Do West Ham attract Asian fans?

[Bobby Orangeboom]

Can I just say....

"Who gives a **** what colour your face is, so long as the blood that coarses through your veins is claret and blue"

There we go, that's the bottom line and if it applied to lots of other things in Society in the UK and the wonderful Media took this attitude, the UK would be a better place undoubtedly.

[Bobby Orangeboom]

Having put in a 12 stretch in s.e asia im with Bobby O on this one....it is without doubt quite sad how much not losing face matters to almost all of the s.e asian people ive had the *cough* good fortune to do business with in this part of the world.

However! my wife still knocks up a mean green curry!! and she loves the mighty Hammers!!!

Of course you agree with me, between us we've got 20 years plus in Asia and aren't sitting in the UK telling people what's what where Asia's concerned after watching Judith Chalmers for half an hour..

[Paddy O'Hammer]

Great picture in Facebook - from Indonesia



Sheeesh - our baldy gits are everywhere

[alazhay]

Can I just say....

"Who gives a **** what colour your face is, so long as the blood that coarses through your veins is claret and blue"

+1

[Jedi Al Khalaas]

Notice that the Indonesian Hammers are totally accepting Baldy , since all West Ham fans see only one colour Claret & Blue.

[bubbles1966]

Great photograph that makes you go

Chris Bisson ringer from Emmerdale in the XL shirt....

[The Boleyn Hound]

Interesting discussion about "face" and not wanting to generalise / stereotype.

In my experience BO is correct, in SE Asia at least. I have spent time in many countries in the region and it is undeniably true.
It doesn't mean they don't have individual perspectives, ideologies etc. Though! - but keeping face is so ingrained over here that it is as common to the culture as say shopping/materialism is to the west.

Doesn't mean we don't have other things going on in our lives...but it is cultural.

For the record I have met hundreds of people in SE Asia and h e heard people say they support:

Man U
Man City
Chelsea
Arsenal
Blackburn (!!)

I have met two people in SE Asia that support West Ham...one a Hammer because he liked PDC (now moved on to Man City), and the other a guy from Essex living in Borneo!

[Hammer Dad]

Am probably in a unique position in giving both sides of the story. Am 38 years old, grew up in Ilford and supported Liverpool my entire life and have been going to Anfield at least once a season for the last god knows how many years. Started supporting them around the early eighties when I was a kid and as my dad had no affiliation to any side I just picked the side that we heard the most about.

Over time, through school we kept on winning everything, as it was the mid-eighties, my mother wouldn't let me go to (Upton Park) see the football because of all the hooliganism you'd see on tv. Actually went to my first game at university and fell in love with going to the footy. Obviously having supported Liverpool for that long, there was never any reason to change.

Then my son came along and the more I thought about it, the more I wanted him to be rooted locally, we live in Wanstead and have no plans of moving anywhere in the longer term and will always be around here. It took me two years to get my heart around to what my head was thinking but in the end it came down to: a) This (Redbridge) is where my son and I are from and West Ham is our local team b) the idea of schlepping to Anfield a few times a season doesn't attract, c) not supporting West Ham means my son and I miss out on going to a lot more games including evening ones, this is supposed to be father and son time for us after all d)If I buy two season tickets, he can go with my dad at times or I can take visitors from over for some typically English e)I've been to Arsenal and as much as I like the football, it's too middle-class, like watching a game at Twickenham and finally f)I've always had a soft spot for West Ham as the local team.

My choice of supporting Liverpool was certainly not about face, just that when there are no pre-existing allegiances, it's easier for a kid to support one of the glamour sides. Now that I'm thinking about what is best for my son and I in the future (he's not 4 till December), I've gone with West Ham and though there'll be a piece of me that'll always be Liverpool, by the start of the 14/15 season, I'll be a season-ticket holder with my son and then for generations to come.

Incidentally, it's been reassuring to hear of the positive experiences of all the Asian fans at Upton Park. Other Asian friends of ours who've just moved to New Malden have decided to raise their boy to follow AFC Wimbledon instead of Chelsea or Fulham that so many around that way do. So some of us are making the change for right reasons.

[Rocketron]

Nice first post. Welcome to the WHU/KUMB family.

[Major]

Am probably in a unique position in giving both sides of the story. Am 38 years old, grew up in Ilford and supported Liverpool my entire life and have been going to Anfield at least once a season for the last god knows how many years. Started supporting them around the early eighties when I was a kid and as my dad had no affiliation to any side I just picked the side that we heard the most about.

Over time, through school we kept on winning everything, as it was the mid-eighties, my mother wouldn't let me go to (Upton Park) see the football because of all the hooliganism you'd see on tv. Actually went to my first game at university and fell in love with going to the footy. Obviously having supported Liverpool for that long, there was never any reason to change.

Then my son came along and the more I thought about it, the more I wanted him to be rooted locally, we live in Wanstead and have no plans of moving anywhere in the longer term and will always be around here. It took me two years to get my heart around to what my head was thinking but in the end it came down to: a) This (Redbridge) is where my son and I are from and West Ham is our local team b) the idea of schlepping to Anfield a few times a season doesn't attract, c) not supporting West Ham means my son and I miss out on going to a lot more games including evening ones, this is supposed to be father and son time for us after all d)If I buy two season tickets, he can go with my dad at times or I can take visitors from over for some typically English e)I've been to Arsenal and as much as I like the football, it's too middle-class, like watching a game at Twickenham and finally f)I've always had a soft spot for West Ham as the local team.

My choice of supporting Liverpool was certainly not about face, just that when there are no pre-existing allegiances, it's easier for a kid to support one of the glamour sides. Now that I'm thinking about what is best for my son and I in the future (he's not 4 till December), I've gone with West Ham and though there'll be a piece of me that'll always be Liverpool, by the start of the 14/15 season, I'll be a season-ticket holder with my son and then for generations to come.

Incidentally, it's been reassuring to hear of the positive experiences of all the Asian fans at Upton Park. Other Asian friends of ours who've just moved to New Malden have decided to raise their boy to follow AFC Wimbledon instead of Chelsea or Fulham that so many around that way do. So some of us are making the change for right reasons.

Liverpool have one bad season and we go to Wembley and you change teams!!! Liverpool fans have always been fickle bastards!!!!

[bobbymooresbracelet]

How about half price season tickets for Asian fans to help balance the numbers .

[freddies shears]

I knew a few indians used to go but but but but bu but but not sure now

[Sweeney Bod]

How about half price season tickets for Asian fans to help balance the numbers .

Then call me Stephen Singh

[Hammer Dad]

Not sure discounts for Asians is the way to go, it'll feel like a penalty to those who aren't. Better that some outreach stuff is done to attract a new crowd to Mosques, Temples and Gurdawaras and also churches where East Europeans go. I think the thing to promote with Asian fans is that it's safe entertainment and not a mass gathering of EDL members, a few of whom are at every club as is their right.

Get the promotions and marketing right and there's no reason why in terms of worldwide support why West Ham can't be as big profile wise as Arsenal (pre-Wenger), Chelsea (pre-Abramovich) and Spurs now.

[Sweeney Bod]

Great picture in Facebook - from Indonesia



Sheeesh - our baldy gits are everywhere

Cyril has lost weight

[kayahammer]

Having put in a 12 stretch in s.e asia im with Bobby O on this one....it is without doubt quite sad how much not losing face matters to almost all of the s.e asian people ive had the *cough* good fortune to do business with in this part of the world.

However! my wife still knocks up a mean green curry!! and she loves the mighty Hammers!!!

Of course you agree with me, between us we've got 20 years plus in Asia and aren't sitting in the UK telling people what's what where Asia's concerned after watching Judith Chalmers for half an hour)

I've also been in Thailand a while (14 years). My wife is Asian (1/2 Thai 1/2 Indian) and I'm West Ham. So the answer is yes, West ham do attract Asian females (What was the original question? )

[Hammers Dad]

I noticed in that pic that not one of them is looking at the screen....bloody poseurs, just want to be associated in some small way with the mighty Hammers until the next fad comes along!

[Hammer Dad]

@Rocketron - thank you.

@Major - hahaha, very good!

@Hammers Dad - Do people really follow the Hammers as a fad?

@Booby Oranjeboom - Think when the post went up asking about Asian fans, the selected links accompanying it made me think it might have been referring to the Indian Sub-Continent rather than South East Asia but I may be wrong.

[vietnammer]

/\ Hindeedy, to a Yank Asia means Japan, Korea, Thailand, China & Vietnam and the Pacific side , whereas we use the term with the sub-continent in mind. All to do with wars, or maybe just cricket!

[Hackney Hammer]

How about half price season tickets for Asian fans to help balance the numbers .

Why? If they wish to support their local club, great. They can pay the same as the rest of us.