The fan in me:How West Ham United has helped form my identityBy Patrick Kidney

Football as part of our national culture

Football is our national sport and its brings joy to so many people and that is why people love the game.

England are renowned for producing great talent such as David Beckham and Steven Gerrard and that is why peoples expectations are always high for our national team.

Even watching football can be considered a hobby as so many people spend their life doing nothing but watching, playing and living football.

My influences for supporting West Ham

I grew up supporting West Ham through my dad as he has been a West Ham fan all his life even though we have no affiliation with the club or east London. I support West Ham for their style of play and their fans as I see them as some of the best in the country.

Some influences for me supporting West Ham are the same as my dads apart from we have different idols in terms of players. He admires the likes of Billy Bonds, Martin ‘Mad Dog’ Allen and Sir Trevor Brooking whereas I have admired the likes of Scott Parker, Paolo Di Canio and Tony Cottee.

Why I follow West Ham I follow West Ham and am very

passionate about the club as West Ham as helped form my identity as a person. For example, on a Monday morning I will come into college and talk about West Ham and the other matches from the weekend. West Ham has also influenced the way in which I play football for my team

I also follow West Ham for it’s legacy and how it is a family club. I particularly like the legacy of West Ham famed academy as it has produced so many of England's best players and there are many more coming through.

My West Ham idols

Ludek Miklosko

Julian DicksBobby MooreAlvin MartinThomas Repka

Billy Bonds Scott ParkerTrevor Sinclair

Trevor Brooking

Paolo Di Canio Geoff Hurst

Paolo Di Canio

I consider Paolo Di Canio to be the ultimate idle for a stiker as he has all the attributes to be a top striker. I see Di Canio as a striker that I would like to emulate as he has all the attributes, eccentricity, finishing, powerful and a fan favourite.

I see Di Canio as an idol as he is my ideal self a striker. I feel that despite some of his bad press on the pitch he is seen as an eccentric magician that can do many things that others cant which is why parts of my game can never be like Paolo Di Canio

How my idols have influenced me

The players that I admire have influenced me in several different ways. For example players like Billy Bonds and Julian Dicks have influenced to stay level headed and not get cocky or up myself as theses type of players had respect for people and knew how to act as they were just general working class lads that portrayed a good image that I believe should be followed.

Other players that have influenced me are people like Scott Parker who has really helped form my identity over the past few years as I have developed. He is the epitome of passion and doing what ever you can for what you believe in helping me when I’m playing football and when I’m not.

Scott Parker and me

I see Scott Parker as a role model for me as he is what I aspire to be like when I am playing football and when I am not. For example, on the pitch he is a leader and plays like it as well as being one of the best English midfielders at the moment. Through watching him play as this leader it inspires me on the pitch to act and play like him.

This contributes to what I believe my ideal self would be as I would like to play and act like Scott Parker on and off the pitch. His playing style is what particularly appeals to me as he is a hard worker, he does anything for the team and what I admire him most for is his mazy dribbles out of the defence and takes on anyone on the pitch inspires me to do that and that is one of Scott Parker main traits that I have adapted into my game.

Have the media influenced my stance on West Ham

West Ham United get fairly bad press regularly ranging from problems financially or with a new stadium and even the players. Meaning that West Ham’s play on the pitch is not put on show unless it is very poor. Although many people would then have a bad view on West Ham. I, like many West Ham fans are not altered by what they journalists say as we know what the real West Ham is and that is what we believe in. Fans of other teams support the likes of Manchester United even though they have no affiliation to the club are glory hunters in my opinion. They are attracted to how much Man United win as a club which is one reason for them having a large southern following.

I believe that West Ham can be considered more of a team than the big clubs as the likes of Chelsea are made up of individuals such as Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba whereas West Ham have a team of players that gel together well.

Other teams perception of West Ham

I believe that there are many perceptions of West Ham as a team and as a club. As a team I believe that we are seen as one of the only bottom half of the table teams to actually play football rather than the long ball. But as a club there are different perceptions about the fans. Some fans of other clubs see West Ham fans amongst some of the most passionate fans in England which has given Upton Park the reputation of being one of the most hostile grounds in the country. The bad opinion of West Ham fans does not really rub off onto me as a fan as I do not get involved in the trouble that occurs. Although fans of other clubs will give you mouth if they feel they ‘got one over’ on your club.

West Ham- Culture and a way of life

There a specific culture and way of life to supporting West Ham and indeed all teams. You go to Newham in East London go to the pub have a laugh with other supporters, go to the match, sing your heart out and watch the game, it just becomes a match day routine. I see West Ham as more of a way of life rather than just a football club. Fans can be considered as a family as on match days you put all differences aside to go and support the team you love and you do everything together in and out the ground. West Ham’s culture as a team is to play football on the ground almost playing the ‘beautiful game’. Also at the ground you are yards from the pitch bringing you closer to the players giving that family feel to the club as you are right there involved in the action.

How my dress code at matches separates me from other fans

At West Ham matches I will wear my West Ham shirt as a sign of allegiance to my team. The non-verbal communication represented by wearing a West Ham shirt tells fans of other clubs that I support a different team to them and it can also mean to fans of Tottenham and Millwall that I do not like them and I see them as an enemy of my team. Wearing replica shirts of a team can relate to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs under social needs of belonging. By wearing this shirt you are seen as a West Ham fan which I class as a social group, so you are automatically categorised by wearing a certain shirt.

What football means to meFootball means many things to me as it is pretty much what my life revolves around. I see football as a way of life as if you support a team you spend your whole life associated with that club.

I did not actually gather who much of an impact football had on my life until I was about 13 years old as that is when I started to follow football in more depth. As when I turned 13 I suddenly realised what football actually means to me and how it forms my identity as a person.

Football has affected many aspects of my life including how I perceive fans of other clubs and what I think of them. Football also affects how I am feeling on certain days. For example, if West Ham have come off a big win on the weekend I will be buzzing at college and really happy. But if West Ham have come off a defeat that weekend I end up being depressed for most of the next day.

West Ham and me in the future

I believe that I will only become more and more passionate about West Ham as I have only just become a passionate West Ham fan so things can only get better. I also believe that I will continue to emulate players that I admire whilst I play such as Scott Parker and Mark Noble.

I intend to go to many more matches as year than I currently attend as I can really only attend one a month at most whereas I would love to get a season ticket in the lower tier Bobby Moore stand as this is where the atmosphere is generated.

I believe that not only will my passion become stronger for West Ham over the next few years but also my knowledge of the club as this phase West Ham are going through is part of West Ham history. I am a part of this history as the fans is what really makes West Ham the club it is as without us West Ham would not exist.

Conclusion

I believe that many aspects of West Ham have helped form my identity. From the players to the fans my identity has been effected by these parts of West Ham.

The fans have taken me in and I feel part of the social group that is West Ham United football club. Certain players have helped me form my identity as I have already mentioned the likes Scott Parker and Paolo Di Canio have influenced me in different ways.

Bibliography

West Ham website- Information on the club

Sky Sports- For extra information

http://fanchants.com/- Music for fans chants

Wikipedia- History of West Ham