Do West Ham attract Asian fans?

[MikeNewell'sOldBoys]

I'm sure it is in terms of a spectator sport but they don't have competitive leagues. The asian equivalent of the champions league is a pretty low standard.

What I meant to say is they don't have comparable local clubs to ours.

[Bobby Orangeboom]

Being an Asian I hate the fact that many of the people think that Asians are glory hunters but disappointing as it maybe it is true.
I had a cousin who supported Liverpool in the eighties West Ham for about a year or two and finally Manure when they stared winning.
I've supported the hammers since I was a boy grew up in Canning town and to me it's about supporting your local team.

Sorry to burst your Bubble Mate but i've lived in Asia for 9 years, and the vast, vast, vast majority are..

[Bobby Orangeboom]

Which part of Asia are you talking about? Sub-continent asia? Or the rest of Asia? Football is by far the biggest sport in every asian country with the exception of India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh where obviously cricket is king. I assume however that it is this demographic that largely populate East London though.

Key point that will be generally overlooked..

[exPat Holland]

Family in the row in front of me, wear shirts with their names on too. Now sure how many 3 or 4

What? Names.....

Singapore is predominantly Man Ure with the older population being Liverpool.
However, there are quite a few Chelski thesedays.
They don't have a very good local league so tend to follow the winning teams - can't blame them I suppose because they're the teams they show most if.

[RM6]

When you watch a Liverpool match at Anfield, whenever the camera pans over the crowd you see quite a few Asian faces and this is in a city which is only 3% Asian.

They're not from Liverpool.

[Indian Hammer]

Die hard West ham fan from India..Been one since 13 years.Quite a few around here now...

[delbert]

This is obviously a problem with other clubs such as Bradford City and Luton Town as mentioned in the above BBC articles.

Is this also a problem for West Ham? Because East London has a large Asian population.

Why is this seen as a problem? A missed opportunity for the clubs certainly, but why a problem? The only reason it's an issue at all is because someone with an agenda is stirring it up for their own cause.
If anyone of any colour wants to attend a football match they're more than welcome in my book, if so many are staying away then that is their choice and not footballs problem.......

[sendô]

Seems to be the majority of the asian locals around the Upton Park area are Liverpool fans.

Don't tend to see many asian West Ham fans but I know of a couple, then I know of a few Man Utd and Liverpool asian fans from London aswell.

[Bobby Orangeboom]

Why is this seen as a problem? A missed opportunity for the clubs certainly, but why a problem? The only reason it's an issue at all is because someone with an agenda is stirring it up for their own cause.
If anyone of any colour wants to attend a football match they're more than welcome in my book, if so many are staying away then that is their choice and not footballs problem.......

Bravo delbert..

[Liamj]

Indian fella i know said when he was young his parents didnt like him going to West Ham as it was a Muslim area and he was Hindu

[ageing hammer]

Which part of Asia are you talking about? Sub-continent asia? Or the rest of Asia? Football is by far the biggest sport in every asian country with the exception of India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh where obviously cricket is king. I assume however that it is this demographic that largely populate East London though.

The east end mostly

[mushy]

I've never met an Asian West Ham fan. Liverpool, Man U, Arsenal, Chelsea etc. but never us.

I was next to a group of about 15 of them on Saturday..

[RichieRiv]

The Granary Baps will be back in force next season, especially up in the West Upper. It'll be al Nikon's and Canon's (again).

[kish]

Yes, in front of me for 4 seasons, until he moved down with his mates into the West Lower. And he didn't smell!

I moved from in front of Richie in the West Upper, down to the West Lower because he stunk so I pretended that I was moving down with my mates

Seriously though, most what has been said in the thread about Asian (I'm referring to Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan and Bangladeshi fans) is true. Most of them support Liverpool, because of their family moving over here in the 70's when they were the most popular side in England. Unsurprisingly, many of my generation support Chelsea, Arsenal and Man United as well despite living never going. By strange co-incidence, I've found a few Man City fans now too.

I don't usually talk football with them, because every debate turns into "Well West Ham are $h!t, what do you know?". They don't 'get' why I support West Ham, their loss.

[Hambrosia Stu]

They don't have a very good local league so tend to follow the winning teams - can't blame them I suppose because they're the teams they show most if.

That's the crux of it, imo

My bro-in-law is Costa Rican (looks a bit like Bobby O's avatar). He supports Liverpool. Despite marrying into a family of Hammers, having never been to Liverpool (he's been to East London), and having no attachment to Liverpool, that's the team he chose. He's been here 5 years now, and hasn't wavered in his support of the hub-cap worriers

His reason?
They were on TV a lot in Costa Rica, and he liked Benitez because he speaks Spanish!

He actually supports his local team in Costa Rica (can't remember the name), but reckoned the top European leagues get more TV coverage out there than even the Costa Rican top division. So he (and all of his mates) would have an English team, a Spanish team, an Italian team, etc, etc which they would support when watching games

I think if you have an attachment to an area, it is different. Some asians in east London will see east London as their manor, and I imagine the numbers who do so are growing, whereas I guess others will perhaps still see their country of origin as their true home (even if exiled for decades). I guess as more asians are reaching adulthood who know nothing other than east London (or wherever they are from), more will feel an affiliation with the area, and the club that represents it, swelling the numbers of asian supporters

[Big George]

Overwehlmingly, Asian fans I work with or deal with through work (and its quite a few) support Liverpool or Man U but the number going to the Boleyn is on the rise. Moved from East Stand to STBU last year and many more Asian families and kids are there. We need people who live locally to come in to give the support a sense of palce and connection to its local community

[Cockneyboy311]

I believe that this is generational thing. We (as in white British) generally show our allegiance to a team when we are young. This is normally heavily influenced by a family member (Dad or Grandad) I would say nine times out of ten you will support the football team that your family support. My Dad and two brothers are West Ham so ive been brainwashed from an early age. Getting the kits when small and being taken to games etc. Most Asians kids dont have that so they are kind of on their own when it comes to choosing what team they are going to support. When you are faced with this dilemma its only natural to pick from ones that are mostly successful. This is why most Asians around the 25-40 age group are Liverpool fans.
As the years go on im sure this kind of demographic will change and we will see more British Asians supporting teams other than the "big four"
Either that or they really are just glory hunters

[RichieRiv]

I moved from in front of Richie in the West Upper, down to the West Lower because he stunk so I pretended that I was moving down with my mates

Behave. You moved because your mum thought I was a bad influence on you.

Under my tutelage within a season and half I had this shy and timid boy calling everyone a ****. I was so proud the day I saw you on TV (Wigan I think) going mental. At that point I knew my job was done.

[Vaz Te's Hair]

Being both Asian and a Westham fan (season ticket holder), let me see if I can give you a little insight on how Asian parents think when it comes to football or any other sport on that matter.

(Talking about my Parents) Upton Park since the 80s has always had a large community of Asian people, there have brought over there culture over from Asia and have never adapted to the way of life in London and football in the UK is like cricket in India (the way of life)

Studying and becoming a doctor was never my game plan. I just wanted to watch and play football, but my parents would never see that.

Once I had my own money I started to buy my season tickets, and I have never looked back since, promotions, relegation, being drunk before and at the end of the game … I don’t care I love WestHam and as long as the club is still alive so am I.

[westhamnick]

i am from east london and know quite a few asian fans. think the % is going up and up every year which is great.