What comes to your mind when you read the title (if you didn't read the description)? Non-football fans might have guessed it's an academy that teaches football, you are not wrong. Some Football fans might have imagined La Masia, Manchester United, Ajax, Bayern Munich, maybe even Riverplate. But the chance of imagining a small club from the eastside of London named West Ham United is unlikely. I can sense some bubbles of confusion, like what is west ham united? Where are we going with this? What are we talking about? and What does this club which finished 14th on the premier league has to do with the title? Well, it's a long story and long story short, They are the Academy of Football. If you have watched any of West Ham's home matches, you might have seen "The Academy of Football" written in big white letters over the claret carpet near the West Ham Dugout. Why are they called so? Well, because of the sheer number of talents and legends West ham's academy has produced. Also, because of the soul of the club, if there is not at least one academy graduate in their first eleven, it's seen as a backwards step. The club and the fans are proud of this tradition. Not just the academy, it also stands for the style of football The Hammers played, seen as a modern approach to football from the roots up. In other words, an attacking – often passing – style of play. The West Ham Way. (Yes! there is a west ham way) Some people think it's a gimmick;

West ham were called ‘The Aristocrats of English Football” and “The Great Entertainers” in the 60s and 70s.

The hammers, the Irons or simply West Ham United is a club that's not so popular even among some hardcore football fans in our country. This little club who got relegated twice from the Premier league has got nothing to boast about other than the fact that it has not won any Silverware (Trophies) ever since I was born. And only a single 6th position finish in all these years but it did win me as a fan (and also the late Queen Elizabeth was a fan, Yes! I'm in the elite squad, Yaay! me.). I've been blowing bubbles with the Irons and singing "Come On You Irons" every match day from my home, I'll go to the London Stadium one day. (I always wanted to go watch the match at Boleyn Ground, RIP Boleyn 1904-2016)

But. Why? Why I'm I a fan? Every one has a story on how they fell in love with their club, like Messi, Ronaldo, a golden era like Alex Ferguson and Manchester United, Arsene Wenger's invincles (Arsenal) or the colors or their home side. But me and West Ham, have none of these, no big players, no trophies and hell, I didn't even like the colors Claret and Blue (West Ham's colors). But they taught me football is not always about the results and life is not always about success but it's those moments in between the kickoff and final whistle that matters. It's in those tensions, in those breathlessness, in those tears, in those disappointments, in those gasps, in those heartbreaks, in those spontaneous shouts, those screams, the passion, the players, the injuries, the fans, the chants, the stadium, the passes, the crosses, the assists, the misses, the fouls, the reds, the yellows, the penalties, the freekicks, the respect, the frustration, the love, the unity. That's what matters that's what makes us go again, watch again, play again. (PS. there's only one United)

As a West Ham fan, we expect failure. Success is a bonus, really. The club isn’t about winning, never has been. The following is an YouTube video by life-long fans Rob Williams and Jonny Madderson about the club's owner's decisions. (the club and the fans are going through tough times but that's for a different article) I want you to focus on the first ten seconds. That's what 'we' are about, a family.

13 May 2006, FA Cup final, West Ham was defeated by Liverpool and yet as Liverpool and Steven Gerrard lifted the trophy, the West Ham end was still full. You could hear loud and clear chants of “I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles” and “West Ham United, we’re proud of you”. Because they were. The team had lost but they’d given a colossal effort and done themselves and everyone associated with the club proud. This is why I'm a fan. Even in failure, to see and appreciate the beauty of effort, I have learned it here, with my club.

Every English club can argue about the amount of success they have but they don't have a captain who won the world cup for England (aka home of football), Bobby Moore. Three players who had come through the West Ham academy were part of the world cup winning England side; they were Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters.

Moore was the most well-known of the three. He was the caption of the England squad as well The Captain of West Ham United, was later named by Pelé as the "greatest" of all the defenders he had played against.

In the World Cup final against West Germany in which England won 4–2, Hurst scored the only hat-trick ever scored at a World Cup final match (before Mbappe scored it again in 2023), and Peters scored the other goal. This gave rise to the West Ham chant:

I remember Wembley, When West Ham beat West Germany. Peters one and Geoffrey three, And Bobby got his OBE!

YEAH! West Ham Won The World Cup, ask google if you don't believe me!

Now where were we? Bobby Moore yeah. Harry Redknapp, Frank Lampard Sr., Sir Trevor Brooking, Rio Ferdinand, John Terry, Michael Carrick, Joe Cole, Frank Lampard jr., Jermaine Defoe, Mark Noble,.. these are some notable academy products of West Ham. Seven - I repeat- Seven of the England’s 2010 “Golden Generation” World Cup Squad were West Ham Academy graduates. If not for the unfortunate turn of events who knows where West Ham would've reached. David James, Glen Johnson, Christian Dailly, Ian Pearce, Nigel Winterburn, Michael Carrick, Joe Cole, Paolo Di Canio, Trevor Sinclair, Jermain Defoe, Frederic Kanoute --- This was the 2002-03 West Ham Squad (you could even go on to call it the golden generation of West Ham) that got RELEGATED. Our best squad got us relegated, you see the irony, don't you? In this squad our captain was Paolo Di Canio (formerly known as Mr. West Ham). He was in the worst point of his career when he joined West Ham, and boy! did he make an impact?

On the Christmas Day in 2001 he received a phone call “‘It’s a person called Alex Ferguson.’ I thought it was a joke. I thought it was my friend from Italy.”

“My stomach went a bit because it makes you think you have underestimated yourself, that you are bigger than what you thought. Man United call you, try to persuade you to move because they want you. For a couple of minutes you feel big and strong.”

“It was strange for me to say no to Sir Alex. I said ‘thanks, 1000 times thanks, but I can’t. West Ham are the family that warmed to me in the worst moment in my life, I’m the skipper, I can’t.’”

“He told me, ‘Paolo, respect for this, I love people that think in this way. You are the man that I thought you were’.”

“I moved to West Ham not in a normal way, in the worst moment of my life.”

“In the end I remained at West Ham and I don’t have regrets about it, even if United became the best, won the Champions League, winning the leagues. I would never change winning those leagues for the four and a half years I wore the West Ham shirt.”

The way he said, I would never change winning those leagues for the four and half years I wore the West Ham shirt. That's why I love this club. We are a club of dreamers, who holds the badge close to the heart, these colors don't run. Everyone associated with the club, will say THIS IS A FAMILY. Di Canio stayed with the club while in relegation and got us promoted in 2005. "We were back, again, back where we belong"

Until we got relegated again in 2010-11. Then we were back again in 2012 -- I remember the some higherup in the Football Association Saying: "Next time they get relegated, make sure they get relegated for two seasons." Why did he say that? Because we were apparently celebrating too much with the chants "We are back where we belong."

But who cares we are back and we are going back or so I believe. (last four seasons were pretty confusing and terrifying).

And about our chants, we are probably the most loud, beautiful as well hilarious in chanting.

Our anthem -- Something that every Hammer holds really close to their heart and their lives;

"I'm forever blowing bubbles... pretty bubbles in the air... they fly so high... nearly reach the sky... then like my dreams they fade and die... fortunes always hiding... and I've looked everywhere... I'm forever blowing bubbles... pretty bubbles in the air.. United 👏👏👏 United 👏👏👏."

Our chants include "How shit you must be, We are winning away", "Are you tottenham, Are you tottenham, Are you tottenham in disguise?" -- Any team that is playing bad must be tottenham (Oh we hate the Spurs. We also hate Chelsea and boy! don't get me started on Millwall -- Basically we hate every other London Clubs, but Spurs and Chelsea more) "Let's pretend, Let's pretend, "Let's pretend we've scored a Goal!"

We also have some heart touching ones that made us (atleast me cry once)

"Ain't nobody like Lanzini, Makes me happy, Plays the West Ham Way!" "Ain't nobody like Lanzini, Makes me happy, Plays the West Ham Way!"

"We got Payet, Dimitri Payet, I just don't think you understand, He's Super Slav's Man, He's better than Zidane, We got Dimitri Payet" -- he who must not be named.

"Too Good For England, Too Good For England, Too Good For England, Too Good For England" -- Sang for Mark Noble, Mr. West Ham himself. Noble was not selected for the World Cup Squad despite being the talent he is. And don't get me started on his penalties, his penalty conversion rate was the highest in the World, Lewandoski was No.2 to him. He could easily played for the England national team, if he were to change his club to maybe the "Big 6." But no, he didn't he chose us. He chose to spent all his career in West Ham United. The Mr. West Ham. In his own words "this is his home, his family" those people who come to the Boleyn to watch the game were not fans, but family for him.

We lost Boleyn Ground aka our beloved Upton Park in 2016. In the last match, we beat Man United 3-2. The new home ground, London Stadium is complicated, gotta get used to it.

I remember the day, when I wanted to watch a club football game for the first time. In my mind I was already a Manchester United fan, because I love the color Red. I was watching this game, my first club football game -- Manchester United vs West Ham United. Rooney decimated the opposition and when the final whistle blew. United became the club of my life, not Manchester for whom I watched the match. It was West Ham, the passion in the fans, even in this big of a loss, I knew I found my club. And ever since till this day, I have a claret heart and a blue soul.

Now, they are in Prague for their big date with Fiorentina. European Conference League Final. This time I have a lot of hope. Maybe today I will be able to see my club lift a Trophy. Maybe they won't. If they don't I want to tell to West Ham -- I'm proud of where you are, from being in the relegation battle in Premier League to the Final stage of the Conference League. I believe in our Captain, Declan Rice - to lift the Trophy at Prague - in his final game in the West Ham Colors. Even if this doesn't end in a fairytale fashion, I will always be West Ham Till I Die. Go Get The Trophy Lads.

Come On You Irons!