A healthy following of West Ham fans support the Club all the way from Dubai
The Dubai Hammers were founded back in 2012 as an official Supporters’ Club by Stuart Bell and have grown over the years since. He gives his verdict on moving to the new Stadium on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park…
Our Supporters’ Club was formed in April 2012, and since then, we have gained 312 online members through Facebook and have 75 people signed up officially as members.
A few years ago, Big Sam was out in Dubai himself doing a Q&A in a local bar, and myself along with a few other Hammers fans went along. That night, a few of us said to each other that it would be great if we formed a Supporters’ Club as the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea fans had in Dubai.
We knew there were plenty of Hammers around the area and it was bound to get some interest. The Club was born as a result, and we haven’t looked back since.
I myself am a West Ham supporter because my father was. His grandmother was born and raised in Plaistow, so it’s in the genes for me!
We watch matches in the Nelsons Pub based in the Media Rotana Hotel and we are lucky because every Hammers game is shown live. Over the years, attendances watching have grown and we even get chip butties at half time!
We try to get to any West Ham games we can, and over half of our signed up members have visited the Boleyn Ground to watch those in Claret and Blue in the last 12 months. Of course, we would love to see more matches, but we visit when it’s possible. On average, our members get to at least two matches a season each, I would say.
Living so far away, we have to use social media a lot and other online sources to stay up to date with everything going on at the Club. The majority of our Supporters’ Club members follow the official Facebook platform, as this provides us with regular updates of action from east London, while many others use Twitter as their source.
It’s been an amazing season this term. At the beginning, we all had one wish, and that was to stay in the division and finish in a respectable position. What the manager and the players have achieved is amazing and they’ve exceeded certainly my, and many others’, expectations.
With the likes of Dimitri Payet and Manuel Lanzini in the side, I think everyone is extremely excited about what next season holds for Slaven Bilic’s men.
In terms of my best memories supporting the Club, on my 13th birthday, I was lucky enough to be a matchday mascot at the Boleyn Ground. Players that were heroes of mine include Liam Brady, Phil Parkes, Paul Ince and Tony Gale, but I’ve got to say that Paolo Di Canio was just a dream to watch. He could do anything and turn a game on its head with his skill and vision.
More recently, I was fortunate to be able to fly over for the Manchester United match – the Boleyn Ground’s last game – and it was one of those nights that Hammers fans will talk about forever.
Of course, it was always going to be hard and sad to say goodbye to Upton Park, but if we want to step up and compete with the likes of the top, top clubs in world football, it is an absolutely necessary move and it can only be a good thing. I personally am very excited.
Hopefully I, and other members of the Supporters’ Club, will be able to get to the new home to see a few games soon – we just need to find a few extra air miles first!
Our Supporters’ Club was formed in April 2012, and since then, we have gained 312 online members through Facebook and have 75 people signed up officially as members.
A few years ago, Big Sam was out in Dubai himself doing a Q&A in a local bar, and myself along with a few other Hammers fans went along. That night, a few of us said to each other that it would be great if we formed a Supporters’ Club as the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea fans had in Dubai.
We knew there were plenty of Hammers around the area and it was bound to get some interest. The Club was born as a result, and we haven’t looked back since.
I myself am a West Ham supporter because my father was. His grandmother was born and raised in Plaistow, so it’s in the genes for me!
We watch matches in the Nelsons Pub based in the Media Rotana Hotel and we are lucky because every Hammers game is shown live. Over the years, attendances watching have grown and we even get chip butties at half time!
We try to get to any West Ham games we can, and over half of our signed up members have visited the Boleyn Ground to watch those in Claret and Blue in the last 12 months. Of course, we would love to see more matches, but we visit when it’s possible. On average, our members get to at least two matches a season each, I would say.
Living so far away, we have to use social media a lot and other online sources to stay up to date with everything going on at the Club. The majority of our Supporters’ Club members follow the official Facebook platform, as this provides us with regular updates of action from east London, while many others use Twitter as their source.
It’s been an amazing season this term. At the beginning, we all had one wish, and that was to stay in the division and finish in a respectable position. What the manager and the players have achieved is amazing and they’ve exceeded certainly my, and many others’, expectations.
With the likes of Dimitri Payet and Manuel Lanzini in the side, I think everyone is extremely excited about what next season holds for Slaven Bilic’s men.
In terms of my best memories supporting the Club, on my 13th birthday, I was lucky enough to be a matchday mascot at the Boleyn Ground. Players that were heroes of mine include Liam Brady, Phil Parkes, Paul Ince and Tony Gale, but I’ve got to say that Paolo Di Canio was just a dream to watch. He could do anything and turn a game on its head with his skill and vision.
More recently, I was fortunate to be able to fly over for the Manchester United match – the Boleyn Ground’s last game – and it was one of those nights that Hammers fans will talk about forever.
Of course, it was always going to be hard and sad to say goodbye to Upton Park, but if we want to step up and compete with the likes of the top, top clubs in world football, it is an absolutely necessary move and it can only be a good thing. I personally am very excited.
Hopefully I, and other members of the Supporters’ Club, will be able to get to the new home to see a few games soon – we just need to find a few extra air miles first!