As part of the series of events to mark West Ham United’s final season at the Boleyn Ground, the Club will use the upcoming fixture against Crystal Palace to celebrate the Hammers’ dedicated overseas fans.
The ‘Over Land and Sea’ themed match on Saturday 2 April will salute all those supporters who travel from abroad to follow West Ham, as well as the tens of thousands who gather together to watch the Club’s matches on television at all hours of day and night around the world.
This follows themed matches earlier in the season celebrating the ‘Greatest Goals’ and ‘Greatest Moments’ at the Boleyn Ground, and saluting the achievements of ‘The Boys of ’86’, ‘Cult Heroes’ and the Hammers’ famed Academy of Football.
Saturday’s visit of Sunderland, meanwhile, will pay tribute to Bobby Moore, his 1960s contemporaries and their spectacular achievements in Claret and Blue.
There are currently upward of 50 official international West Ham supporters’ clubs, stretching from New Zealand to New York and Istanbul to Illinois. As West Ham’s global reach continues to grow, each month sees new clubs from every continent applying for official supporters’ club status.
Many of those clubs will be represented at the Boleyn Ground on the day and West Ham will also be encouraging all overseas Hammers fans to take part via social media using the hashtag #OLAS, sending their messages, pictures and videos to let the Club know where they are watching the game.
Further details of how you can take part and get in touch on the day will be published on whufc.com in due course, while tickets for the Crystal Palace fixture go on sale to Academy Members from 9am on Tuesday 23 February. Supporters can visit the Box Office here.
Players from well over 50 different nationalities have played for West Ham during the Club’s long and glorious history, and the themed match on 2 April will also be an opportunity to recall the great memories created at the Boleyn Ground by the Hammers’ overseas legends.
In honour of dearly departed Aussie Dylan Tombides, the fixture will also be a poignant opportunity to raise awareness of the DT38 Foundation and their life-saving work. Back in 2014, the Hammers met Crystal Palace at the Boleyn Ground just 24 hours after young Dylan lost his brave battle with testicular cancer. Eagles skipper and fellow native Australian Miles Jedinak is a patron of Dylan’s namesake charity.
It promises to be another special day of a very special final season at the Boleyn Ground, and one which will show just how far and wide the West Ham family has spread.