West Ham United are one of the most well supported English football clubs and can claim a number of celebrity fans. Russell Brand, Lennox Lewis, and Keira Knightley are just three of the names of celebrity supporters the Hammers can claim. The club has long had strong support from all corners of the globe and it doesn’t appear that fanaticism will die down anytime soon.
The Hammers started life in the 1900s on the east side of London. Throughout their history, West Ham have produced some of England’s best and brightest players, which has earned them the nickname “the Academy of Football”.
Although West Ham have never won the First Division or Premier League, they have sculpted the likes of famous players. Frank Lampard, Michael Carrick, Joe Cole, and Rio Ferdinand are just a few of the modern greats produced by West Ham. Unfortunately for West Ham and their supporters, those greats fulfilled their potential elsewhere.
West Ham have also had their fair share of greats to succeed in the first team. Bobby Moore, Trevor Brooking, and Geoff Hurst are three famous Hammers that excelled at the club during West Ham’s great years of the 1960s. In more recent years, West Ham have signed Paolo Di Canio and Carlos Tevez, introducing them to English football fans.
West Ham’s highest finish to a First Division or Premier League season was third place, which they achieved in 1985-86. Relegation struggles in the First Division have been more common at the club. The Hammers have played in the second-tier on a number of occasions winning the division twice and gaining promotion seven times during their history.
The east London club has also won three FA Cups with the last being lifted all the way back in 1980. Major trophies in the 1990s and 2000s have been hard to come by despite hopes being high and investments made.
At the end of the 2015-16 season, West Ham bid farewell to their old Boleyn Ground. The stadium had been home to West Ham since 1904. More commonly referred to as Upton Park, the 35,000-plus seat venue had seen West Ham’s greatest triumphs. However, a need to modernise and take advantage of the Premier League’s ever-increasing popularity influenced the club to seek a move.
West Ham agreed to move into the London Olympic Stadium following the 2012 Summer Olympic Games. The venue’s capacity of 60,000 gives West Ham the chance to appease their large fanbase.
While West Ham are known for their large fanbase, a certain section of supporters has become famous for all the wrong reasons. West Ham’s Inter City Firm was one of the most famous football hooligan groups of the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. A number of books and films have been influenced by the Inter City Firm and English football hooliganism. Three of the most famous films include Green Street, The Firm, and Football Factory.
The Hammers have the potential to become one of the top clubs in England and challenge for European places. Can they fulfil their current promise? There is always the chance they could be the next club to challenge the elite top-six sides of English football.
