That Invisible String

Why do you support the football team that you do? Is it through place of birth, family tradition, the town where you live or just because you like the colour of their shirt?

I've supported West Ham United and nobody else all my life (probably), I saw my first game at Upton Park when I was 4, we were at home to Everton. I didn't choose to support West Ham they chose me, the same way they had chosen my Dad and both my Grandfathers. In fact, coming from an East End background you can count the family members on two fingers who don't support West Ham - an Uncle who supports Southampton and a cousin who supports Spuds. It's difficult to explain to anybody who doesn't follow football why it is that we become fans - certainly even for somebody as reasonably intelligent and articulate as me I usually resort to 'oh you know', 'it's one of those things' type of vague reply.

Following West Ham isn't easy, in fact you sometimes wonder if it would be less painful to have electrodes attached to your genitals for ninety minutes than sit through another dire performance. I've been fortunate to see West Ham in two of their five Wembley Cup Finals, apparently I was so distraught that my Dad wouldn't take me to see the 1965 European Cup Winners Cup Final that I sat on the stairs of my Auntie's house and refused to watch the match on television - I was only five!

Hammers fans have a reputation for being fickle, but the one thing we can agree on is the name of our best ever player - Bobby Moore. I was lucky enough to meet him, just the once, in a sports shop when I was 9 or 10, I remember just standing there smiling at him, like a pre-teenage stalker. I've never cried over the death of somebody who wasn't a close relative but I took a day off work in 1993 after Bobby Moore died from cancer and drove up to Upton Park - one of those strange irrational things us humans (or should that be football supporters?) do sometimes. Seeing all the flowers, scarves and tributes to the only English captain ever to life the football World Cup did make me cry and I wasn't the only well grown man who was doing it.

Times have been tough for the club over the past few years, money problems saw us sell off a decent home produced England six a side team: Glen Johnson, Rio Ferdinand, Michael Carrick, Joe Cole, Frank Lampard, Jermain Defoe - plus having to sell England internationals David James and Trevor Sinclair. Through all of this the home support has been solid with the highest average gates in the Championship during the two seasons we spent down there.

Last season saw West Ham play in their first F.A Cup Final of the 21st Century and be part of what has been described by many people as the finest Cup Final since 1953 - it also saw them play above their natural position for most of the season. At the start of the 2006-7 season Dean Ashton, around whom the pre-season's planning had been done, was injured whilst training with England and he will probably miss all of this season. Alan Pardew has gone to Charlton, replaced by Alan Curbishley formerly of Charlton.

Whoever the players, the manager or the board one thing is contsant in the life of a Hammers supporter - fortunes are always hiding.