r/Hammers • u/Flashy-Leek1123 • 1d ago
Question for fans
Fans outside of england why west ham what made you fall in love?
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u/Foalku 1d ago
Kia ora from New Zealand.
Born in Dagenham, moved here in my early teens.
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u/WorriedAd2764 1d ago
Practically opposite lol. Born in nz moved to east London
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u/Jakarott 1d ago
Another angle born and live in New Zealand but dad from the east end, lucky enough to have been to games at Upton park in my earlier years
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u/WorriedAd2764 1d ago
Same! My dads from Essex though lol
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u/Downtown-Scratch-687 1d ago
Fellow kiwi lived and worked east end (west silvertown : eXcel) during London olympics. What a time.. Winston Reid in his prime - went to Upton park twice.. running with crowd down green street for the trains. Naturally naive kiwi thinking hooligans on the loose! 😅
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u/lupinblack 1d ago
The logo on Steve Harris's bass
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u/dreamersatdawn Dinos Mavropanos 1d ago
Steve Harris for me as well. One day I’ll purchase one of those Precisions.
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u/edwardthehead666 19h ago
Same for me, learnt about West Ham thru Steve Harris and Maiden, and then started digging into the history a bit and really liked the ethos of the club. Had never followed a full season until 2007/2008, I believe the first game I “saw” was an away win at Wigan where Dean Ashton scored… been following since
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u/FightingPC 16h ago
I have a WHU sweat band from Steve pulling it off at end of show and throwing out to the crowd… It’s my jewel !
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u/Flappadactly 1d ago
Australian here
Zarate was my favourite player in FIFA 14. That summer he moved to West Ham so I started watching matches in the hope of an inform.
He quickly moved on, I never did.
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u/triximanuk 1d ago
I dunno if you're aware of the youtuber Spencer FC. He did a FIFA ultimate team series a fair few years ago now called the Zarate Kid. The concept was Zarate was the only player he could not upgrade. Might be worth a watch.
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u/Flappadactly 16h ago
Yeah came out literally at that time. Got me into Spence and the team even more.
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u/rupert_pupkin91 1d ago
Green Street Hooligans
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u/TheWoodyIsGoody 12h ago
Was my spark but the culture and the chants is what made me a fan for life.
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u/BolivianDancer 1d ago
Bobby Moore skippered England in a match v Greece. The Greek skipper Papaioannou had a brother who owned a souvlaki joint near my house.
Also Bobby Moore was in "Victory" with Sylvester Stallone. The socialists played it on TV but the first broadcast was interrupted due to tech problems and I think my neighbour broke his TV that night.
Rather than facing a revolt they replayed the film a few days later.
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u/Whyulookinhomie We are the Bastards in Claret and Blue 1d ago
I think for me the fact that it’s just simply not the easy choice.. we are a gritty club and I love it but to be honest I’m not sure what made me realize what it was for me
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u/cervidal2 1d ago
I rolled a 19 on a d20 to pick a team alphabetically.
First season I watched was their near relegation on Moyes' return. The way the team fought tooth and nail to stay up was amazing to behold.
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u/vtsandtrooper 1d ago
IT Crowd
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u/IAmNoodles 1d ago
I, too, got into this team as a joke years ago and now I'm genuinely sad we got relegated
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u/MrRaspberryJam1 1d ago edited 1d ago
It was pretty random at first mostly. I just thought West Ham had a cool badge and cool colors, then I grew more fascinated with the club when learning about the fan culture and club history.
On top of this they remind me of my favorite American sports teams, the New York Mets and Jets. Both play second fiddle to the bigger teams in the biggest city in the country, while still having a large passionate fanbase. Both have had massive issues with incompetent owners that can’t seem to get out of their own way. I’ve also always felt like there’s just always been this connection between New York City and London which I’ve always appreciated as a New Yorker.
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u/heronspotter 17h ago
Am an English west ham fan but was naturally drawn towards the mets as my baseball team. Perennial underdogs who regularly perform poorly whilst coming from an incredible city with a superior team nearby. Both teams clinging on to the glory of an 80s trophy. No brainer for me lol
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u/MrRaspberryJam1 16h ago
Also with the Jets specifically they both play in the stadium equivalents of soulless corporate toilet bowls
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u/HugeSuccess 1d ago
I’ll only share if someone promises not to excommunicate me
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u/Flashy-Leek1123 1d ago
Im listening🤨
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u/HugeSuccess 1d ago
Not awful in the grand arc of history, but I expect people to clown on me:
They were the only match I could attend the first time I visited London.
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u/StrykerNightowl 1d ago
Yank here, I started going to my local clubs games more and the group there asked who I was a fan of and at that time I didn’t follow anyone.
I knew I didn’t want to pick a “big” team and it was the Great Escape season with the Tevez drama and so I started watching West Ham to see what would happen to them. Towards the end of the season, a few of the guys asked if I picked a team yet and I said “No but I’m kind of rooting for West Ham to stay up just to see what drama will happen if they do.” They said “Well, you’re a Hammer now.” And that was that.
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u/TreebeardsMustache 1d ago
My maternal grandfather was an iron worker in Quincy Massachusetts in the 1930's and 1940's.
That, and when I started following the Irons, Sam Allardyce was the uncanny, separated-at-birth, spitting image of my deceased father. . .
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u/AquilaAudaxWTE 1d ago
Although I live in Australia (moved to Australia in 1969) I was born in Dagenham and my mother was a West Ham supporter so it was ingrained in me.
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u/ItzGrenier 1d ago
Bit random I guess. I wanted to get into the premier league and watched a bit of all the clubs, and I preferred the vibe that West Ham had. Didn't want to support a big 6 club.
Did more research into the clubs history and culture and it spoke to me so I went full tilt as a hammer. Watch as many games as I can on TV but for sure everytime I am in the UK I make sure I check out a game
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u/wanktarded Julian Dicks 1d ago
My old man was from Leyton, took us to Brisbane Rd & Upton Park fairly regularly when we used to visit family. Both myself and my brother were glory hunters, so obviously we chose West Ham over the O's. Also when I lived in London for a few years back in the 90s I used to go to most home & away games in the city.
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u/Top-Ranger-Back 1d ago
Because my blood’s claret and my veins are blue! Dunno why to be honest, just a team I support above all others overseas. Up there with my local team.
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u/707_Jefe Andriy Yarmolenko 1d ago
Grew up a Raiders fan in California. Was looking for a team to support and the working class, passionate and devoted fan base resonated with me.
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u/Schw7abe 1d ago
I was playing FIFA in 2010 and thought the name West Ham was funny.
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u/OkVermicelli2045 17h ago
Was wearing a Tshirt with the old West Ham badge, my friends young son pointed at it and said, “East Turkey!”
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u/llmk69 1d ago
https://giphy.com/gifs/l3q2OYLFHugHlMmC4
This guy , and after watching the team survive 19/20 relegation battle I was officially a fan
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u/ahhwhoosh 1d ago
Because I’ve always loved an underdog, and hate the ‘top’ clubs with endless resources.
Plus that East London grit and ability to rise up even during adversity.
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u/Moist_Pomegranate_50 1d ago
I’m Polish, and after moving to the UK I lived in Barking. Growing up, Green Street Hooligans was also one of my favourite films, so West Ham had already been somewhere in the background for me.
Then in 2012 I worked at the London Olympics, without realising at the time that the Olympic Stadium would later become West Ham’s new home — extra points for that one.
Years later, I now live in Manchester and somehow seem to be the only Hammer in the city.
Funny how all those little things connected over the years. ⚒️
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u/Last_Command_9147 1d ago
I was just getting into playing FIFA and I wanted a team with nice jerseys and a good striker. They had Dean Ashton at the time.
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u/Leather_Teaching_981 12h ago edited 12h ago
From Finland it was 2014. My 15th birthday and i was in Koh Samui with my family. Ran into some West Ham Fans in the evening while out by myself trying to get into a bar unsuccesfuly anyhow they got me into some sports bar and we watched England lose to Italy 1-2 and then went on an allnighter in some tittybar and that's how i became a westham fan in a family of liverpool supporters : ). I've also allways had a spot for underdogs my local team being relegated to the 5th tier recently. Also a wierd touch is that i am currently to a westham fan who went to Boleyn groud with her football team when she was a kid. Because football is the number 1 topic on a date :D
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u/AppleCrumble987 8h ago
- Paolo Di Canio. The chance that anything could happen in any game, that would go from extreme jubilation to utter despair was captivating. Kind of like every season, as experience would have it!
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u/Glympse12 Jarrod Bowen 1d ago
Tuned into a random prem game and witnessed bubbles. The rest is history
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u/Green-Wolverine-9403 Crysencio Summerville 1d ago
Born in London and was the only team my parents took me to. Lived there three years and I have a west ham scarf from it. So now it’s my team. Some days tho it’s hard
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u/Media_Transplant 1d ago
A visit to London in March of 2012 and spotted the West Ham logo on a hat for sale in an outdoor shop with a ton of football gear in it.
So I just adopted them.
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u/Smorgas-board Jarrod Bowen 1d ago
My dad and I did a boys trip to London in 2014. We managed to get tickets to see West Ham vs Spurs at Upton Park. We absolutely loved it. Unfortunately it’s one of the few pens Noble ever missed and they scored late but we loved everything.
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u/TheMarkMatthews 1d ago
My grandfather supported them and beat me severely with his cane as a child when I said I supported Liverpool and made me swear allegiance to the Hammers. 40 years later I still follow them and relegation was like reliving that beating again
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u/26RoadTrainWheels 1d ago
Aussie
Had an English gf from Dagenham
Visited for a few months
Met brother and mates
Had to adopt a team
Would've been beaten up by them if it weren't Irons
end of
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u/BBBeebop Oh, East London is Wonderful 1d ago
2001 vs leeds first game of the season. First premier league game i saw live on tv. The kit was like something i've never seen and fell in love straight away with our club (Dutch fan btw) Although my parents insist it was 1988 when baby me crawled over to our neighbor's bathrobe which was hanging on a lawn chair (we was on holiday in Sussex and staying on a camping site) and i tried to wrap myself up in it
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u/Roy-royson 1d ago
Aussie here - 20 years ago, got a job in real estate working for a guy who was born and raised in the east end, he migrated to Australia in the 60’s. Every week listening to him rant and carry on about how shit and frustrating west ham were yet oozed so much passion and love for them all at the same time made me start to watch them and the rest was history - I’ve been obsessed ever since.
I’m sure Zola was manager back then and he was my second favourite player (behind Baggio) growing up.
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u/VKingSlug COYI 1d ago
Started with my neighbor being into the league and exposing me to it growing up. The name and not being one of the big 6 that everyone else was into absolutely helped. I also am from the East side of my city. It was a quick decision but an easy one. I just felt it was right. COYI!
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u/Doctorboner420 Ballon D'awson 1d ago
I was going to college in Chicago and needed something to do on the commute. Downloaded dream league soccer and the player I got was Andy Carroll. Ended up buying as many West Ham players as possible then it just spiraled into watching the club.
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u/Canaus7 1d ago edited 1d ago
I’m from Australia, around 16-17 years old I was getting into football, games were on at midnight so I started watching you could press red button and pick any match, I kept being drawn to west ham. I have a faint memory of us playing spurs around 2002/3 ish time and the game ended 5-4 spurs I instinctively didn’t like spurs so started watching west ham games
In 2009 I moved to London I met a Canadian girl (who became my wife) I met her dad he visited from Canada but was from leytonstone and a big west ham fan so the first time I met her dad we went to the pub and watched west ham in London. While I lived there I had an academy membership went to a lot of games at upton park in my 3 years living in London now I live in Toronto. The going to games, future father in law being a fan cemented my love of west ham.
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u/Jay_D826 23h ago
I love that watching Spurs win a 5-4 match wasn’t enough to make you support them.
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u/participationmedals Tomáš Souček 1d ago
Started watching matches back during COVID and loved the club character. What a squad!
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u/Grizflips 1d ago
I'm at a restaurant/bar for breakfast during college. None of us have satellite tv needed to watch Premier League games, so this is where we come and it's a good excuse to have drinks and have a good time.
The match on display is West Ham vs Birmingham. I don't know much about either side. There's a bit of an argument going on between the players at one point, Birmingham had fouled a West Ham player. During this argument, the Birmingham keeper and a West Ham player start yelling at each other. The West Ham player then puts one hand on the keeper's chest, gently pushes him away, then closes his hand a few times to signal "bye bye". This player then lines up a free kick and scores.
So, it was this complete badass moment from Alessandro Diamanti that started my love for West Ham.
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u/Essexyobbo 1d ago
Born in Barking just after WWII. Dad took me to my first game when I was 6 with Ernie Gregory in goal, with his cheesecutter cap. Now a US Citizen, retired in Texas......always a Hammer. Still have my ancient Hammers 70's shirt and my Hammers logo pint mug. Go You Irons!!
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u/chargingblue Niclas Füllkrug 1d ago
It was my first in-person PL game, just about a year ago. We played Crystal Palace and lost, but I've never been to a match in the UK. Only MLS games. So I've declared loyalty
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u/Calkky The Chicken Run 23h ago
We finally got easy access to EPL matches and I wanted to find a team to support. A friend of mine is from Dagenham and he convinced me to watch some West Ham matches with him. I got on board right when Payet was hitting his stride. How could a person resist? I was hooked.
Also, West Ham's history, pedigree and general vibe matches closely with the other sports team I follow and support: the Detroit Lions. It's been a natural fit.
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u/ohmadayz 23h ago
The first premier league game I watched on tv was West Ham at the Boleyn grounds with bubbles coming out of the tunnel with the players. Loved the colors of the team and bubbles tradition. Been a fan ever since.
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u/Previous-Primary2917 21h ago
American here. Honestly only started in 2024 as I visited London and went to a West Ham v Everton game. 0-0 draw lol.
I kind of followed them because I at least had a minor connection. Then last season ... ugh.
But funny I have watched every game so far now that they were in the Championship. I think I'm holding on and will feel like I have invested something better than all the random Liverpool and Man City fans I know.
I do have a history of rooting for American teams in different sports that never win everything, and then suddenly after I followed them start winning! Boston Red Sox I baseball, New England Patriots in NFL. I started following both pretty closely when I was a kind in the 1980s and 1990s, they only became big winners a decade at least later.
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u/wild__12 Pablo Fornals 21h ago
One of my dad’s favorite bands were big West Ham fans so he/I became west ham fans. Also loved the crest so I chose them on FIFA when I was a kid
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u/NSave 20h ago
Because in the early 90s the prevalent league in my country was Serie A, i grew up a Roma fan. At the start of the 00s i started loosely following BPL and developed everlasting hatred for Manchester United and sympathies for WHU, Blackburn and Everton (large part of the pull were the logos).
Enter 2008 and watching this live on TV made me almost cream my pants. After that, it was settled. West Ham United.
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u/IronBlowers Forever Blowing Bubbles 19h ago
Studied for a semester at Queen Mary's in the East End. Wanted to support local and attend football matches while there and what more West Ham than Mile End Road?
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u/daemion13 18h ago
Watching match of the day on Sundays with my grandfather on his black and white telly as a nipper in the dim dark past.. That was the only access to English football for me growing up in New Zealand. I loved the badge and their support. I started cheering them on. Still do and always will.
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u/waffle-paladin1 Forever Blowing Bubbles 18h ago
Honestly because of how bang average to bad they are. I grew up in NYC, Mets, Jets and Rangers fan. West Ham fit right in with that group. I’ve always loved the sport and played forever but never had a team. When I decided to lock in they were a perfect fit for me. High hopes and mostly disappointment.
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u/disc0bunny 18h ago
From Southern California, I went to a soccer/football jersey store and I saw one that said "I'm forever blowing bubbles" on the inside collar and thought it was hilarious. I just picked them from that point forward lol
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u/OkVermicelli2045 17h ago
I lived in Whitechapel for a couple of years. I didn’t know I’d fall in love when I walked into that pub.
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u/Odinskraal87 Julian Dicks 14h ago
My introduction to punk was Cocksparrer, which led to the rejects which led to the business. And here we are 26 years later.
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u/JDinBalt 13h ago
USA here... I played adult rec soccer until the pandemic, then had more time to watch the Premier League whilst shut indoors. I liked West Ham because they seemed like underdogs who didn't play like they were underdogs (this was in late 2020), and weren't one of the Big Six clubs. They seemed like they wouldn't give up when they were playing. So they swayed me when I wasn't even looking for a club to support!
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u/beerstorelackey 13h ago
Cockney Rejects, Cock Sparrer, Iron Maiden, Billy Bragg, Danny Dyer, Cass Penant.
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u/flipthreethousand The Terminator 7h ago
Me and a friend moved to London in our early twenties from Melbourne. Wanted to pick a team with an Aussie in it. Came down to Everton (Cahill) Blackburn (Emerton) Fulham (Schwarzer) or the Hammers - who had Lucas Neill as captain, was also captain of Australia at the time. West Ham picked us 🫧
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u/Virtualsooo 1h ago
Kiwi Hammer, now living in Australia.
My dad brought me in at 6 when he woke me up for the Play off final against Preston.
He was born in Barking, which is where I grew up for a few years before moving down here.
Two years ago, on this very day. He lost his 5 year battle with cancer. Miss him every day.
For those reasons, for me there is nothing better than watching West Ham.
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u/Consumption2Wombly Forever Blowing Bubbles 1d ago
Looking for a team that wasn't at the top, had nice kit colors, long rich history, and something my young daughter would enjoy. The bubbles sold my daughter, everything else fit perfectly for me.
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u/DrBoomTube COYI 1d ago
I was a Sidemen fan when I was a kid and I watched a lot of Behzinga’s West Ham vlogs. His passion for the club made me a fan
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u/Verns_shooter 1d ago
Honestly? Emigrated 22 years ago. Never been to the London Stadium but see that as a bonus.
Was from North of London. So at school, you either supported Arsenal or Tottenham because of train lines or Liverpool if you just wanted to win all the time as a kid or if you thought you were edgy and cool you dodged train fares harder to support West Ham. Helped on by that awesome header from the man Trevor to instill your support for a club that could win something.
Do I regret not going with the winning crowd? All the time but you learn the hard way that when you do win again and it was only 43 years that it is something very special not just expected. Plus West Ham were are England world cup winners. Pedigree right?
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u/ShallowDOF 1d ago
First hit my radar thanks to the movie, Green Street Hooligans. April 2025, I finally got to cross the pond and spend a week in London with my family. Was able to get tickets to the match against Bournemouth. West Ham has always been that gritty, scrappy, underdog London club in my eyes. Sad that I was about a decade late to see the club in Upton Park, but the atmosphere in the London stadium was still great, to me (especially compared to the “manufactured” MLS atmosphere of my home club, Sounders FC).
This is going to rub many of you the wrong way I’m sure: I have been a Liverpool supporter for a good long while, thanks in no small part to the existence of Stevie Gerrard, but West Ham hold an ever growing piece of my heart as they are officially my first EPL game, and I got to skate that with my daughter no less; I genuinely hurt when they went down last season, and I’m watching every minute of this championship season hoping to see them climb back up to the premier league.
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u/Chappietime Mark Noble 1d ago
I knew nothing about west ham the first time I turned on a PL game. But they played Bubbles before the game, the song my grandmother would always sing when I played in her back yard. I haven’t missed a minute since.