He’s in the London Stadium, it’s an hour or so into the game and from somewhere not too far away he hears a solitary voice do that thing many of us wouldn’t even dare to do: start a song off.
It’s an unusually deep, reverberating voice that’s possibly too good to be wasted at a football match, and soon to be lost in the mix as other voices join in. But before that happens it’s just this one voice alone, singing the opening line of a football song:
“I’m forever blowing bubbles.”
It’s a song that’s been around more than a century. None of us who sing this song today were even alive when it was first adopted by the fans of West Ham United all those years ago.
Every time we sing it today we echo the voices of the generations who came before us, proudly singing this song through triumph and adversity, victory and defeat and always with love for West Ham United.
There are many other football songs but this one is our song.
“Pretty bubbles in the air.”
Others join in. He joins in too because… he doesn’t really know why. It’s like breathing - you just do it, without thinking. Unlike any other, there’s something about this song that demands accompaniment and is rarely, if ever, sung alone.
For some reason or other, he looks around and sees something that’s always been there, right before his eyes, but he’s never noticed it before. It’s a bit like looking for something in the dark - you never see it when you look straight at it but it’s always there, waiting to be discovered.
But this time, for the first time, he sees it, clear as day. It’s the history and heritage behind the eyes of all the people singing.
And then he starts to get it.
“They fly so high, nearly reach the sky.”
For the first time he sees beyond the lined and wrinkled faces of those who sang this song when Bobby Moore lifted the FA Cup in 1964, the European Cup Winners Cup in 1965 and the World Cup in 1966.
He sees beyond the grey and thinning hair of those who sang this song when Billy Bonds lifted the FA Cup in 1975 and again in 1980.
For the first time he sees them as he sees himself when he looks in the mirror. In that moment he realises they were once like him and maybe, if he’s lucky, one day he will be like them.
“Then like my dreams they fade and die.”
He doesn’t even realise he’s stopped singing as he takes all this in and wonders what it must feel like to support a football club, win, lose or draw, for 40, 50, 60, 70 years or more.
He wonders how it must feel to see your sons and daughters, and their sons and daughters, follow in the footsteps of your own parents and grandparents, generations all singing this song, just like it’s being sung right here, right now.
He thinks about how time changes everything and nothing at all.
And he wonders how it must feel to to see all that history, all that loyalty, all that commitment and all that dedication being weighed in the balance and found wanting by the people who have taken it all for granted, monetized it, exploited it and then, when there was no more left to squeeze from it, simply cast it all aside as if it meant nothing to anyone.
“Fortune’s always hiding, I looked everywhere.”
Then he sees the passion on the faces of those much younger than himself as they belt out this song, a song they’ve only just learnt the words to.
He watches them as, arms aloft they take a crafty peek at their parents or grandparents who in that moment are taking a crafty peek at them too.
This triggers a long forgotten memory of how it felt as he sang this song for the first time and saw that look on his dad’s face and the tear in his eye.
He recalls thinking it was strange because tears usually meant sadness, yet even at the time he knew this was different but he was too young to understand why.
But now he really gets it.
“I’m forever blowing bubbles, pretty bubbles in the air.”
He gets the passion, the camaraderie, the sense of belonging. He gets the history and the heritage. He gets the proud tradition of families, and of friendships that have lasted a lifetime.
He gets what it is to look around expecting to see some of those faces, how it must feel to remember they’re gone yet how much joy the memory still brings.
He gets what a lifetime of being a West Ham fan means and he gets the importance of carrying that legacy forward.
In that moment he realises there’s more to being a West Ham fan than whatever it means to him alone.
Because whatever it means to him, it can’t mean a thing if whatever it means to others is taken away.
We don’t need to convince those of us who already get it but as it’s unlikely too many people will have a Damascene moment like this one, we have to do everything we can to open the eyes of those who don’t.
Our older fans are under attack. Our younger fans are under attack. Our disabled fans are under attack. Friends and families are under attack. Affordable football is under attack.
All in the name of greed.
If the fan base, young and old, does not come together to oppose what our owners are doing, the present and future of West Ham United fans will be a thing of the past.
Tell your friends, tell your families, tell everyone you know that this is the last chance for West Ham fans to save our Club.
We need all fans ready to answer the call when the time comes, and it will come… soon.
Ticket Price Rises And Proposed Changes To Concessions >>
If you are a current Hammers United member, then thank you. If not, we would love it if you’d consider joining us using the link below.
What follows are examples of just a handful of the kind of messages Hammers United has received from its members in reaction to the Club announcing its decision to increase season tickets, well above the rate of inflation and to restrict concessions tickets for the youngest and oldest among our fan base.
More are coming in to us every day.
I’ve been a West Ham fan since 1964. What the owners of this club are doing to its most loyal fans is an outrage. We must stand together and if marches are needed we must march together.
I cannot believe the way fans over the age of 66 are being treated. After spending £1000s of hard earned money over the years we are asked to pay even more. The money it brings into the club is minimal and it just shows the mentality of the owners.
My grandson and I have got category 1 season tickets and I wanted to transfer my grandson’s season ticket to my granddaughter but the Club has told me she will be charged the full adult price. How ridiculous!
Part of the reason the atmosphere at the LS is not as good as it was at Upton Park is the number of tourists who go. They are not West Ham fans, they talk through the game and just take photos. They do not contribute to the atmosphere. There is supposed to be a huge waiting list for season tickets so why is the Club selling so many seats to tourists?
The Board’s policy on concessions is disrespectful to West Ham United as a club and the fans. If parents and grandparents are not able to take their children and grandchildren the future for our fan base is jeopardised.
West Ham fans need to stand together and protest what is going on.
Protests need to be about the Board not the team.
There should be a petition over what the Club is doing and it should be delivered to the Club.
I haven’t missed a single season at West Ham since 68/69. There is a feeling of not being wanted by the way the owners and the stewards treat fans and it seems to be that tourists are more favoured. It makes me wonder why I keep giving them my hard earned money. Now it seems that there are more sanctions placed on loyal fans. I never thought this would happen.
I have been a season ticket holder on and off for many years and followed in the footsteps of my dad and brothers. What the Club is doing will be bad for future generations of West Ham fans. But if West Ham was relegated the tourists and hospitality would dry up and the Club would need loyal fans but where would they be?
I have been watching West Ham since 1974. The cost of travelling to the ground is going up every year. Older fans seem to get no loyalty from the Club. The CLub is money hungry and there seems to be no difference from the days of Terry Brown.
I heard the Club is reducing concession tickets especially for those over 66. I hope this isn’t true. If it is, I think it’s a really bad judgement call or maybe an April fool joke. But our owners have got a poor record on supporter relationships so maybe it’s true.
I think the price rises are disgraceful. How can above inflation rises be justified? Especially when the football has been so poor. All the talk about affordable football means nothing, the Club doesn’t care about ordinary fans. People’s finances are under pressure yet this is when the Club decides to bring in huge price increases for the second year running. I need to really think about renewing this time round.
The Club and other Premier League clubs should do what they do in Germany and treat fans with some respect and bring in fair pricing.
The Club needs to realise it is nothing without fans and by continuing to increase prices fans will end up not going. This is a very dangerous thing to do. All that will be left is tourists and there will be no atmosphere.
Prices have gone up well over the inflation rate and this at a time when so many people are struggling with bills while everything else is going up as well. The football is poor, the food and drink in the stadium is overpriced and real fans are being priced out of going.
I am stunned by the announcement of these price rises. I think the Club has gone too far this time. I have been going for over 50 years but the Club has no commitment or empathy for the fans. It feels as if we are just customers there to be milked. Our loyalty is being taken for granted.
Affordable football? It’s a joke!
I am a pensioner and my season ticket has gone up by more than 8%.
These price rises are disgusting especially after what happened in the January transfer window and we still don’t know who will be our manager next season.
The Club gets most of its money from the TV deals, why are they so intent on getting as much from supporters as they can?
I will not be renewing.
Shame on the Club and shame on those who approved this.
My season ticket has gone up by 10% and this is supposed to be a concession rate?
My season ticket has gone up by more than 6%, my son’s has gone up by more than 11% (U18 Band 3) both well above the inflation rate.
My son has been a ST holder for 10 years and will be 21 this year so will no longer get a discounted ticket. We go as a family with my 80 year old dad.
My over 65 concession season ticket has gone up 13% and being on a fixed income it is unlikely I can afford this. The cost of living means there is little left over for social events. Whatever your age, the price rises for all season ticket holders is a slap in the face. Fans are the lifeblood of the Club and we should not be treated like this.
We are just cash cows.
I cannot justify these increases any longer, home & away tickets will not be renewed.
Fans of all ages and walks of life are the foundations that prop up all football clubs . Without the fans there is no football. The club expects families to turn up, pay extortionate prices for food, drinks, replica kits and merchandise yet does not want to provide a decent seat at an affordable price, young children have never been forced to stand or sit at the back of stadiums as they are the future as we all know.
Thats 1 Season ticket holder since 1980 and two kids gone. Had enough of the way they run OUR club.
Disgraceful treatment. From early teens in the 70’s to oaps in the 2020’s. Loyal supporters are being told that if they want the oap prices then take the stairs to top.
Looks like its the final curtain for youngsters, families, and concessions.
Sheer greed and unfortunately no surprise. The club does not give a flying wotsit about our fans, nor about our history and traditions. It is a total disgrace.
We want to keep the over 66 and disabled concession for ever.The club maintains that everything is under review,I honestly believe that if we dont make a concerted stand on this then there will be no concessions at all within a couple of years.
West Ham and all the other clubs could be losing the next generation of supporters.
All of us need to stand up to the tyranny coming out of the club. It may predominantly affect the young or old but everyone will eventually be old so this directly does or indirectly will affect you sooner or later.
Poor show from the club really and won’t actually do much to improve matchday revenue either in the great scheme of things.
We need to all fight this because at some point will affect everyone, it’s a disgrace that loyal fans are treated like this.
I have had a season ticket every single year since 2003/4, with my current seat being in the Billy Bonds stand, Band 3.
I have an 8yr old son who has already attended over 10 games and absolutely loves it. Naturally I would now like him to come with me on a more regular basis.
Why have West Ham removed concessions from Bands 1-4 for the forthcoming 24/25 season? What is the justification? There is absolutely no way my son’s ticket should cost the same as mine - £790!
The way the Club has quietly announced this new ticketing policy is disgraceful in itself, and caused widespread anger among supporters. I ask for an urgent response along with a rethink, otherwise you risk alienating existing many, many loyal fans and crucially the next generation of West Ham supporters.
Are the fans going to be the doormats of the Premier League or push back? I remember too well our last protest when many people who i thought we could count on told us to enjoy the ride and that we were massive!!!. If they do away with concessions thats the next generation shut out and the end for many West Ham families who have been going for decades.
It’s about time numbers stood up to our awful controlling share holders and didn’t stop until change was made & we were guaranteed communication on such matters every year prior to it being forced into play.
Appalling way to treat us and once more we are just expected to roll over and take it. They know how much we love the club and treat us with nothing but disdain.
If we don’t fight back there will be no concessions at all within a couple of years.
Time to stick together and organise. It’s disgraceful that new season tickets for kids and pensioners are only right at the back. People sit with their friends. They don’t want to move elsewhere to qualify for concessions. Pensioners and very young kids have mobility problems to contend with climbing right up to the gods. Typical divide and rule ploy allowing current concessions to continue as is. But for how long? If like me you currently have a concessionary ticket don’t think “I’m alright Jack.” Cos bad businesses destroy entitlements in the salami slicer. You’re not alright Jack. You’re next. Time to stick together and organise. We’re West Ham. We look after each other.
I am beyond angry and upset about it all. Going to West Ham with my son is such a brilliant experience for us both - it is truly disgusting what our club (and others) are doing.
Run like a circus, Sullivan and Brady really need to treat us as fans not customers!!
We’ve got a culture and a history, which belong entirely to the fans. Destroy that - what are you left with?
They haven’t announced it at all, not even quietly. You only find out it’s true if you try to buy a new concession season ticket. I have never been a hater of our owners/board, but this has changed my opinion of them. Not sure it would have happened had David Gold still been with us.
I have one more season before I would have qualified for a concession. After nearly six decades of supporting the club, I have been looking forward to getting a concession. However, if this is not changed and becomes permanent, I’ll be packing it in after the 24/25 season.
The disdain and contempt shown by the board of West Ham United to their loyal supporters, especially the young, the elderly and families is beyond belief. Their treatment of us is akin to the sleaziness and corruptness of politicians.
I’ve been on three of the protests and I’ll willingly go on any further ones too. Unless we stand together United then we’ll just get shafted more and more.
Take this to the press. I’m sure they would love to know all about this. The fact they are going to make pensioners climb all of those steps to the upper tiers is a disgrace . Age concern would probably be interested as well!
How much money is this actually going to make the club? Is it really worth it? I was hoping to purchase another season ticket for 1 of my children. No way I’m paying adult price for band 3. Looks like next season may be my last. Got many other things to spend my time and money on. Going to lose a generation of fans
So, eventually, there will be no concession prices in bands 1-4 once kids are at adult age or OAPs die. Just so the club can get a bit of extra money by charging full adult price in 1-4.
Season Ticket money doesn’t contribute anywhere near as much to the club’s finances as it used to!
Atrocious behaviour from the board young fans are the club’s future.
The board seems to forget this club was built by fans and if charging kids full price to sit next to their family then the generation will slowly disappear.
Pay millions a season for a player but rip off the next generation of fans . Strange how 3 thousand away fans can sit in relevant seats for £30 , there’s an old saying look after your own and they will look after you.
Absolutely outrageous decision. The extra revenue raised as a result of this new pricing wouldn’t even pay a player’s wages for a week!
Shows that the owners of this club no longer have any regard for the culture and history of our club. Not that they did ever.
We are just a tourist attraction now. No regard for the loyal fans who have spent thousands watching the team over the years.
I’ve said previously how disgraceful I think the season ticket changes are from West Ham.
A complete slap in the face to long standing fans and to potential new ones.
It’s absolutely disgusting.
#STOPEXPLOITINGLOYALTY
