The Dubai Hammers Supporters’ Club were in for a treat on Saturday as they watched their West Ham United heroes train in their home city.
Many members of the Club, as well as a number of other West Ham fans out in the UAE, came to watch the open training session and were able to meet the stars of their TV screens after.
Dave Leader, who heads up the Supporters’ Club, said it was a marvellous day for all their members, and explained how the group was formed four years ago.
“It’s fantastic. It’s a dream come true, especially if you’re the kids who can’t come to the bar, so it’s nice for them who will hopefully meet their idols, if you like.
“When we came up to the Premier League, there were pockets of West Ham supporters all over Dubai, so we decided to all get together to have one place to meet,” he said. “That’s what we did, we organised a Supporters’ Club and here we are.
“We see every single game, every kick, every week. There is normally a nucleus of around 40 to 50 guys who get together in the Nelsons Pub and they deck it out in flags and memorabilia and every game is shown live here so we are very fortunate.
“Everybody is passionate about their Club and and we didn’t realise that there were actually so many. On our Facebook page, we have over 500 members who are signed up, so everybody is passionate and we are out here for West Ham.
“I’ve seen three games at London Stadium, and I was absolutely blown away by the Stadium. It’s the way forward, without a shadow of a doubt. A lot of the members in Dubai are also Season Ticket Holders, and they all get back quite a bit for business and pleasure.”