It’s almost an illness…

99% who visit this website I assume are West Ham supporters of varying levels. I’ve always thought of myself as something of a fanatic, however an event occurred a couple of weeks ago that had people around me contemplating whether or not it was bordering on obsessive or an illness.

2 weeks ago, I once again made my annual sojourn to Reading Festival. An enjoyable Friday evening was spent watching The Cure headline, coupled with the breaking news that Green Day were playing an unadvertised performance on the Saturday lunchtime. And I had no intention of watching Green Day. Admittedly their commercial punk struck a chord with me and I knew they were one of the biggest bands in the world, BUT West Ham were playing Swansea City live on Sky and I had to watch that instead. Our first televised game since promotion or Green Day playing an impromptu set? There was only ever one winner (unfortunately it was Swansea!) This I didn’t think out of the ordinary, however, when stopping security guards and asking where I could see the game instead of watching Green Day was met by Choppy, with whom I went to the festival, with shakes of the head, tuts and sighs of derision, I knew we had a problem. On explaining this was not an obsession and I’d never done it before I started to think back and realised I may be wrong…..

In the summer of 2005, myself and my then girlfriend had a holiday to Malta. Unfortunately, bad planning on my part meant we’d be there for our first game of the season, home to Blackburn Rovers. Pretending best I could that it didn’t concern me I suggested a morning/early afternoon’s sightseeing followed by late lunch at about 4pm. We settled down at just after 4, outside a large ish bar that I chose. Concern over my quiet demeanour was explained with reasoning of tiredness and possible heatstroke which would no doubt pass if I relaxed for a couple hours. All this of course was believable until Nigel Reo-Coker put us 2-1 up and it became hugely obvious that I’d been watching the game over her shoulder all along. Oops.

 

The final part of my obsession trilogy shows me in another light. In January 2011 two friends of mine were getting married with the service at lunchtime and the reception from 5pm. I’d agreed in advance to say a few words at the reception. However, I’d agreed before I checked the fixture list and the early part of the reception clashed with West Ham v Arsenal, now known as ‘The Wayne Bridge Debut’ Was I to miss the game and stay at the reception? Was I to go down the pub, watch the match and rejoin the party later. On this occasion I had to do what was right. I rejoined the party literally straight after the game complete with hammers scarf and greeted with glares frostier than the January weather outside.

So this is my obsession. Complete with a signed Diamanti shirt and match worn Di Canio shirt hanging on my wall at home, numerous scarves, replica kits and general memorabilia, West Ham makes up a huge part of my life. But is it an illness as suggested by my mate Choppy?! And have any of you gone to further lengths to watch the beloved Hammers? Post a comment if so!