Miami nice! Nigel Reo-Coker joined Hammers fans in Florida to celebrate West Ham United's victory over Southampton at the Premier League Mornings Live event...
As more than 3,000 Happy Hammers cheered their team to victory at a freezing Southampton on Saturday evening, the celebrations were just as jubilant another 4,000 miles away among the sun, sea and soccer vibes of Miami, Florida.
The iconic Ocean Drive on South Beach has been turned into a Christmas party with a difference this weekend to welcome the latest Premier League Mornings Live fan festival, an initiative held in partnership with US broadcaster NBC Sports.
Now in its second year, the event has already toured a host of major American cities, including New York, Washington, Boston and Austin, Texas, with thousands of Premier League fans travelling from all over the country to attend and a TV audience of millions more tuning in across the NBC networks.
The historic Clevelander South Beach hotel was the venue for the first PL Mornings Live event to visit south Florida in the middle of the festive holiday season, featuring live action from nine Premier League fixtures across five match windows – with our clash at St Mary’s filling all screens as the solitary Saturday evening kick-off.
The dedication of the fans out here is amazing – many of them get up in the early hours every weekend to watch their team and this event gives them an opportunity to feel even closer to the action
Nigel Reo-Coker
Former captain Nigel Reo-Coker – who led the club to promotion to the Premier League in 2005 at the age of just 21 – was in town to represent the Hammers as a Club Ambassador and appear as a guest pundit during NBC’s live broadcast at the event, hosted by presenter Rebecca Lowe and Nigel’s fellow former Premier League stars Robbie Earle and Robbie Mustoe.
Now based in Orlando, the 35-year-old was given a warm welcome at South Beach and spent time meeting and chatting with the many Hammers fans who attended, before interacting with the various fan stations and activations taking place, including shirt printing with official Premier League printing company Avery Dennison, Barclays goal celebration videos and an Airbrush Tattoo station.
There was even time for Nigel to create his very own Hammers pancake at the Dancakes Pancake station and meet up with Miami eSports star Jayzinho, while Santa Claus granted his wish of wanting three points at St Mary’s for Christmas!
Prior to the event, the former England Under-21 midfielder had also enjoyed a day visiting some of Miami’s most famous sporting instiutions, including the Miami Heat NBA team at the American Airlines Arena and the NFL’s Miami Dolphins at the Hard Rock Stadium, spreading the West Ham way among a new and enthusiastic audience.
“It has been a fantastic experience,” he said. “The dedication of the fans out here is amazing – many of them get up in the early hours every weekend to watch their team and this event gives them an opportunity to feel even closer to the action.
“It has also been a great honour to speak to other people out here and educate them on West Ham United and what the club stands for. I think many American sports fans can relate to the West Ham identity of loyalty, commitment and trying to play attacking, entertaining football.
“It’s a generation thing. When you grow up in a West Ham household, you are going to be a West Ham fan. That loyalty is always there and it is why the club have such an amazing following, with 60,000 people filling London stadium every game and millions following around the world.
“It is so important to continue to grow that fanbase around the globe. The Premier League is getting bigger and bigger, especially in the US, and it can only be a positive and good thing that more and more supporters out here follow West Ham.”
Lifelong Hammers fan Neil Uden grew up near Reading but moved to the States 16 years ago and now lives in Hollywood, Florida. He and son Jack, ten, were the very first supporters in the queue at the fan festival in the early hours of Saturday morning, arriving at 3.30am and soaking up the atmosphere before settling down to watch Manuel Pellegrini’s team take on the Saints, a game that kicked off at 12.30pm local time.
“It has been a great day,” said Neil. “We got up really early to be here as we didn’t want to miss anything and it hasn’t disappointed. The atmosphere is brilliant and everyone is having a good time – it was great to see Nigel Reo-Coker and know that West Ham have a big presence here.
“When I first came over to the States, I found it really difficult to follow West Ham and watch the matches here - there simply wasn’t the coverage or the interest – but in the last few years it has really improved and now the access to the Premier League is superb.
“It’s fantastic to see West Ham fans over here supporting the team. The Premier League is huge in the USA now and we’re proud to be flying the claret and blue flag here in Florida.”
Final word went to young Jack, who showed off his prediction skills and provided welcome proof that the future generation of Hammers fans in the USA are in safe hands!
“We are going to beat Southamtpon today,” he declared. “I tossed a coin this morning and said if it’s heads West Ham will win and if it’s tails we will lose. And it landed heads!
“My favourite player is Michail Antonio, he is so fast, and I have his name and number on the back of my shirt. I hope he is man of the match today!”
Look out for more content from West Ham United’s visit to the Premier League Mornings Live event in Miami on whufc.com soon…
