West Ham and Me: Canadian West Ham Support Across the Atlantic

A few circumstances had to hit just right in order for a Canadian man to fall headlong into a love affair with West Ham United, but a 3-0 win over Swansea later and here we are. So, how did this all happen?

Well, with a lot of whiskey, a lot of rum, and a hangover that crippled me beyond moving. It’s true, an unexpected night before ended up forcing me to clean my room in one of the worst post-drinking states I had even been in which included a deep and intense washing of my bedding.

When I returned from dumping a bottle of detergent in the washing machine with my sheets I collapsed on my bed. The remote was an impossible two feet away from me so I figured I would watch this Premier League match of soccer and whoever came out on top would be my team going forward. This was me justifying laying face down on my bed with my head kinked towards the TV as a decision regarding sports allegiance rather than believing I was too hungover to move and avoid vomiting…again.

The match was a home game at Upton Park for West Ham, hosting Swansea on February 1st, 2014. As is ordinary with the majority of Premier League matches in Canada this one was a morning fixture for me in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada, accommodating for the cross-Atlantic time difference.

West Ham cruised to a 2-0 victory over the Swans with Kevin Nolan scoring a brace and Andy Carroll picking up a red card in the 59th minute – and that was it, I was hooked.

West Ham played with this smashmouth style that brought physicality to the forefront. Two players stuck out to me, of course, Kevin Nolan who scored the two goals, but Andy Carroll was an absolute beast in the air that match and set up both perfectly.

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I come from a country that loves hockey on a level that mirrors the English’s love of football. I have been a fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs since I could hold a stick, they are my local team and I never thought any other team could come close to my adoration of the Blue and White. Boy, was I wrong. The Leafs have always played with a physical edge to their game (look up Tie Domi if you’re unfamiliar) and this was something I saw reflected in West Ham indicating I had picked the right team.

The West Ham vs. Swansea match scratched the itch I wanted in a game. Nolan netted two beautiful goals, West Ham were dominant, and Andy Carroll not only added two assists but bashed Chico Flores with a wild elbow in the head after having enough of Flores jumping on his back. I cannot emphasize this enough, but it was love at first sight for me.

I would begin prioritizing my plans around West Ham matches. Nothing was scheduled for weekend mornings if I could, matches I had to miss were recorded, and my twitter feed was instantly full of West Ham news, rumors, and transfer accounts in my news feed.

For me, the final season at the Boleyn Ground was the best memory for me as a fan. Dimitri Payet controlling the offense, Andy Carroll bringing the physicality, James Collins, Mark Noble, Michail Antonio, Diafra Sakho, and of course Winston Reid all left indelible marks on me for what was a picturesque final match at Upton Park.

I felt I wanted to do more than support the club and began searching up opportunities to cover or write about the team in some manner. From KUMB fan articles to independent blog posts to now settling in at Green Street Hammers, West Ham has become an inseparable part of who I am.

My supporter status reached new heights in January 2018 when I was lucky enough to travel to London for West Ham’s new year’s clash with West Brom. The match ended a 2-1 thriller on the back of an Andy Carroll brace with the final goal coming at the end of stoppage time.

I am an unabashed supporter of the oft-injured target man, but can you blame me? His two-assist, red card match against Swansea kickstarted my life as a West Ham supporter and, while his two-goal performance on a rainy January night in East London provided me a winning experience on my only trip to see the hammers.

As it stands now I am firmly rooted in everything West Ham. The club has reached a height I never thought possible and is neck-and-neck with my love of the Toronto Maple Leafs. I never grew up a soccer player (except for some tearful kids league games), we never had football on TV outside of the World Cup every four years, and the Canadian culture hasn’t fully embraced football on a nationwide level yet, but somehow stories like mine exist.

So, how did it happen? How did a Canadian hockey fan get hooked on West Ham?

Well like I mentioned the whiskey and rum played an integral role, but honestly, it seems like fate to me. I didn’t have the luxury of being born into a fanbase behind generations of supporters and I didn’t want to be a follower of a top-table team who buys success. No, I am a West Ham supporter and I firmly believe the club picked me as much as I picked it. I wouldn’t change a thing.

Come On You Irons!