Since West Ham United was formed in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC, much has changed, but the Club’s values have remained the same. This is a club for honest, hardworking people. A club that belongs to east London.
One of the most culturally diverse areas of the capital, there’s a richness that comes from the togetherness shown in every corner of east London. It’s part of the fabric of our club. Of course, we celebrate flair and talent, but we fall in love with the grafters, those who combine hard work and skill.
It’s not just the Claret and Blue that binds us. It’s the values we wear and the people we represent. We are United by More.
To celebrate the release of our 2025/26 Home Kit, we invited supporters from across our fanbase, representing different generations, backgrounds, and experiences, to be part of our launch shoot. Among them were West Ham fans from Blesma, The Limbless Veterans, a long-standing charity partner of the Club.
Blesma supports serving and ex-Service men and women who have experienced life-changing limb loss. The charity ensures its members are never forgotten, failed, or left to navigate life alone. Gambahadur Gurung, a council tax officer, Danny Green, an engineering manager at Thames Water, and Matt Weston, an employability support worker at Barclays, had all previously served in the Armed Forces before losing limbs.
“When I watch West Ham, I feel my dad is watching too”
For Gambahadur, West Ham is synonymous with family: “I was born in 1961 Singapore to a family of West Ham supporters. My Dad was a huge West Ham fan. Although he passed away, when I go to watch West Ham games, I feel like my Dad is also watching with me.”
“I support West Ham, and West Ham supports us”
Danny Green, now an engineering manager at Thames Water, was born and raised in east London. A third-generation Hammer, Danny sees the Club as an extension of his own community and history.
“West Ham has always been a club that relies on its local support. I was born and raised around here, so it’s natural. You follow your local team for life. My dad did. My grandad did. It’s a tradition.
“It’s great to be part of that same community now, and to feel the Club supporting us at Blesma too. You see a big Blesma sign outside the stadium and it’s a reminder that the Club sees us. It’s a lovely feeling, being recognised.”
“It starts with football, but it’s so much more”
Matt Weston served in Afghanistan as part of an advanced search team, losing both his legs below the knee and his right hand in an IED explosion.
A long-time Season Ticket holder with his father, Matt lost his father to cancer in March 2022, on the evening of West Ham’s famous UEFA Europa League victory over the competition’s most successful team Sevilla. A game which, despite the circumstances, he recalls very fondly.
“I got the message just before that my Dad had passed away. He’d said before the game ‘We probably ain't going to win that one, they're a really good team’. But we did. Andriy Yarmolenko scored the winner, not long after the invasion of Ukraine. It was emotional. We didn’t win the competition, but that night means everything to me.
“Other clubs might try to buy their fans, but with West Ham, it’s about community. It’s family. It’s passion. I remember young Isla Caton, who passed away from cancer at just seven. The way the Club stood by her and her family, that’s what West Ham is. It starts with the football, but it's so much more than that. It doesn't stop when the whistle goes and it certainly doesn’t end outside the stadium. It's more than that. It's a community thing.” It’s a community thing. Always has been.”
The 2025/26 West Ham United Home Kit is available to purchase online and in store now.
