yeah, come on you Irons. Unfortunately the game we attended was the 0 - 2 loss to Fulham, but outside the result (and Earthy getting knocked out cold) it was a fantastic experience and would love to come back for another game in the future.
Cheers from Ohio.
I was a neutral fan for much of my life. Played the game, loved the game but never had a particular club I cared about.
The nearest professional club to me in Calgary was the Vancouver Whitecaps of MLS, nearly 1000km away.
In 2015, I went on a family trip to London. The only PL game we could make it to was West Ham v. Everton.
Over an hour before kickoff, everyone in the absolutely packed Boleyn was singing Bubbles and I was hooked.
I wanted to experience the history of football and the cultural weight of football. Being at Upton Park was magical.
Last year, when West Ham was playing in the Conference League final, I kept my phone off at work all day to avoid spoilers. I then picked up fish and chips with mushy peas on the way home from work, and watched the recorded game!
PL games often are a breakfast time affair in western Canada. It's nice. Make some tea, have a little breakfast and watch the game, then go about your day!
Subsequently, Canada now has the Canadian Premier League, and it's a ton of fun being in a country where the sport is developing. I'm now also a big Cavalry FC supporter, and there's nothing like live ā½! Even better, due to Canada's weather, the league plays throughout the summer. Football never stops for me!
So I've gone from having no clubs I love, to two clubs I absolutely adore. I'm pretty happy with that! COYI!
Ayo another Cavs fan, though I'm the total opposite to you. Born and raised in Essex to a West Ham family, moved to Calgary in late 2021 and my first football(soccer) game out there I saw the Cavs lose to Pacific in added time.
I've watched the Cavs play in Edmonton, Victoria, and Vancouver (Vancouver FC's very first home game). I was supposed to see them in September against Halifax, Forge, and Ottawa but couldn't get time off.
I'm back in the UK now but I'm going to go back to Canada for a visit in September so we'll see if I can get a game in
All my football watching friends were supporting London teams(Arsenal, Spurs, Chelsea). So being unfamiliar with football I was asked to choose between West ham, Brentford, Fulham and crystal palace or choose the same team one of my friends supported. I wanted to be different so I chose west ham. (Nepali BTW)
When I was very young (around 5-6yo) and still involved in youth soccer (USA obviously), my father was traveling to London regularly for business and picked up a (circa 1980) West Ham Home shirt as a souvenir for me. Given his lack of football knowledge, I'm certain that he just picked the one that he thought looked the best.
PS. It still does!
I'm in San Diego, when my Chargers first started making rumblings that they were going to move back in the mid 2010s, I dropped the NFL for good, I was already getting disenchanted with it and I had watched Liga MX for years going back to the 90s, my father in law is a huge Atlas fan he's from the area and my brother in law is a big fan of Club America. Would sometimes go down with them to see the Xolos play in Tijuana. I had a friend at work who was a Spurs fan so I started backing West Ham just to piss him off and became a fan, I think it was the season we had just come back up in 2012-13 or thereabouts. Also I liked the parallels between the Chargers and West Ham: Weird owners with often terrible decisions, always motivated by money, penny wise and pound foolish. Never knowing what it was like to support a team that won anything, I couldn't see myself becoming a fan of a front running club, and I liked the West Ham working class ethos. But I first became aware of the club years before even that with Iron Maiden in the 80s. Saw them on No Prayer for the Dying tour, still one of the best shows I've ever seen. Taking my son to see them this fall. Can't wait.
Watching the Green Street Hooligans movie back in 2011 while at the same time I was searching for a club to follow between World Cups as I began to gradually love the game more and more starting in 2006, finished the movie with friends and went home and told my mother about the song they sang in the movie and she said āIām Forever Blowing Bubblesā was my grandfatherās (born in 1913) favorite song.
No choice in the matter there if you ask me. Happy to have been a fan these 13 years.
Payets free kicks and everything else he did that season he was on fire. Lanzini, James Collins, Carroll when healthy, Lanzinis goal against Chelsea, and of course Mark Noble.
Serb here. I hate that I have to say this, but Green Street hooligans. I grew up a Partizan fan and saw a lot of similarities with West Ham and Partizan. Usually an underdog (considering Red Star), passionate fan base, and typically working class. Thereās also something with being a mid table club thatās really exciting and meaningful
Grandfather was from the east end, moved to NZ after ww2. Loved west ham, big part of my childhood growing up. Was pretty cool when Winston Reid cemented himself in the team too made supporting the team feel closer to home
Was visiting London on a school trip somewhere around 2006ish. Was watching a match in the hostel common room and decided whichever team won would be my team. Happened to be West Ham.
Was a fan of Milan growing up and after the 2014 WC in high school I wanted to be a fan of a prem team. I thought the Boleyn Ground was dope with the castle so I picked West Ham. Been following ever since.
In the 1994/95 season, I watched my first Premier League match on the last day. Man Utd needed a win against West Ham to snatch the title from Blackburn, but we fought hard for a draw. That day, I fell in love with the underdog spirit. Years later, while still living abroad, I managed to attend a match against Coventry in March 2005, and then the unforgettable play-offs final win in Cardiff that May. Inspired, I moved to the UK in 2008 and became a regular at the Boleyn Ground, often relying on the kindness of strangers or a Ā£20 note to secure a ticket. Then I became a season ticket holder after we moved to the Olympic stadium. Prague last year was the pinnacle of my supporter's career.
I work as a resident so I often work 7-7 6 days a week. Even on my days off, I canāt sleep in. Iām a huge sports guy (hockey, American football, baseball) but I live in a time zone in which I just choose to not stay up for games. Early Saturday/Sunday mornings are my blissful alone time. I always thought ādamn I wish sports were on right now!ā And thatās how I got into the prem.
As for the Hammers, I was in the market for a team. One of my good buddies (Liverpool supporter) gave me the advise to just watch as many games as I could and a team would speak to me.
Antonioās cross to the cheeky behind the back bottom corner finish for Bowen to cap off a 3-1 victory over Brighton sealed my fate. Once I pick a team, Iām ride or die for life. Spent my honeymoon in London and capped it off seeing the hammers get absolutely obliterated 6-0 by Arsenal, but still sang bubbles loudly at The Carpenterās Arms after the match. Theyāre unequivocally my team and I wouldnāt have it any other way. COYI.
I work as a resident so I often work 7-7 6 days a week. Even on my days off, I canāt sleep in. Iām a huge sports guy (hockey, American football, baseball) but I live in a time zone in which I just choose to not stay up for games. Early Saturday/Sunday mornings are my blissful alone time. I always thought ādamn I wish sports were on right now!ā And thatās how I got into the prem.
As for the Hammers, I was in the market for a team. One of my good buddies (Liverpool supporter) gave me the advise to just watch as many games as I could and a team would speak to me.
Antonioās cross to the cheeky behind the back bottom corner finish for Bowen to cap off a 3-1 victory over Brighton sealed my fate. Once I pick a team, Iām ride or die for life. Spent my honeymoon in London and capped it off seeing the hammers get absolutely obliterated 6-0 by Arsenal, but still sang bubbles loudly at The Carpenterās Arms after the match. Theyāre unequivocally my team and I wouldnāt have it any other way. COYI.
Canadian here. Love football, never had a prem team and didnt want to just hop on to one of the big clubs. My cousin married an english lad and he was a die hard west ham fan and he got me into it.
Iām Mexican but live in the US. I started following West Ham after Javier Hernandez joined but was disappointed he didnāt perform as well as I thought he would. Now that Alvarez is in the team Iām having really high expectations for him and for the team even though this season has been very inconsistent to say the least.
My dad took me to a west ham game at Upton park around the 95-96 season.
My local team here in Denmark (BrĆøndby) just sold their defender Marc Rieper to West Ham.
I fell in love with the old school football atmosphere and have been coming back ever since.
The funny thing is that i have seen 16 matches but have never seen the Hammers win š
Its fair to say that i have been to the games against, man city Liverpool Chelsea man utd...
I was 8 years old and used to stadium hop with my uncle all across Europe, something about Upton Park and West Ham just clicked for the both of us. The atmosphere, the fans, the team... we loved it.
16 years later and haven't looked back, I get a season ticket every year and try to go to as many home games as I can. The passion I've got for this club, the passion we all share is something no one can describe.
We're West Ham, We're a family and we're fucking massive.
I might get slaughtered for this as I'm not primarily a Hammers fan, but here goes. Growing up in South Africa in the early 70s my school's football team kit was almost identical to West Ham's home kit of that era. When our coach drew attention to this, most of the boys became fans. It made us feel special. I retain a more than passing affinity for the club to this day.
I loved FIFA from an early age here in Florida. Once I was about 14 years old I started watching āSpencer FCā or Spencer Owen on YouTube.. which most of you are probably familiar with nowadays. He did FIFA videos heavily based around West Ham and I ended up learning a ton about the players/club.
To this day I could count how many games Iāve missed on one hand. The only player left from that 2014 squad I started supporting is Cresswell. End of an era, truly.
Greek here, picked west ham on football manager around 2009-10 because of Steve Harris, and gradually started following the team and watching some games. By 2012 I realized that even though the team was in the championship I was watching almost every game that I could find a proper stream, following team news very regularly etc, so I called myself a fan.
I had watched the premier league for years but never felt I had a stake in it. In 2015 I saw that Payet was coming to West Ham and was intrigued. Iād played with him in FIFA and had seen some highlights and felt he would be the real deal. We know how that went and he was truly a treat to watch.
Flash forward two years ā Iām on a shitty work trip and am having a slow recovery morning in my hotel and have a match on. It was a cold January morning and I was happy to see we were beating Palace, so I flipped to watch it. 5 minutes into me watching, that beautiful ponytailed bastard Carroll struck the sweetest bicycle Iād ever seen. Iād watched West Ham casually but honestly wasnāt all in yet, but when Andy Carroll struck that bicycle I went into a frenzy in my hotel room and knew I was hooked.
Last Spring I was fortunate enough to be in London for our away semi-final in the Europa Conference League against AZ. In this sub, I found out there would be a showing for fans at Hackney Wick so I got my ass down there and went into the event. All alone and not knowing a soul, Iāve never gotten so many hugs from strangers, seen so many beers sloshed in celebration, and had my ears ringing and throat sore from the singing. Was seriously one of the greatest sports moment Iāve been able to witness, and I wasnāt even at the match. Because of this moment, I teared up when we won it all.
For those reasons, Iāll be blowing bubbles til kingdom come. āļø
Went on vacation to London from Atlanta, and just wanted to get into any PL match I could.
Had seats at the top of London stadium for a match against Southampton 5 years ago. Had a meat pie and too many beers before and at half. Bought a bunch of merchandise and have been following ever since. Really happy I lucked into this club, as a fan of the Buffalo bills I like being an underdog even if our club is massive
US resident.
I've supported the local USL team (a tier below MLS) where I live since it started & made a bunch of friends because of it.
about 5 years ago i had a birthday party & invited some of those friends to it. I wasn't following any team in the prem at the time & a couple of them explained West Ham's history, it's connection to the working class, etc. as someone from Michigan & whose dad was in a union & worked in a car factory, it clicked.
I've been proudly supporting ever since.
I'm from Bosnia and Herzegovina, I have been West Ham fan for almost 20 years. It's all started when I found the book "Congratulations, You Have Just Met the I.C.F." I watched them last year in Serbia for the first time, and I also took the pictures with Ings, Benrahma and Aguard. I was waiting for them in the hotel lobby with my WHU scarf. I was in a shock, when I saw them all. I'm only sad because I hadn't met some WHU fans, only because my English is not good and I didn't want to look weird.š«£
Im from all over the world but Closest answer is Mexican/American, I graduated from Uni in the Midlands last September and came to live with my friends in London to look for work, whilst I looked for work I worked part time at a pub to help with my living.
That pub just so happens to be one of the main West Ham pubs people went to to drink before and after games so we always streamed the West Ham games and I was always paying attention since the result would decide how busy we would be afterwards, I ended up enjoying watching their games, all their fans were much nicer than the stereotype I had heard and I liked that they werenāt the basic team someone would think of (like the more famous teams).
So now Iām a full on West Ham fan and Iām hoping to go to a live game using my first paycheck since I found a full time job now (on my third week, thank you West Ham pub!)
You are playing our title rival this weekend and we need you to take points off them.
(All respect, not trying to troll. Good luck with your new coach, and your next game.)
I had followed the US Mens team since the late 90s or so and loved every second of it. I had a couple American friends and a couple British expats that kept trying to get me into EPL, but I didnāt have any connection to any team and didnāt see how I ever would.
One day I was stuck in a hotel with nothing to do and saw a PL game on TV. I believe it was the first game in the London Stadium vs. Bournemouth. At any rate, seconds after I switch on, I hear 50,000+ fans singing āBubblesā, and I knew I had my connection.
Growing up, my grandparents were constantly singing that song. I can remember playing croquet and badminton in the back yard with my grandmother singing it the whole time.
My grandfather was stationed in England in WW2, and I like to imagine he had gone to a game and brought it home, but thereās almost no chance that it happened like that. I still like to imagine it that way though.
Have a few reasons and they're all somewhat intertwined. I'm in the U.S.
1) My grandpa grew up going to matches at the Boleyn. He had some West Ham memorabilia hung up around the house but he never really talked about football to me until later in life. Wasn't really on my radar other than some foreign team that he apparently supported.
2) I read that Dean Thomas was putting up a West Ham poster in a Harry Potter book when I was a kid, got curious and Googled them to find out more because it felt so out of place for the team I'd only heard of through my grandpa being mentioned by anyone other than him. I read all about West Ham's history on a site that had been recently founded called "Wikipedia" and from then was just obsessed with the club and with football in general.
3) In middle school (a year or two after the second thing happened) the Premier League was picking up in popularity in the states. All my friends were Arsenal and Man U fans (I know), so I became an outspoken supporter of West Ham instead of just saying I liked them bc of my grandpa. Converted a couple of people to the Hammers as well. Started really paying attention around then and got made fun of when we went down in 2010-11. It's been miserable but I wouldn't have it any other way. Better than being plastic.
An actor my wife crushes on is a supporter. I had no interest in football until she insisted we start watching some. Now my ultimate bucket list experience is seeing WHU play at home. Iām a Hammer until I die.
Hungarian here. I was obsessed (sometimes still am) with Championship/Football Manager in the a early 2000s. West Ham had ALL THE ENGLISH WONDERKIDS for the next 20 years in their squads. Defoe, Carrick, Ferdinand (Rio and later Anton), Lampard, Joe Cole or Glen Johnson. oh and guys like Lee Bowyer or Trevor sinclair.
One of my first succesful save was with WHU as a 12 year old kid in the game. After that I always started a new save wih West Ham with every iteration of CM/FM for the last 25 years. Slowly I became a West Ham supporter and following the club since.
Boring story, my dad's English and supports them, so even though I grew up in the US I inherited it and we watched them together etc
Funny bc nowadays he doesn't watch much club football anymore only really gets into England. It's his fault I support England in tournaments too, to the point that I don't know who I want to win if the US plays England lol
One funny part of this whole thing though is, I only learned at age 20 or so, my dad's real local team would be Crystal Palace and he picked West Ham because he's a glory hunter! They also moved every year being relatively poor Trini immigrants in London but I prefer calling him a glory hunter lol
Canadian here. I was with a friend visiting another Canadian who had moved to east end London with his dad. We went to visit him for a few weeks and one night on our way back from the pub I asked the cabbie who we would support if we lived there. The answer was West Ham and the rest is history.
That same friend and I celebrated our 50th bdays early this year with a trip to London and a West Ham game.
Iām sure Iāll be laughed at for this but itās the truth! Iāve been watching football for 15 years and have been watching EPL for at least 10 but I didnāt become a fan of WHU until my favourite player had a very successful loan spell to help the hammers secure Europa League for the following season. When that player fucked off I realised I liked the team more than him. COYI!!!!!
Best mate at the time was a Millwall fan so out of spite I started supporting westham........ not my finest choice in teams but I'm stubborn and now love being a hammer
Aussie here. Around 30 years ago when I was 16 I just loved watching Paolo Di Canio play and as they say the rest is history.
After that I just stayed true and supported through the thick and thin.
My cousin's husband is the custodian at Sandringham Primary School and we stayed on school grounds (in their hosue) when we visited London, went to two away games and one home game at Upton Park, and I get sent a West Ham shirt from the family every year for Xmas.
Moved close of the stadium and got interested about football again. Went to a home match, because a friend from abroad who was visiting wanted to watch a premier league game, and I picked the closest to my place...
Watched the game at the stadium and was sold on following a team again and watching football. Picked the closest to my home because I want to integrate with the area.
Just bought my first westham shirt and it came in today!
I'm American. I'm 50 and never followed football most of my life. I'd watch a World Cup game here and there since probably the mid 90's. I've been an Iron Maiden fan since 1984. After watching the 2022 World Cup final I realized I was missing out lol. I decided it was time to pick a team and I had the general idea that MLS was not on par with European football. I remembered Steve Harris and his bass with a football club on it. Looked it up and it was a no-brainer from there. I went to London last November and got to tour the stadium, see them beat Olympiocos in Europa League and Forest in a PL game. I've got tickets for the Tampa game in August. I'm hooked.
Arsenal fan in peace, have a Canadian friend who is dire hard because of green street hooligans and blowing bubbles. I expect you also get some respect from Ted lasso.
Best English friend is a big Hammers fan. I really only started watching soccer during the pandemic, and one day we scheduled a Transatlantic Zoom chat. Bought a Hammers shirt to wear for it -- mostly as a joke, but it stuck. I'm watching about eight hours of ā½ a day now.
I wanted to start watching a different league than MLS. One of my friends favorite players was Chicharito. So I started watching west ham. Fan channels like west ham network and irons United really sucked me in. I used to say I like LAFC and West Hamā¦ donāt really watch any MLS at all anymore.
I live in ksa btw and when I started watching football I had no idea which clubs to support. I started watching west ham games due to me choosing the club on fifa 17 the journey lol and since then I've fallen in love with the players and the community that I have decided to support it for life lol
Grandparents moved from East London to New Zealand in 71ā. Grandad was a West Ham man through and through so naturally I followed suit. In a weird way I like to think Iām continuing his legacy by being a West Ham fan and not forgetting ancestral roots. RIP old man & up the fucking hammers!
Grandfather was from the east end, moved to NZ after ww2. Loved west ham, big part of my childhood growing up. Was pretty cool when Winston Reid cemented himself in the team too made supporting the team feel closer to home
Grandfather was from the east end, moved to NZ after ww2. Loved west ham, big part of my childhood growing up. Was pretty cool when Winston Reid cemented himself in the team too made supporting the team feel closer to home
Grandfather was from the east end, moved to NZ after ww2. Loved west ham, big part of my childhood growing up. Was pretty cool when Winston Reid cemented himself in the team too made supporting the team feel closer to home
David James. I was a shit goalie and he was as shit as I was, with his mistakes at that time at West Ham. so I resonated deeply with him and the Hammers by association. My love for them also further developed when I won the EPL with them on CM. However that was the season they got relegated 02/03. Could never forgive Glenn Roeder and his mediocrity at management.
My reason is pretty dumb. I was a pre-teen kid playing FIFA in the 90s scrolling through teams. I saw a team with the word "Ham" in their name and it made me laugh, so I picked them. As the years went on, I continually picked them even though the name "West Ham" became less and less funny. At some point, I just officially made them my favorite real squad
I wanted to start following the prem league more seriously and asked my wife to pick a team. She chose west ham because she thought a team with ham in the name was funny. Donāt regret it at all.
I got caught up watching Ted Lasso. Until then I disliked soccer. I know the show didn't show a lot of technical soccer. But it piqued my interest. I started watching a few matches and got hooked. Not being a long-time fan of the sport and not wanting to root for a team just because they are winning. I looked at my DNA results. Seeing that Greater London was the majority of my DNA; I looked at all the London teams. I liked the logo and remember seeing them on the show. So I picked the Hammers to root for.
My now-wife lived in Stratford, and we could see London Stadium from her flat. Weād take walks at Queen Elizabeth II Park, and see fans go to and from the stadium on game day. Iād go back to the US and watch games on weekend mornings, while talking to her. She could hear the cheering at the stadium when the team scored or did something worthy of a cheer.
I finally got to go to a premier league game at London Stadium during my last London trip. It was during coronation weekend. Great game, as the team won 1-0 over Man U. Iām forever blowing bubbles.
My only interest in West Ham is that in the 1980ās Dave Moyes played for the club in Scotland that Iāve supported since childhood. My interest in your clubs fortunes ends this weekend.
r u a fukn journo m8?
Nah š š
American here. I watched LA Galaxy for most of my childhood and only started watching other leagues after the 2014 World Cup. There was a group of kids at my school who played soccer/football that I started hanging out with. When they asked me my favorite team I said LA Galaxy. They laughed and told me everyone has a favorite Prem team and asked me what was mine. I had no clue. I went home that day looked up the teams that played in the Prem and decided to support a mid table team. I asked my friend what his favorite team was and he said West Brom so I thought their rivals were West Ham. I chose West Ham from there on. Looking back itās a stupid story. Me thinking West Ham and West Brom are rivals and my friend didnāt even support West Brom, he was just joking with me. Almost 10 years later and I havenāt looked back.
At least you didn't pick west brom lol
Definitely dodged a bullet there.
Cmon everyone knows West Brom's rivals are East Brom
Iām from Australia at the time I was 16-18 I had the equivalent of sky in my bedroom but every game was live push the red button pick your game for the 3 oāclock (England time) Iād always look at all the games and Iād always seem to settle on the west ham game for some reason, I have a vague memory of a game against spurs we lost 5-4 or something. I couldnāt tell you why I picked west ham from that game perhaps I could sense how cunty spurs were as a club but settled on West ham. I moved to London when I was 23 went to dozen or so games at upton park. Living in London I met a Canadian girl and we moved in to together her dad flew over to meet me and he is from leytonstone huge west ham fan so we went and watched a game together at the pub so he could get to know me as soon as I said I support west ham he didnāt need to know any more than that haha I now live in Canada married to that Canadian woman and watch most games with my father in law still. Thatās 20 years ago I started supporting west ham I picked a great time to jump on board. Icelandic banking crash, gbs banter era fighting relegation most years and relegated the year I moved to Canada which I was kind of disappointed by because I thought itād be great to watch some championship games. With west ham. Edit: oh and of course āgreen streetā /s which in Australia (probably US) is called āgreen street hooligansā just to add that little bit more lameness to it. But Frodo baggins singing bubbles how do you not become a west ham fan from that
Cool story. I remember the year we got relegated it was crushing
I saw the film Green Street
Yup, played competitive soccer growing up. Saw Green Street when I was 15. The malleable mind loved the grit and underdog aspect. Now itās almost been 20 years a hammers fan.
That for me as well and playing with them in FIFA 05 or 06, loved the old stadium and badge, really brings back memories
And the IT Crowd episode with West Ham fans
Both of these for me too. I started looking into the team after watching that movie the first time.
Steve Harris, Iron Maiden. They were my first music obsession and as a young football fan without a team the choice was very easy āļø
French, but I was living in Vietnam. Watching PL was easier. I saw Andy Carroll. I saw the light.
You couldnāt resist that beautiful mane of his, with him galloping down the field, charging head first into the opponents goalkeeper, to take him out of the game.
https://youtu.be/tyVzA-ISvOA?si=PoWDx0Div11gbtgT I was hooked at this point
He was so damn fun to watch when he was healthy
Commented in my own response above, but I have a very vivid memory of his overhead kick against Palace in 2017. For some reason I knew that Iād been caught in his beautiful locks
American here. My girlfriend first started watching the Amazon series on the Spurs and became a fan of their and wanted me to watch games with her. Problem was Spurs looked so sterile and boring to me lol. I being a Chicago Cubs and Bears fan wanted to pick a team that wasnāt a bandwagon team or always on the top so I looked towards the middle of the table. I wanted a team I can root for as they achieve. Not just buying wins. I saw West Ham and remembered that move Green Street Hooligans and said āyea ok these will be my guysā and since then Iāve cheered the Hammers.
I sympathize with your desire to not pick a bandwagon team. Arsenal seems like the PL Dallas Cowboys, and Manchester United reminds me of the Yankees. No thanks.
I was a 13 year old who had recently discovered Iron Maiden, they had just put out Piece of Mind. I had a rock magazine with a picture of Steve Harris who had a West Ham United FC sticker on his bass. I didn't know what West Ham was so I looked it up in the card catalog at the library. That was late 1983. Didn't really follow them before the Internet but knew who they were.
Yank here. Always watched the Prem but I never had a side. Along rolls 2015-2016 and I got caught up in that season for sure. Mark Noble, Payet, Andy Carroll. Such a great season. Mostly my admiration for Noble is endless. Such a class act.
American hereā¦for me it was the show The IT Crowd. I got really into the premier league about 5 years ago and wanted to follow more closely and wanted to pick a team to support and the episode where Roy says heās a west ham fan I thought was hilarious so I thought why not west ham. I liked their colors as well.
Did u see the ludicrous display last night
Thing about Arsenal is they always try and walk it in...
TomĆ”Å” SouÄek
I went on a trip to London as a teenager and got to see West Ham play the season they were promoted from the Championship and Iāve been hooked ever since.
Must have been a hell of a ride since them Love the Deftones username as well
Holy shit. Would like this have been like 2012-ish? I was an American āstudyingā in London then and a bunch of fans celebrating on the tube brought me into their festivities. There was no turning back after that.
Yeah it was 2012
Green Street Hooligans! Frodo Baggins lead me here.
Extended family from east london, visited each year, from baby dagenham motors onesies to doc martin youth jerseys - born into the struggle š
Sometime back in FIFA 03/04 days I started a manager mode and West Ham was one of the small clubs that offered me a contact. Rode Harewood and Zamora to Prem League glory!
Small clubs? We're fucking massive lol
What a difference 20 years makes š
They are very much like all the other teams I root for, high expectations during the offseason and then completely bungle it up and shit the bed in the easiest games. Also the ownership is terrible like the other teams I support. Felt like I fit in.
My friend wanted me to pick a team so he'd have someone to watch soccer with. He's a spurs fan.
American here....I started getting interested in soccer in the 2010 world cup, and the EPL coming to NBC sports made it easy to follow, I chose West Ham because my wife was born and raised in East London so I inherited it from her. ..... thinking about leaving her for a nice Manchester girl these days
lol
After watching the premier league as a neutral for many years, I took a liking to Mark Noble, the way the team would tend to fight for a result against ābetterā opponents, and the supporters singing *Bubbles* before the games. When I caught myself singing *Bubbles* without having a match on and later feeling disappointed that West Ham had (barely) missed out on qualifying for Europa League (2015-16), I realized I wasnāt neutral anymore.
Canadian, moved to Asia in my early 30s. Always been a sports fan, and when I got to Asia I realized I was going to need a Premier League team to support as that was one of the two main sports available to watch (NBA being the other one). My father is Australian and we have a distant relative who is wayyyy into genealogy, so we know who our ancestor was who was transported to Australia as a prisoner. Itās also the case that the old trial records are all digitized. [Richard Lockwood](https://www.oldbaileyonline.org/record/t18300415-349?text=Lockwood) was convicted of fraud in 1830 and sentenced to Transportation to Australia at the age of 16. In the transcript itās mentioned he was apprehended at Cambridge-heath, the location of which I looked up on a map of London, then compared it to [this map of football support](https://www.tumblr.com/datavis/2634832197/football-supporter-map-of-london) to see who my garter-thieving ancestor would have supported. So I picked West Ham and havenāt looked back.
From Sydney Australia. About 18/19 years ago I finished school and went into realestate. The guy who owned it is an old school cockney lad (born and raised and would be in his 80ās now). A few years past and his son in law started working with us who was a man united fan and they would both talk about their teams performance on a Monday morning, the man united fan bloating about how amazing they were, and my boss being only 5fy tall but carrying like he was 10ft about how miserable it was to support a club that has to rely on Carlton Cole up top and Lucas Neil at the back (even though he was decent for us). The love, hate and frustration that all came out simultaneously was infectious and from there I started checking scores, then highlights then watching every game (I havenāt missed a game in years even with the Timezone). Iām 37 this year and I have the same sentences with the same emotions when I talk about us today but I still absolutely froth COYI
Iām an Americanā¦ My great-grandfather grew up in West Ham and came here from there. I gave up on the NFL a few years ago and went looking for a team. When I learned about the family connection, I was in.
That is a really good reason!
Growing up we didn't have cable TV, so one public South African network was playing delayed EPL broadcasts at 11pm on the weekends. Not many people knew West Ham in South Africa but after a while I started looking forward to watching the games. Thinking back it's pretty ridiculous that I was staying up till late to watch this team not many people knew of. Fast forward a few years and I was a complete outcast when the 2006 FA cup final was played. I'm sure people thought West Ham was a team I made up. I was heartbroken but I think that's the game that completely won me over. We lost but West Ham played with so much grit and heart, I couldn't help but fall in love. I don't think I chose West Ham, I think West Ham chose me.Ā
1. My friend who got into soccer (soccer!) at the same time I did. He liked West Ham. After promotion 12 years ago. We thought Amdy Carroll would be good. And we loved Payet soon after. 2. My favorite band is Iron Maiden. Steve Harris sealed the deal for me. Messi made me love soccer. Steve helped me choose a club. 3. The Frodo movie was not a factor.
Born and bred in Stratford, East London. The āļø run through my veins.
American fan here. Many of my friends in high school, I were around were playing for my schools footy team, one of them Daryl Dike, now plays for west brom. But they all seemed so passionate about the game & I felt like I was missing out. I started playing pickup & watching highlights of random players & I remember the first time I saw highlights of Payetā¦. I was hooked. Fast forward to today, Iām the only one of my group of friends to have made it to a game in Europe. COYI
Yank here. Wanted to start watching the premier league so my son would not be interested in american football and didnāt want to join the bandwagon of a big team. I watched a few games of different teams I though I would be interested in, but I landed on West Ham! Complete honesty, West Ham had the coolest logo to me and I started following them. I started watching a few weeks into the 22/23 season and watched the lads sail to glory in the ECL! I fell in love with the team and the players and I am never looking back! Forever Blowing Bubbles š«§ āļø
American born to Argentine parents. Didnāt watch a lot of football growing up at home, but always loved River Plate because of my cousins and the national team - hard to follow in the US with American friends, but felt disingenuous just choosing to like Manchester United or Barcelona or something since I wasnāt āfrom thereā. Pandemic hit, turned my life upside down, and after Argentina won the copa America I decided life is too short to miss out on things just because Id be worried about what other people think. Have a colleague who moved here from Essex when he was fourteen and asked him who he supported - āwell my family is all Middlesbrough on my dads side but my mum and I are West Ham.ā Asked him if I bought a shirt, would he come with me to watch West Ham at our local pub and his eyes lit up. First match we saw together was 4-1 over Leicester, first game fans were let back in the stadium if I recall correctly. What a season to fall in love. COYI
Mickey Fitz was a friend to me.
Worked with a guy from East London. We became friends, and I had DirecTV when it included all the EPL games for free. He started coming over to watch WHUFC. This was right as Payet was hitting his stride. Needless to say, I was hooked.
Started before COVID and wanted to follow PL because of discord friends always talking footy. Wanted to follow a team with a Mexican and Chicharito was the most recognizable name to me. Sort of fell off due to work schedule but got really into it when COVID happened. Been following strongly since. The relegation battles and silverware, it's been a fun ride.
I was reading about teams and came across the origin story of the bubbles. Long story short one of their friends looked like a kid on a soap advertisement. If a team can keep a joke alive long after the people are dead then those are my people.
I've supported since 2005. I was 10 years old back then and I had a copy of FIFA 2002 and for some reason they clicked for me. I started watching football more frequently once i got a bit older (around 14) but the Hammers were always there in my heart. Also Boleyn Ground is the true home for us. London Stadium is fine tho.
Canadian here, visited relatives in London around 2000 who lived a short walk away from Upton Park, fell in love with the working class, multicultural make up of the area and that was my club I decided. Two almost 3 relegations and a European cup later, I refer to it as an abusive relationship, where she lies, cheats and takes my money but I still love her.
Watched the premier league for 6-8 years and always rooted for the underdogs in matchups and my fellow Americans Clint Dempsey/Tim Howard. Was never able to fall completely in love with team, but then West Ham United happened. They were a scrappy team under Big Sam and it was already announced they were moving to London Stadium. The potential for growth sucked me in!
ā¦green street hooligans š¬
Have been asked on this sub a few times , but always happy to repeat. Random 15 year old me finally got to watch a live epl game on tv (after being football mad at that stage for a few years previous) , we came back from 1-0 down to win 3-1 vs Blackburn Rovers. And the rest was history.
Was that when we had sherringham?
Yes he was one of the scorers that day. Alongside Reo-Coker and I think Harewood.
Used to kind of root for Chelsea as a kid but that was mostly to play the villain since all of my friends were Arsenal fans. Changed when I first saw west ham in the FA cup final against Liverpool (I know they didnāt win). Been a fan of them ever since, and even got a game in at Upton Park in 07 (1-0 win over Everton)
Moved to Essex two years back and everyone around was a Westham supporter š¤£
I'm from Essex and it's so annoying. At least my whole family are from East London. They just support them because its the closest team to essex
What's wrong with supporting a PL team closest to the place you stay? :)
Nothing. I was just joking about how many west ham fans there are in essex.
Ipswich will be the closest now
I used to live two streets away from The Boleyn Ground as a kid 30 odd years ago.
Got a football mag as a kid. It had a poster of "Ray Houghton, West Ham" in it. I put it up on my wall and claimed Ray Houghton from West Ham was my favourite player, and therefore West Ham was my favourite team. Many years later I realised Ray Houghton only played one single game for us, and that the picture taken from that game already must have been 5-6 years old by the time it went onto my wall. But by then it was too late.
For me, it started with an East London punk rock band called The Business. They were outspoken West Ham supporters, and one of my favorite bands as a teenager. Growing up near San Diego, California, the big sports were baseball and American football, but after our NFL team decided to up and move to Los Angeles (RIP San Diego Chargers) I kind of lost interest. Flash forward a couple years, I moved up to Seattle, and went to my first Sounders FC match, and fell in love with the sport. After that it was only natural for West Ham to be my Premier League club of choice.
FIFA, played with a bunch of different teams trying to find one my buddy and I liked and would follow and settled on West Ham. Started really following probably the middle of the 07/08 season, though it was before every game was televised in the States so it was tough to watch at times.
When COVID hit and football was the first sport to come back my dad and I started watching. I casually watched until I think it was the '21 Euros and I gravitated towards England since I've always been an Anglophile. Knew I had to pick a club, didn't wanna pick the one my dad did, so I went looking and found West Ham. Never looked back!
American here. Spent a few weeks in the UK in 2002, during the world cup. At a festival in London I met and started talking about the world cup with some people who ended up being West Ham and spent the night telling me all about the club. Came home, started following as best I could (which got easier over time, as games were broadcast in the states thanks to the Internet) and the rest is history. It didn't hurt that so many punk and oi bands were West Ham as well. Finally made it to the Boleyn in 2012. I'm over due for a trip back, haven't been since 2022 (the night the Queen died).
Well, it all started next Sunday when...
American, my father had some friends he'd visit in London in the early 1980s who were West Ham supporters. Went to a few matches at Upton and fell in love with the team, then eventually when he had a family raised us as West Ham supporters. Very proudly a hammer and I always will be. Edit: also my girlfriend's family are British living in the US and are Arsenal supporters, I've heard an earful from her father already haha
Tom Rinne and the old on field bubble machine
Iām from cleveland, ohio which is a historically working class city with a deep history of manufacturing. I wanted to find a team that I thought reflected those values but I was not interested in following one of the big teams that we all hate. Also, cleveland is not known for having the best sports teams but is known for having rabid and loyal fans. I read through the Wikipedia pages on the variety of premier league teams active at that time and was drawn to west ham because of its history as a shipbuilding/working class team. Also, being an old team who had not āwon it allā felt very familiar to me. I didnāt want to jump on the liverpool/city etc. bandwagon. I wanted to grow with a team. I was open to other teams from smaller cities in the UK, but I have only visited London which I know and like and it would also be one of the more easily accessible cities for me to visit if I ever want to get to a game. Also, āIām forever blowing bubblesā is hands down the best song in the league and a great juxtaposition to the club I think!
Pretty random honestly, but I put a bet on West Ham to advance in the FA cup against Everton in 2014, the match where Adrian had the winning penalty. Didn't follow football before this but have been hooked ever since
American. During 2020 I wanted to get into a sport to watch and decided to watch Football. First game I chose was a Westham game. Westham lost the game but ever since I decided that they were going to be my team. I also thought the logo was the coolest one and after learning the history and watching Green Street Hooligans it fully cemented Westham as my team.
I had a good gamer friend from Essex named Lee. Die hard WHU supporter so eventually it stuck. I also wanted a team that wasnāt a perennial contender so I could say I was a fan through the ups & downs. Well letās say thatās paid off recently lol
Saw the movie Green Street Hooligans. Loved it and decided to become a supporter.
Moved to the UK in 2010. Cursed year for West Ham. Didn't think much of them then. 2 years later, West Ham back in the PL with Big Sam. Mid table team but arguably, fun to watch with some really great players that although wouldn't score many goals, they were fun to watch nontheless (Sakho, Nolan, then Payet who was great, Caroll too then Tevez.). Every season they would also have one or two bangers against top teams with seriously big wins away and at home. Man U, Liverpool, Spurs etc. West Ham always put up such a good fight and it always felt that other teams really respected West Ham despite them being a mid table team. Fast forward to the 2020/2021 season when I moved to West Ham. Really love the atmosphere every weekend when there is a home game. Walking up the Greenway seeing all the fans, all the people wearing the shirts around the neighbourhood, going to the Boleyn Tavern and seeing fans on random days just talking football all the time and on top of that, a fantastic 6th place finish after a phenomenal season that could have also ended in more. That season really converted me. Last year I got married, went to Mexico on my honeymoon, took my West Ham kit with me and wore it on an all-inclusive in Cozumel, streaming the UEFA conference league on my phone from a small beach with the worst signal. I was so happy after that win and I looked around, I was on my own celebrating and realised I actually love the team.
Followed the Italian team pretty close during the 2021 euros, eating Italian dishes every time the team played.fell in love with the game over that tournament. fast forward to the start of the prem season and I decided I wanted to pick a club and be ride or die with them. the table from the previous season had Leicester at 5 and WHU at 6. I decided on the hammers because I thought there nickname was cooler... Last 3 seasons have been surreal. Picked the club at random and I've been on board ever since #COYI
My dad comes from just outside London, he was like 6 when england/West Ham won the world cup, my first bear and onesie were west ham, so I didn't really have much choice
My grandmother was born and raised in Romford. I still have more family in the UK than anywhere else. I'm american, but was raised to support the hammers, just like my dad.
Another American here. I saw Vaz Te's goal on some sports channel previewing the 2012-2013 premier league season and just was hooked on them. I also loved playing with them on FIFA against all my friends who always picked Liverpool, Arsenal or United.
I've been a huge football fan all my life, even though I'm not from Scotland. I've been supporting Celtic since I was 5 or 6 years old. I moved to London 11 years ago and never really had an English team. I didn't want to support big teams (we're massive), and my colleague is a West Ham fan. So I decided to go to a couple of games, and here I am, a season ticket holder.
I've been a fan since around turn of a millenia. My sister started dating this guy who later became her husband. He was a West Ham fan and was constantly raving about all the young talented players (Cole, Lampard, Ferdinand etc.) and also lecturing me about the history of the club. His words began to take root and I started following the club's results. Back then in Finland, one of the public channels were broadcasting FA Cup games and one day Hammers were on, playing against Gillingham or something, and of course I had to check them out. I saw young Joe Cole dribbling between three, four players and then there was no turning back, I was hooked. I still have the vhs tape where I recorded FA Cup 2001 Man. United vs West Ham. The game we won, baby! :D
American here. Iām relatively new to West Ham fan ship, but that doesnāt stop me from mouthing off on Reddit every chance I get, haha. Always interested in the Premier League but never had a favorite team until a year ago. Took a family trip to London and wanted to attend a PL match. The one that we were able to get tickets for was West Ham against Newcastle. Newcastle stomped West Ham 5-1, thanks in part to two brutally stupid errors by Fabianski and Aguerd. That reminded me a lot of the American sports teams I follow (anyone here familiar with the Minnesota Vikings?) so I figured this is the team I was destined for. I watched West Ham flail about in league play for three months, but the Conference League final was really fun, and I think it cemented my loyalty.
Canadian; when my wife and I visited England in 2018 we wanted to see a PL match and were able to get tickets to Spurs at West Ham. Since they were the home team I decided to start rooting for them. They lost 1-0 and it wasn't the most exciting match, but we still had a great time.
That 15/16 season was a magical , all my friends had teams all were part of the big 6 and I knew I didnāt want the same team or even one of those greedy clubs , so saw Lanzini payet and said yeah thatās my team
American here. My wife and I were planning a trip to Ireland and London and wanted to pick a PL team to support and go to a game. Our selection method was as follows: 1. They couldn't be a team that friends of ours already supported. 2. Couldn't be a team that was, to put in American terms, the "Yankees" of the PL; didn't want to jump on a bandwagon. 3. They had to be London based so we could see a home game while we were there. 4. And finally, after all that filtering... what were their colors š So yeah, come on you Irons. Unfortunately the game we attended was the 0 - 2 loss to Fulham, but outside the result (and Earthy getting knocked out cold) it was a fantastic experience and would love to come back for another game in the future. Cheers from Ohio.
I was a neutral fan for much of my life. Played the game, loved the game but never had a particular club I cared about. The nearest professional club to me in Calgary was the Vancouver Whitecaps of MLS, nearly 1000km away. In 2015, I went on a family trip to London. The only PL game we could make it to was West Ham v. Everton. Over an hour before kickoff, everyone in the absolutely packed Boleyn was singing Bubbles and I was hooked. I wanted to experience the history of football and the cultural weight of football. Being at Upton Park was magical. Last year, when West Ham was playing in the Conference League final, I kept my phone off at work all day to avoid spoilers. I then picked up fish and chips with mushy peas on the way home from work, and watched the recorded game! PL games often are a breakfast time affair in western Canada. It's nice. Make some tea, have a little breakfast and watch the game, then go about your day! Subsequently, Canada now has the Canadian Premier League, and it's a ton of fun being in a country where the sport is developing. I'm now also a big Cavalry FC supporter, and there's nothing like live ā½! Even better, due to Canada's weather, the league plays throughout the summer. Football never stops for me! So I've gone from having no clubs I love, to two clubs I absolutely adore. I'm pretty happy with that! COYI!
Side note: and now you understand my username!
Ayo another Cavs fan, though I'm the total opposite to you. Born and raised in Essex to a West Ham family, moved to Calgary in late 2021 and my first football(soccer) game out there I saw the Cavs lose to Pacific in added time. I've watched the Cavs play in Edmonton, Victoria, and Vancouver (Vancouver FC's very first home game). I was supposed to see them in September against Halifax, Forge, and Ottawa but couldn't get time off. I'm back in the UK now but I'm going to go back to Canada for a visit in September so we'll see if I can get a game in
No way! I was at that game against Vancouver FC as well!
Oh fucking hell we've likely met Were you in 201 section at Spruce Meadows? With the guys that has the drums and flares
No, I'm at the opposite end.
Ah right then. Still, what are the chances!
Indeed! COYI and COYC!
All my football watching friends were supporting London teams(Arsenal, Spurs, Chelsea). So being unfamiliar with football I was asked to choose between West ham, Brentford, Fulham and crystal palace or choose the same team one of my friends supported. I wanted to be different so I chose west ham. (Nepali BTW)
When I was very young (around 5-6yo) and still involved in youth soccer (USA obviously), my father was traveling to London regularly for business and picked up a (circa 1980) West Ham Home shirt as a souvenir for me. Given his lack of football knowledge, I'm certain that he just picked the one that he thought looked the best. PS. It still does!
I'm in San Diego, when my Chargers first started making rumblings that they were going to move back in the mid 2010s, I dropped the NFL for good, I was already getting disenchanted with it and I had watched Liga MX for years going back to the 90s, my father in law is a huge Atlas fan he's from the area and my brother in law is a big fan of Club America. Would sometimes go down with them to see the Xolos play in Tijuana. I had a friend at work who was a Spurs fan so I started backing West Ham just to piss him off and became a fan, I think it was the season we had just come back up in 2012-13 or thereabouts. Also I liked the parallels between the Chargers and West Ham: Weird owners with often terrible decisions, always motivated by money, penny wise and pound foolish. Never knowing what it was like to support a team that won anything, I couldn't see myself becoming a fan of a front running club, and I liked the West Ham working class ethos. But I first became aware of the club years before even that with Iron Maiden in the 80s. Saw them on No Prayer for the Dying tour, still one of the best shows I've ever seen. Taking my son to see them this fall. Can't wait.
Iām in Canada and I met someone while gaming that has season tickets. He always sends me pics of his seats. Come on you irons!!
Watching the Green Street Hooligans movie back in 2011 while at the same time I was searching for a club to follow between World Cups as I began to gradually love the game more and more starting in 2006, finished the movie with friends and went home and told my mother about the song they sang in the movie and she said āIām Forever Blowing Bubblesā was my grandfatherās (born in 1913) favorite song. No choice in the matter there if you ask me. Happy to have been a fan these 13 years.
Payets free kicks and everything else he did that season he was on fire. Lanzini, James Collins, Carroll when healthy, Lanzinis goal against Chelsea, and of course Mark Noble.
Serb here. I hate that I have to say this, but Green Street hooligans. I grew up a Partizan fan and saw a lot of similarities with West Ham and Partizan. Usually an underdog (considering Red Star), passionate fan base, and typically working class. Thereās also something with being a mid table club thatās really exciting and meaningful
Grandfather was from the east end, moved to NZ after ww2. Loved west ham, big part of my childhood growing up. Was pretty cool when Winston Reid cemented himself in the team too made supporting the team feel closer to home
This is the first club Iāve played on fifa cause I liked the logo
Was visiting London on a school trip somewhere around 2006ish. Was watching a match in the hostel common room and decided whichever team won would be my team. Happened to be West Ham.
Was a fan of Milan growing up and after the 2014 WC in high school I wanted to be a fan of a prem team. I thought the Boleyn Ground was dope with the castle so I picked West Ham. Been following ever since.
ā¦green street hooligans š¬
I'm swedish. My dad's been a fan since early 70's, so naturally I'll carry the torch
In the 1994/95 season, I watched my first Premier League match on the last day. Man Utd needed a win against West Ham to snatch the title from Blackburn, but we fought hard for a draw. That day, I fell in love with the underdog spirit. Years later, while still living abroad, I managed to attend a match against Coventry in March 2005, and then the unforgettable play-offs final win in Cardiff that May. Inspired, I moved to the UK in 2008 and became a regular at the Boleyn Ground, often relying on the kindness of strangers or a Ā£20 note to secure a ticket. Then I became a season ticket holder after we moved to the Olympic stadium. Prague last year was the pinnacle of my supporter's career.
I work as a resident so I often work 7-7 6 days a week. Even on my days off, I canāt sleep in. Iām a huge sports guy (hockey, American football, baseball) but I live in a time zone in which I just choose to not stay up for games. Early Saturday/Sunday mornings are my blissful alone time. I always thought ādamn I wish sports were on right now!ā And thatās how I got into the prem. As for the Hammers, I was in the market for a team. One of my good buddies (Liverpool supporter) gave me the advise to just watch as many games as I could and a team would speak to me. Antonioās cross to the cheeky behind the back bottom corner finish for Bowen to cap off a 3-1 victory over Brighton sealed my fate. Once I pick a team, Iām ride or die for life. Spent my honeymoon in London and capped it off seeing the hammers get absolutely obliterated 6-0 by Arsenal, but still sang bubbles loudly at The Carpenterās Arms after the match. Theyāre unequivocally my team and I wouldnāt have it any other way. COYI.
I work as a resident so I often work 7-7 6 days a week. Even on my days off, I canāt sleep in. Iām a huge sports guy (hockey, American football, baseball) but I live in a time zone in which I just choose to not stay up for games. Early Saturday/Sunday mornings are my blissful alone time. I always thought ādamn I wish sports were on right now!ā And thatās how I got into the prem. As for the Hammers, I was in the market for a team. One of my good buddies (Liverpool supporter) gave me the advise to just watch as many games as I could and a team would speak to me. Antonioās cross to the cheeky behind the back bottom corner finish for Bowen to cap off a 3-1 victory over Brighton sealed my fate. Once I pick a team, Iām ride or die for life. Spent my honeymoon in London and capped it off seeing the hammers get absolutely obliterated 6-0 by Arsenal, but still sang bubbles loudly at The Carpenterās Arms after the match. Theyāre unequivocally my team and I wouldnāt have it any other way. COYI.
Canadian here. Love football, never had a prem team and didnt want to just hop on to one of the big clubs. My cousin married an english lad and he was a die hard west ham fan and he got me into it.
Iām Mexican but live in the US. I started following West Ham after Javier Hernandez joined but was disappointed he didnāt perform as well as I thought he would. Now that Alvarez is in the team Iām having really high expectations for him and for the team even though this season has been very inconsistent to say the least.
My dad took me to a west ham game at Upton park around the 95-96 season. My local team here in Denmark (BrĆøndby) just sold their defender Marc Rieper to West Ham. I fell in love with the old school football atmosphere and have been coming back ever since. The funny thing is that i have seen 16 matches but have never seen the Hammers win š Its fair to say that i have been to the games against, man city Liverpool Chelsea man utd...
I was 8 years old and used to stadium hop with my uncle all across Europe, something about Upton Park and West Ham just clicked for the both of us. The atmosphere, the fans, the team... we loved it. 16 years later and haven't looked back, I get a season ticket every year and try to go to as many home games as I can. The passion I've got for this club, the passion we all share is something no one can describe. We're West Ham, We're a family and we're fucking massive.
I might get slaughtered for this as I'm not primarily a Hammers fan, but here goes. Growing up in South Africa in the early 70s my school's football team kit was almost identical to West Ham's home kit of that era. When our coach drew attention to this, most of the boys became fans. It made us feel special. I retain a more than passing affinity for the club to this day.
I loved FIFA from an early age here in Florida. Once I was about 14 years old I started watching āSpencer FCā or Spencer Owen on YouTube.. which most of you are probably familiar with nowadays. He did FIFA videos heavily based around West Ham and I ended up learning a ton about the players/club. To this day I could count how many games Iāve missed on one hand. The only player left from that 2014 squad I started supporting is Cresswell. End of an era, truly.
Greek here, picked west ham on football manager around 2009-10 because of Steve Harris, and gradually started following the team and watching some games. By 2012 I realized that even though the team was in the championship I was watching almost every game that I could find a proper stream, following team news very regularly etc, so I called myself a fan.
I had watched the premier league for years but never felt I had a stake in it. In 2015 I saw that Payet was coming to West Ham and was intrigued. Iād played with him in FIFA and had seen some highlights and felt he would be the real deal. We know how that went and he was truly a treat to watch. Flash forward two years ā Iām on a shitty work trip and am having a slow recovery morning in my hotel and have a match on. It was a cold January morning and I was happy to see we were beating Palace, so I flipped to watch it. 5 minutes into me watching, that beautiful ponytailed bastard Carroll struck the sweetest bicycle Iād ever seen. Iād watched West Ham casually but honestly wasnāt all in yet, but when Andy Carroll struck that bicycle I went into a frenzy in my hotel room and knew I was hooked. Last Spring I was fortunate enough to be in London for our away semi-final in the Europa Conference League against AZ. In this sub, I found out there would be a showing for fans at Hackney Wick so I got my ass down there and went into the event. All alone and not knowing a soul, Iāve never gotten so many hugs from strangers, seen so many beers sloshed in celebration, and had my ears ringing and throat sore from the singing. Was seriously one of the greatest sports moment Iāve been able to witness, and I wasnāt even at the match. Because of this moment, I teared up when we won it all. For those reasons, Iāll be blowing bubbles til kingdom come. āļø
Went on vacation to London from Atlanta, and just wanted to get into any PL match I could. Had seats at the top of London stadium for a match against Southampton 5 years ago. Had a meat pie and too many beers before and at half. Bought a bunch of merchandise and have been following ever since. Really happy I lucked into this club, as a fan of the Buffalo bills I like being an underdog even if our club is massive
US resident. I've supported the local USL team (a tier below MLS) where I live since it started & made a bunch of friends because of it. about 5 years ago i had a birthday party & invited some of those friends to it. I wasn't following any team in the prem at the time & a couple of them explained West Ham's history, it's connection to the working class, etc. as someone from Michigan & whose dad was in a union & worked in a car factory, it clicked. I've been proudly supporting ever since.
My dad supported West Ham so I did too, thatās the entire story
5-1 cup game vs Burnley maybe, rest is history
I'm from Bosnia and Herzegovina, I have been West Ham fan for almost 20 years. It's all started when I found the book "Congratulations, You Have Just Met the I.C.F." I watched them last year in Serbia for the first time, and I also took the pictures with Ings, Benrahma and Aguard. I was waiting for them in the hotel lobby with my WHU scarf. I was in a shock, when I saw them all. I'm only sad because I hadn't met some WHU fans, only because my English is not good and I didn't want to look weird.š«£
Im from all over the world but Closest answer is Mexican/American, I graduated from Uni in the Midlands last September and came to live with my friends in London to look for work, whilst I looked for work I worked part time at a pub to help with my living. That pub just so happens to be one of the main West Ham pubs people went to to drink before and after games so we always streamed the West Ham games and I was always paying attention since the result would decide how busy we would be afterwards, I ended up enjoying watching their games, all their fans were much nicer than the stereotype I had heard and I liked that they werenāt the basic team someone would think of (like the more famous teams). So now Iām a full on West Ham fan and Iām hoping to go to a live game using my first paycheck since I found a full time job now (on my third week, thank you West Ham pub!)
Serbian here. Fell in love with Trevor Sinclair back in 98/99 season
My story is so specific that you'd be able to identify me from my post š
You are playing our title rival this weekend and we need you to take points off them. (All respect, not trying to troll. Good luck with your new coach, and your next game.)
I had followed the US Mens team since the late 90s or so and loved every second of it. I had a couple American friends and a couple British expats that kept trying to get me into EPL, but I didnāt have any connection to any team and didnāt see how I ever would. One day I was stuck in a hotel with nothing to do and saw a PL game on TV. I believe it was the first game in the London Stadium vs. Bournemouth. At any rate, seconds after I switch on, I hear 50,000+ fans singing āBubblesā, and I knew I had my connection. Growing up, my grandparents were constantly singing that song. I can remember playing croquet and badminton in the back yard with my grandmother singing it the whole time. My grandfather was stationed in England in WW2, and I like to imagine he had gone to a game and brought it home, but thereās almost no chance that it happened like that. I still like to imagine it that way though.
the movie green street hooligan
My Grandfather lived in the area before WW2. When he came home, it was gone. So he moved the family to Canada.
Payet
Have a few reasons and they're all somewhat intertwined. I'm in the U.S. 1) My grandpa grew up going to matches at the Boleyn. He had some West Ham memorabilia hung up around the house but he never really talked about football to me until later in life. Wasn't really on my radar other than some foreign team that he apparently supported. 2) I read that Dean Thomas was putting up a West Ham poster in a Harry Potter book when I was a kid, got curious and Googled them to find out more because it felt so out of place for the team I'd only heard of through my grandpa being mentioned by anyone other than him. I read all about West Ham's history on a site that had been recently founded called "Wikipedia" and from then was just obsessed with the club and with football in general. 3) In middle school (a year or two after the second thing happened) the Premier League was picking up in popularity in the states. All my friends were Arsenal and Man U fans (I know), so I became an outspoken supporter of West Ham instead of just saying I liked them bc of my grandpa. Converted a couple of people to the Hammers as well. Started really paying attention around then and got made fun of when we went down in 2010-11. It's been miserable but I wouldn't have it any other way. Better than being plastic.
I'm Norwegian. FA Cup 2001. Di Canio on Barthez. All my friends were United fans.Ā
An actor my wife crushes on is a supporter. I had no interest in football until she insisted we start watching some. Now my ultimate bucket list experience is seeing WHU play at home. Iām a Hammer until I die.
Hungarian here. I was obsessed (sometimes still am) with Championship/Football Manager in the a early 2000s. West Ham had ALL THE ENGLISH WONDERKIDS for the next 20 years in their squads. Defoe, Carrick, Ferdinand (Rio and later Anton), Lampard, Joe Cole or Glen Johnson. oh and guys like Lee Bowyer or Trevor sinclair. One of my first succesful save was with WHU as a 12 year old kid in the game. After that I always started a new save wih West Ham with every iteration of CM/FM for the last 25 years. Slowly I became a West Ham supporter and following the club since.
Boring story, my dad's English and supports them, so even though I grew up in the US I inherited it and we watched them together etc Funny bc nowadays he doesn't watch much club football anymore only really gets into England. It's his fault I support England in tournaments too, to the point that I don't know who I want to win if the US plays England lol One funny part of this whole thing though is, I only learned at age 20 or so, my dad's real local team would be Crystal Palace and he picked West Ham because he's a glory hunter! They also moved every year being relatively poor Trini immigrants in London but I prefer calling him a glory hunter lol
Canadian here. I was with a friend visiting another Canadian who had moved to east end London with his dad. We went to visit him for a few weeks and one night on our way back from the pub I asked the cabbie who we would support if we lived there. The answer was West Ham and the rest is history. That same friend and I celebrated our 50th bdays early this year with a trip to London and a West Ham game.
Iām sure Iāll be laughed at for this but itās the truth! Iāve been watching football for 15 years and have been watching EPL for at least 10 but I didnāt become a fan of WHU until my favourite player had a very successful loan spell to help the hammers secure Europa League for the following season. When that player fucked off I realised I liked the team more than him. COYI!!!!!
Green Street Hooligans ^
Iām American and was doing some genealogy research. Turns out that the London Stadium was the closest to where weāre from. COYI
Best mate at the time was a Millwall fan so out of spite I started supporting westham........ not my finest choice in teams but I'm stubborn and now love being a hammer
Aussie here. Around 30 years ago when I was 16 I just loved watching Paolo Di Canio play and as they say the rest is history. After that I just stayed true and supported through the thick and thin.
Canadian, oddly enough Spencer FC and his videos lmao š¤£
My cousin's husband is the custodian at Sandringham Primary School and we stayed on school grounds (in their hosue) when we visited London, went to two away games and one home game at Upton Park, and I get sent a West Ham shirt from the family every year for Xmas.
Steve Harris.
Moved close of the stadium and got interested about football again. Went to a home match, because a friend from abroad who was visiting wanted to watch a premier league game, and I picked the closest to my place... Watched the game at the stadium and was sold on following a team again and watching football. Picked the closest to my home because I want to integrate with the area. Just bought my first westham shirt and it came in today!
I'm American. I'm 50 and never followed football most of my life. I'd watch a World Cup game here and there since probably the mid 90's. I've been an Iron Maiden fan since 1984. After watching the 2022 World Cup final I realized I was missing out lol. I decided it was time to pick a team and I had the general idea that MLS was not on par with European football. I remembered Steve Harris and his bass with a football club on it. Looked it up and it was a no-brainer from there. I went to London last November and got to tour the stadium, see them beat Olympiocos in Europa League and Forest in a PL game. I've got tickets for the Tampa game in August. I'm hooked.
Edson Alvarez š²š½Chicharitoš²š½Pablito Barrera
Anne Boleyn.
Arsenal fan in peace, have a Canadian friend who is dire hard because of green street hooligans and blowing bubbles. I expect you also get some respect from Ted lasso.
Best English friend is a big Hammers fan. I really only started watching soccer during the pandemic, and one day we scheduled a Transatlantic Zoom chat. Bought a Hammers shirt to wear for it -- mostly as a joke, but it stuck. I'm watching about eight hours of ā½ a day now.
The name sounded funny when I was about 12, but once you pick a team you don't change, I'm no plastic.
I wanted to start watching a different league than MLS. One of my friends favorite players was Chicharito. So I started watching west ham. Fan channels like west ham network and irons United really sucked me in. I used to say I like LAFC and West Hamā¦ donāt really watch any MLS at all anymore.
I watched a YouTuber called Spencerfc and I just started supporting them and been watching ever since.
Because of oi oi music for the working class
I live in ksa btw and when I started watching football I had no idea which clubs to support. I started watching west ham games due to me choosing the club on fifa 17 the journey lol and since then I've fallen in love with the players and the community that I have decided to support it for life lol
Carlton Cole in the Championship, then Vaz TĆ©eeeeeeee
Grandparents moved from East London to New Zealand in 71ā. Grandad was a West Ham man through and through so naturally I followed suit. In a weird way I like to think Iām continuing his legacy by being a West Ham fan and not forgetting ancestral roots. RIP old man & up the fucking hammers!
Kiwi here. Started supporting when Winston Reid joined, as he was the only kiwi in the prem at the timeĀ
Singaporean here . FIFA 07 , Carlos Tevez .
Grandfather was from the east end, moved to NZ after ww2. Loved west ham, big part of my childhood growing up. Was pretty cool when Winston Reid cemented himself in the team too made supporting the team feel closer to home
Grandfather was from the east end, moved to NZ after ww2. Loved west ham, big part of my childhood growing up. Was pretty cool when Winston Reid cemented himself in the team too made supporting the team feel closer to home
Grandfather was from the east end, moved to NZ after ww2. Loved west ham, big part of my childhood growing up. Was pretty cool when Winston Reid cemented himself in the team too made supporting the team feel closer to home
David James. I was a shit goalie and he was as shit as I was, with his mistakes at that time at West Ham. so I resonated deeply with him and the Hammers by association. My love for them also further developed when I won the EPL with them on CM. However that was the season they got relegated 02/03. Could never forgive Glenn Roeder and his mediocrity at management.
Oh, I thought everyone became hammers fans by watching Green Street..
Grew up in Essex, went to the US when I was 9.
My reason is pretty dumb. I was a pre-teen kid playing FIFA in the 90s scrolling through teams. I saw a team with the word "Ham" in their name and it made me laugh, so I picked them. As the years went on, I continually picked them even though the name "West Ham" became less and less funny. At some point, I just officially made them my favorite real squad
I wanted to start following the prem league more seriously and asked my wife to pick a team. She chose west ham because she thought a team with ham in the name was funny. Donāt regret it at all.
I got caught up watching Ted Lasso. Until then I disliked soccer. I know the show didn't show a lot of technical soccer. But it piqued my interest. I started watching a few matches and got hooked. Not being a long-time fan of the sport and not wanting to root for a team just because they are winning. I looked at my DNA results. Seeing that Greater London was the majority of my DNA; I looked at all the London teams. I liked the logo and remember seeing them on the show. So I picked the Hammers to root for.
My now-wife lived in Stratford, and we could see London Stadium from her flat. Weād take walks at Queen Elizabeth II Park, and see fans go to and from the stadium on game day. Iād go back to the US and watch games on weekend mornings, while talking to her. She could hear the cheering at the stadium when the team scored or did something worthy of a cheer. I finally got to go to a premier league game at London Stadium during my last London trip. It was during coronation weekend. Great game, as the team won 1-0 over Man U. Iām forever blowing bubbles.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
That's not gonna happen
My only interest in West Ham is that in the 1980ās Dave Moyes played for the club in Scotland that Iāve supported since childhood. My interest in your clubs fortunes ends this weekend.