West Ham United’s Official Supporters Club, Station 936, recently met in Robilante in the far north west of Italy, to celebrate their 30th anniversary.
Established originally in 1980, thanks to an Italian sports magazine, Guerin Sportivo, which had a special edition ahead of the Hammers’ FA Cup final against Arsenal at Wembley Stadium, and having been fascinated by the great underdog story, with the Irons still the last team from outside the top-flight to win the trophy, founder Gian Vola sent a letter to the Club in 1995, and the rest, as they say, is history, as Station 936 was founded.
Station 936 was officially recognised by the Club as our first Italian Supporters’ Club in 2010, and some of their 5,000 members attend each home game at London Stadium, while they also all meet at least once a year in different cities across Italy.
Having celebrated 30 years since their creation in July 2025, Vola tells us all about Station 936, and how proud they are to have spent three decades within the West Ham family...
Can you tell us about how Station 936 came into existence and the story of the Supporters Club since you founded it?
“It goes back to 1980, thanks to an Italian magazine, Guerin Sportivo, which in the May of that year had a special about our FA Cup final clash. We fell in love with the story of the trophy and the underdog story, and the Hammers won it 1-0 against Arsenal at Wembley Stadium.
“In 1987, the same magazine had a different special edition: London’s Football Grounds, and the one stadium that stood out from the others was of Upton Park.
“In 1995 we sent a letter to West Ham United, and after we got a reply, Station 936 was officially founded. In 2010 we were officially recognised by the Club as the first Italian Supporters’ Club.”
How often do you have members come over for the home games?
“We don’t really attend as a group, but with us having a huge fanbase, I would say that we have a few members of Station 936 at every home game and sometimes even at the away games too, just like in Lyon for the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals in 2022.”
How often as a group do you get together in Italy to watch the games, as you’re now based across most of Italy?
“We meet once a year, at least. Since 2010 we have had meetings in Milan, Florence, Bologna, Vicenza, Padova, Cagliari, Lecce, Turin, Reggio Emilia, Venice, Rome and Robilante, where everything started for us in 1980.”
Tell us about the Official Supporters' Club package. How does it feel to be officially recognised?
“It feels amazing and a huge satisfaction, but we keep our heads down. We respect the history, the heritage and our fellow supporters, and it looks as if everyone has understood us, as we’ve also been recognised also by our English friends.”
And it helps feeling connected to the Club from across the other side of the world?
“It definitely does! Being connected to the Club and with fans from all over the world is very special, and everyone at West Ham is always welcome in Italy with Station 936.”
What’s it been like to watch so many Italians represent West Ham United over the years? Do you have any favourites?
“It’s fantastic to see them in a West Ham shirt, but overall we love to hear that they all loved the Club and the passion from the fans. If I have to pick one [favourite player], I will say Paolo Di Canio, as he embodied the spirit of a true Hammer and still very often wears a tie with the crossed Hammers.”
So, you celebrated your 30-year anniversary earlier this year. How proud are you to reach this milestone, and is it something you could’ve envisaged?
“We celebrated on July 26 and 27 in Robilante, where everything started for us. We could never have imagined reaching 5,000 members and also having many members from the UK. Two friends from London, Chris and Keith, were there with us on both days.”
Did you as a Supporters’ Club do anything special to celebrate the landmark?
“We had a football tournament and a representation in a theatre with our friend Paul Arduino, who told everyone stories and funny facts about our beloved team. I also had a lovely present from Julian Dicks, my favourite player, who sent us a signed picture and his congratulations on the landmark.”
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