West Ham United has launched ‘Hammers Pride Bar’ in East London to celebrate the upcoming Rainbow Laces campaign across the Premier League and to demonstrate the Club’s ongoing support for LGBTQ+ inclusion.
Hammers Pride Bar in Hackney Wick has been launched to celebrate LGBTQ+ inclusion. Created by the Club in close collaboration with supporter group Pride of Irons, it will be a social space that will encourage people to hold positive conversations about what we can all do to support the LGBTQ+ community and help create environments where everyone feels welcome.
A special launch event for Hammers Pride Bar was attended by former captain and first-team coach Kevin Nolan, and former players Matt Jarvis, James Collins and Anton Ferdinand, while a number of supporters from Pride of Irons and Inclusive Irons also dropped into the lively venue.
The launch event saw everyone take part in a pub quiz that was led by famous Hammers fans Bianca Westwood and Tom Skinner.
Nolan said: “It’s really important that we, as a Club, continue to support and promote Pride Of Irons and Rainbow Laces. I joined West Ham United over ten years ago now and to see how far the work has come around inclusivity, it’s fantastic to see. It’s great to have events like this, where people can interact and mix in a safe space.
“I can remember when Rainbow Laces first came in and we put them in our boots. I used to just wear black boots and the rainbow coloured laces gave my boots a nice bit of colour. We want to keep raising Rainbow Laces and the rainbow because we want all people to feel right at home at West Ham United and not feel like outsiders.
“We are a Club who are completely about diversity and inclusiveness. That’s what events like this one are so important, so our LGBT+ fans can come and truly enjoy being a Hammer.”
Hammers Pride Bar will be open to all for the duration of the Rainbow Laces campaign between 2 and 7 December at Two More Years, a bar located in close proximity to London Stadium.
All Premier League Clubs will be celebrating Stonewall’s Rainbow Laces campaign between 2 and 7 December, which includes West Ham United’s home game at London Stadium against Crystal Palace on 3 December and our away fixture at Tottenham Hotspur on 7 December.
Stonewall is celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the Rainbow Laces campaign with the theme of ‘Lace up, to Keep it Up’, which focuses on the progress that has been made in this area over the last decade, and the ongoing commitment to ensuring football is inclusive and welcoming to all.
Former Hammer Jarvis said: “As former players, to be able to be involved in this, that’s a massive part of what West Ham United is all about and I’m very proud to be involved.
“It’s amazing to see what has been done here, and it’s also amazing just what the Pride Of Irons have been able to do to help inclusivity and help everyone, no matter of gender or sexuality, to go to games and feel safe and welcome.
“There is still loads to do. There are improvements there and that’s not just limited to campaigns like Rainbow Laces. We’re seeing it across the board and the biggest thing over the last few years has been that people are feeling more comfortable talking and being themselves. That’s only a positive thing and one we want to keep encouraging.”
The launch of Hammers Pride Bar comes less than two months after the Premier League recognised West Ham United’s ongoing dedication and commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) by presenting the Club with the highest level of award in this area. It was the second time West Ham United has received the award, having first been presented with the Advanced level of the Premier League Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Standard (PLEDIS) in 2020, which is the top accolade that can be achieved by Premier League clubs.
“It’s been a brilliant event,” Pride of Irons co-chair Jo Bailey said. “To have the ambassadors, as well as Tom Skinner and Bianca Westwood, they’re both absolute diamonds. And we’re building that community even further which is really key to events like this one.
“Football has come a long way in ten years but there is still a long way to go. We’ve all experienced discrimination in our lives and we want to keep pushing to stop that and make the difference. Visibility is really the key.”
Pride Of Irons Committee Officer Lorna Severn added: “It’s been about nine years since Pride Of Irons started and, back then, we could have never imagined we would have been having events like this one. It’s so important to have them because every year we will get messages saying that people didn’t know we as a group existed and they are so pleased to find us.
“I think we’ve been able to give visibility to people who previously couldn’t find their voice, and I’m so proud of West Ham for helping to champion us in that journey for all this time.”
