2021 will go down as a milestone year for Newcastle United,. That’s due largely to the controversial  take-over of the club by Saudi prince Mohammed bin Salman. Somewhat less publicized has been the recent launch of their new supporters venue in New York City. First Touch is here to redress the balance.

The crowd on 36th Street this bright November morning is an apprehensive mix of regulars and first timers as Peter Dillon’s once again flings open its doors early and wide to welcome in Newcastle fans of all stripes (well black & white ones, mostly). With the season’s first win still on the ‘to do�?list, host Sean Henshaw is nonetheless happy to welcome his flock, forget the present momentarily, and ponder better times, past and future, as a fan of this legendary club.

Becoming A Newcastle Fan

Growing up in Dublin, with his father playing for St. Pat’s in the role vacated by Paul McGrath following his life-changing move to Manchester United, Sean resisted the peer pressure to become a Red – choosing the less fashionable Newcastle United as his team to follow.

“My first game was 2003 vs Blackburn Rovers. Bobby Robson was managing Newcastle, and Graeme Souness was managing Blackburn. We got beaten that day but I fell in love with the place and got obsessed with it.”

At that point Sean’s dad realized his efforts to lure his son back to Old Trafford were a lost cause, as St. James’ Park, Newcastle became the destination of choice for their trips across the Irish Sea.

“We started going to about 2 or 3 games a year. Then once I was old enough to fly by myself I was flying over as often as I could. I think my mother was happy when I moved to New York ‘cos all I was doing was working to make money and then spending it on Ryan Air flights to Newcastle.�?/p>

A Newcastle Fan In New York

Living in New York meant that Sean was able to meet up regularly with the local Toon Army. When Sean took over a neighboring bar with business partner Fergal Titley in 2019 it seemed like a no-brainer and a labor of love to set up a supporters group for their beloved team.

“We were open through the pandemic – at 7:30am when nobody was around. People were afraid to come to the city – so it was a little bit daunting at first. but we still got at least 8 Geordie regulars every week.”

Sean quips that his sales skills must be OK since he also convinced a number of local New Yorkers to start following what he describes as “a bad Steve Bruce version of Newcastle United.�?/p>

“We’re steadily growing, we have our own flag outside and signed jerseys from the club.

Magpies Over America

Undoubtedly, The Magpies profile in America and around the world is only going one way over the next few years, but Sean also thinks its important not to get carried away.

“Fingers crossed we go from strength to strength but you don’t want to lose yourself as a club. It’s about the city. The first five times I went over there we didn’t win, but I loved it. I loved how welcoming the people were, how engaging the fans were. On Matchday it’s brilliant – It’s like a religion. You don’t want to lose the soul of the club, but I think with the fan base we have, that won’t be a problem�?/p>

Peter Dillon’s
2 E. 36th St. (5th Ave)
NYC
212 300 4091

See our full list of Newcastle United supporters clubs here

NY Owls Fan Sara Belshaw Coaches Astoria Kids to Title Before Big Move Home

By Michael Fitzpatrick

The ‘simplest game�?is rarely easy. 

Ask the 1986 Fulham team, beaten 10-0 by Liverpool in a League Cup tie, or the 1995 Ipswich Town lads, who conceded nine versus Manchester United, or perhaps the Thailand girls, thrashed 13-0 by the USA in this year’s World Cup.  Ask them how simple it is.

We’ve all been there, the injury-time winners, the disallowed-goals, the scandalous red cards, and of course, those 10-0 losses. Some of us have anyway. The kids of Queens, New York-based team Saint Joseph’s certainly have. Those thumping defeats, where nothing went right. Goal-kicks volleyed straight back over the line, backpasses that trickled into empty nets, officials unsighted during offside calls. Games, while character-building, were also soul-destroying, as these courageous kids endured a demanding right of passage in the world of football.

It takes a certain type of individual, to steer a ship successfully through such troubled, stormy waters, to reach safety, and indeed, glory, on the other side. Someone with passion, pedigree and positivity.

Sara Takes Charge

Step forward then, English born New Yorker, and Sheffield Wednesday fan, Sara Belshaw. She took over the training of this young team from Astoria and, alongside her assistant coach, former MMA fighter, Sergio ‘The Savage�?Da Silva, turned despair and disaster to jubilation and joy, as ‘Saint Joe’s�?climbed from rock bottom of the league, to champions in a few short seasons.

Saint Joseph’s of the CYO (Catholic Youth Organization) Soccer League, is a squad made up of mostly 9 and 10-year-olds (with the occasional 6-year-old prodigy thrown in). Representing almost a dozen ethnicities, religions and nationalities, the team came to Sara’s attention when she, and her Number One supporter, her mum Jan, were looking for somewhere for her son, James, to play.

Meeting up with fellow coach, renowned martial arts enthusiast Sergio (something of a local legend where kids�?sports are concerned too, as he coaches kids�?basketball, football and baseball), the pair began moulding these young football fanatics into a disciplined unit that began to scrape together positive results, gathering wins and the eventual respect and admiration of many an opponent.

In the space of a few months they’d morphed from a bunch of kids who enjoyed kicking a ball about, yet trudging off the field at full-time a little disheartened and a tad devastated, to a glorious, championship-winning band of brothers (and sisters), whose love affair with the game will no doubt strengthen due to this summer’s incredible memory, as they took home the CYO trophy.

Passion

Says Sara: ‘To join these kids as a volunteer coach and see them grow together has been a truly rewarding experience, personally and professionally. The season I joined was a 10-match season and we lost all ten! Over the coming seasons we lost a few, gained a few, but this group stuck together and by the time they were 4th and 5th grade-bound, they were champions!�?/p>

She added: “There’s no finer example of what determination, passion and persistence can bring. I don’t believe that’s possible without the strengths and bonds of their friendship, loyalty, support and respect for one another, even when they were down. I’m really honored to be part of their story, none of which would’ve been possible without Sergio and the team’s Athletic Director, Jerry Kokkinos.”

Sara, when not coaching kids�?soccer, or doing the whole working for a living/raising her football-mad son James, thing, can be found (on matchdays)  hanging out with her fellow Wednesday supporters (including her mom Jan and the rest of the New York Owls) for every game at  Smithfield Hall on West 25th Street.

Life-Long Sheffield Wednesday Fan

“Wednesday are the team I was born to love, live to love, and love to love (most of the time). I knew I was a fan by choice when I first went to Wembley in �?3, to see Mark Bright score the winner over our city rivals, the Blades, in the league cup semi-final. I was a hysterical 9-year-old, I remember the noise, and the goosebumps, and have bled blue since then. To stick with a team for 30 years, through the highs and lows, you have to have passion. We even have our own supporters groups throughout the USA.”

Growing up watching the likes of John Sheridan, Chris Waddle, John Harkes, Benito Carbone and David Hirst, Sara, born and raised in Sheffield, says, that living there;  ‘Football becomes a habit very early in life. Coaching a group of kids and seeing the next generation love it as much as I do helps me see how, through football, we can bridge one of the many gaps we are facing between ‘us and them�?

Leaving New York

As Sara prepares to leave New York and return to Sheffield with James, she reflects on her time coaching the kids of Saint Joe’s to the title: “I think we did what we came to do. We didn’t stop fighting, we didn’t give up, we lost many many games but were never, ever the losers! I wish all the kids the very best in the future with whatever paths they may take.”

From shouting along the sidelines for the Blues of Saint Joe’s, to singing in the stands for the blue half of Sheffield, the kids of Queens, and the Owls of NYC wish Sara the best of luck back home.

Saint Joseph’s squad: Angel, Austin, Braiden, Christopher, David F, David M. Emerson, Evelin, Haroun, Henry, Jack, James, Julian C, Julian P, Justin, Kevin, Liam, Mahmoud, Maximus, Moussa, Nazir, Rey, Sergio.

Liverpool Fans On the East Coast. A Photo Essay By Janette Beckman – YNWA

The Spring edition of Culture Crush magazine is out now and it’s a must have for lovers of the beautiful game in the North East, especially if you’re a Liverpool fan.

A 40-page photo essay “You’ll Never Walk Alone” presents dozens of amazing shots by legendary photographer Janette Beckman. These stunning images capture the passion and excitement of watching EPL football in a pub on a weekend morning in Boston, New York and Philadelphia.

Writer Joey AX explains the communal rituals involved in supporting your team from across the pond, and why Liverpool and football in general have become so popular here.

Culture Crush is a free magazine with a limited print run and random distribution, so good luck getting your hands on one. We suggest checking your local soccer bars where copies will likely be showing up throughout the upcoming months.

Check out their website at www.theculturecrush.com

FCBarcelona Penya NYC Take Over Midtown Manhattan

As it turned out, they needn’t have worried as they are 3-0 to the good by half time thanks to two goals from Luis Suarez and one from Messi. By full time, Iniesta and Coutinho have added to the tally and the happy members of Barcelona NYC Penya spill onto 25th Street to celebrate.

The Barca fans are no strangers to such rejoicing. Since migrating to Smithfield from their original home at the legendary Nevada Smiths in 2011 they have celebrated winning two Champions Leagues, two World Club Cups, four La Ligas and five Copa del Reys. Not to mention having the pleasure of watching the world’s greatest player week in, week out.

Formation

The NYC Penya was originally formed back in 2001 by a group of ex-pats from Catalonia who have now moved on (the original president is now the president of the Penya in Sao Paolo). The New York club currently has over 500 paying members and is one of the largest Barcelona supporters clubs in the world. The club is now spearheaded by Catalan native Jordi Getman-Eraso who explained to First Touch the appeal of match days at Smithfield.

“What makes it special is that, first of all, we are watching the team that we love. We come here with the expectation that we’re going to watch a great game with the people that we know from every weekend, and we get recognized and treated very nicely by the staff, so we really truly appreciate what they do for us.

“At the same time it is really interesting to see people walk in and faces light up as you see different people that you’ve known for a long time. Some of us have become friends not just as members of the Penya, but much deeper friends. So it’s a gateway in many ways to integration in the city for a lot of people that arrive. Barca fans arrive in the city and they roll into the Penya and then all of a sudden within two or three months they have a series of friends that come to be very important.�?/p>

Matchdays

Game day attracts fans to Smithfield from all over the world, like moths to a flame. On this particular occasion there is one fan who has travelled up from Maryland to ask Jordi some advice on starting a supporters group in Baltimore. The president of the Israel chapter has also stopped by for a visit. And of course gamely wouldn’t be complete without the appearance of Ori and his �?a href="//twitter.com/MessiMobile">MessiMobile�? a contraption that has to be seen to be believed.

The car is completely decorated in Barcelona colors with an amazing attention to detail, from the Barca logo headrests, right down to the MESSI number plate. The car even has a horn that blares out Barca chants as well as a personal tribute from eccentric commentator Ray Hudson.

“My daughter designed this car when she was sixteen years old and then I gave it to a shop that does car wrap,�?explains Oradell, New Jersey native Ori. “She has a passion for graphic design and that’s what she does now.�?/p>

“The car has become the symbol of the Penya NYC. This is our mascot,�?says the proud owner, who enjoys the attention he gets when driving around the city.

“Those who know what this car represents actually cheer and give the thumbs up. Even the local cops around here cheer for this car. Even Real Madrid fans admire it. Driving this car and being a Barcelona fan, you can’t go wrong.�?/p>

NYC FCBarcelona Penya In The Community

As well as enjoying the sense of family and community that Smithfield has helped create for the club, Jordi explains that the Penya is also about returning some of that good will to the community.

“We really try to emphasize the notion of social commitment that Barca is all about, so three years ago we became a non-profit organization. We hold at least three or four big events each year where every member pays an entrance fee. All of that money goes to charity.

It goes to charitable groups in the city that are dealing mainly with young kids that come from disadvantaged backgrounds.

“We work with groups in Queens and the Bronx and we’ve done a couple in Brooklyn. We’ve worked with South Bronx FC, Manhattan Kickers and NYCFC. The whole idea is to try to align the notion of soccer with empowering young kids from poor neighborhoods to really start to feel that they can succeed in life, so we want to use football to channel that.�?/p>

To find out more about NYC FCBarcelona go to;

www.fcbarcelonanyc.com 

twitter.com/FCBarcelona_NYC

www.facebook.com/FCBNYC

USA based fans of the Basque team SD Eibar spread the love both on and off the field.

By David Witchard

Nestled high in the mountains of the beautiful Basque region of Spain, and with a capacity of just 7000 in their charming Ipurua stadium, Eibar’s is a rags to riches story that will tug at the heartstrings of any soccer romantic.

Immediately after gaining promotion to La Liga in 2014 for the first time in their history, the club faced almost certain extinction due to financial difficulties. As is often the case in these situations, it was the fans who came to the rescue through a campaign called Defiende al Eibar (Defend Eibar) which managed to raise the required 4 million Euros to keep the club afloat.

Further horrors presented themselves when Eibar finished their first La Liga season in a relegation position, but they were miraculously spared due to the expulsion from the league of Elche who had financial problems of their own. Things got decidedly better for Eibar from then on and the club now find themselves sitting pretty in the top ten in La Liga.

Eibar Fans In The USA

Eibar’s North American fan base presently consists of a few dozen hardy souls spread far and wide.  Consequently, meet-ups are a geographical and logistical challenge. But as we’ve already learned, Eibar are a club that welcomes a challenge.

“We first got together two years ago in New Jersey when Eibar came on tour here,�?explains John Sager, President of Eibar’s USA Penya who is himself based in California.

“Then last year about 15 of us went to the Real Madrid game in Eibar. We chose New York this time because it’s an easy place to get to as a lot of the fans are on the East Coast,. The Barcelona game was chosen because it’s on a weekend.

“We got in touch with the Barcelona Penya in New York. They invited us to watch it at their home here at Smithfield Hall.�?/p>

It’s unusual to see two sets of opposing fans come together to watch a game shoulder to shoulder in the same bar,. We doubt that the Barcelona clan would extend a similar invitation to their rivals Real Madrid or Atletico.

As Barcelona Penya President Jordi Getman explains, “There is a history of friendship between the two clubs. When Eibar were starting out they were so poor that Barcelona donated a set of shirts to them! That is why they play in the same Claret and Blue colors today. Now that we are in the same league together, the friendship has become a little more competitive.�?/p>

Meet The Eibar Fans

Indeed, the hospitality did not extend to the field of play on this occasion, with Barcelona running out 2-0 winners thanks to goals from Luis Suarez and Jordi Alba. For most New York based fans of any team, a trip to their local supporters bar is just a short subway ride away,. However, the two dozen Eibar fans at Smithfield on this sub-zero February morning have travelled from as far afield as California, Texas, Virginia, Philadelphia, and Chicago.  One fan even made it here all the way from Eibar itself, via Bolivia!

“I am from Bolivia but I’ve been living in Eibar for two years,�?explains Lourdes in her native tongue. She is obviously excited to be here amongst her peers, so much so that our translator has trouble keeping up with her.  “I’m also a part of Eibar’s Penya in Bolivia that has 25 members.�?/p>

Travel

Others in the Penya didn’t have to travel quite so far, including Jane Chu who arrived on the PATH train from Jersey City.

“I was never a fan of any particular team,�?explains Jane. “I never played soccer because I don’t like sweating, but my uncle was always watching games on TV.

“One time I was watching a game, Barcelona against Eibar, and the announcer explained a little bit about Eibar’s history, that story about how they elevated from the third tier, to second tier, and then to first. It was just a really charming story and made me want to look into it. So once I learned more about the club, it made me want to support them.

“During one Google search I found ‘Eibar USA�? so to know there was already a fan club here, very small, very low key, I felt like it was something I could join. It didn’t seem intimidating like joining a big team like Barcelona.�?/p>

Romance

Every good fairy tale ends with the couple who fall in love and live happily ever after. Which brings us neatly to Jon and Emily.

“I’m from Philadelphia, so I’ve always been an underdog kind of guy,�?explains Jon. “Eibar’s story is just amazing, what they were able to do with limited resources, I was just drawn to it.

“When I took Emily on a trip to the Basque region, I was planning to propose. I reached out to the team and asked them if I could propose on the pitch before the match. I didn’t expect a response but they were very accommodating and suggested I do it at half time during the Barcelona match! My heart started racing and I said, ‘alright, let’s do it!�?/p>

Eibar even had their videographer record the events surrounding the proposal.

“Since then I’ve been to three matches, two with Emily, and they are like second family when we go over there, it’s amazing,�?Jon added.

“It’s an annual trip for us now to go over there and see at least one game,�?says Emily. “Usually it’s them against the largest teams in La Liga.�?/p>

Passion

Discovering such a disparate mix of enthusiastic fans coming together for a Spanish match that doesn’t involve both El Clasico teams is surely an encouraging sign for La Liga, and a step in the right direction for a league that is eager to promote itself here in the USA.

Rebeca Diaz Gonzales is a spokesperson for La Liga in New York and she speaks about the league she represents with a genuine passion that is both refreshing and engaging

“What a great experience, right? Having fans abroad from different Penya’s coming together to watch such an important game as Eibar against Barcelona and seeing them interact together and enjoy the game together miles away from home at 10am,”�?she enthuses.

“This is a fantastic atmosphere and it’s what we need to grow La Liga abroad,�?Rebeca continues. “For us, one of the key international strategies is to involve our fans in everything we do, so we have contacts with all the Penya’s in the US, with every La Liga club.

“We are planning more events including a big watch party for El Clasico. The thing is that everybody thinks only Real Madrid and Barcelona have a fan base abroad, but we have at least ten La Liga clubs with fan bases in the US including Eibar, Villarreal, Valencia, Levante, and this is great. There are so many great stories behind those teams from a cultural perspective, from the fans perspective, and how the clubs are managed, and we need to get those stories out.�?/p>

Although this story ended in defeat for the Eibar fans, everybody left Smithfield with a smile on their face, having made a few new friends on their travels. So until we meet again..

Eibar supporters club – www.eibarusa.com

Interview with Brian Toto, President of the Queens chapter of the American Outlaws  – AO Queens

Legendary manager Jock Stein famously stated, ‘ Football without fans is nothing�? When the USA national team awoke from its decades-long slumber in the late 1980s they were fortunate enough to pick up a small but enthusiastic group of followers to cheer them on through the sun and rain. 

By the time the USA hosted the World Cup in 1994, this red-and-white-clad group of fans had expanded and even had a name – Sam’s Army. From then on these dedicated fans would follow their team around the globe and show the world that the USA really had embraced the beautiful game and taken the national team to their hearts. 8000 of them were on hand to help lift the Stars and Stripes to the top of their group in the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa where they finished above England, Slovenia, and Algeria.

Clearly, the support had outgrown the original concept of Sam’s Army. A new supporters group called The American Outlaws took over and organized themselves into local chapters, now over 160 spread across the country. We recently caught up with Brian Toto, the President of the Queens chapter of the American Outlaws (AO).

Brian, can you tell us a little about how the AO Queens got started?

I started AO Queens in the spring of 2011.  I wanted to get the chapter up and running before the Gold Cup that year as to gain some momentum for membership sign-ups during the tournament.  Due to the strange broadcast times that follows international soccer matches; it wasn’t always easy getting into Manhattan for a match day from the outer boroughs.  I wanted to create a chapter closer to my residence.  So I reached out to an Irish pub that was near the subway and I started to go through the process of becoming an official chapter.

How did you manage to get official sanctioning from AO?

The American Outlaws has official requirements to become an officially recognized chapter. Each chapter needs a minimum of 35 paid AO Members, have a “home base�?bar that will show all of the matches with the sound on, and then to fill out the registration paperwork. It took a little while to become official.  But soon enough, we were off and running.

How many members do you have currently? 

The last time I checked, about a month ago, we had about 50 paid members, although, we have a lot more people who follow us on social media. We are active on Facebook (AO Queens), Twitter (@AO_QNZ), and Instagram (ao_queens), so the community can see all of our events and viewing parties.

Where do you meet to watch games?  

Our home bar is Shillelagh Tavern in Astoria located on 30th Ave. They are a great bar with an impressive array of Irish whiskey.  The food is really good too; a modern take on traditional Irish pub food. We get the back, curtained-off area with a large projection screen and its own sound different from the front of the bar.

Do you have any special events planned for upcoming matches?

We consistently have viewing parties for all of the USA matches.  We are looking to have a big party on Friday, October 6th for the USA vs Panama World Cup Qualifying Match. The match time has not been announced yet, but since the match is being played in Orlando, I am assuming it will be around 7 or 7:30.

How do USA fans based in Queens get to join AO Queens?

Fans can go to theamericanoutlaws.com, click Join, and put in AO Queens as your preferred chapter. It costs $25/year plus shipping. For this, you will get an AO T-shirt and an American flag bandana. You will then be eligible for all of the AO Benefits and Discounts. See them all listed on the website. If you are not sure about joining, but just want to watch a match with fellow fans, come on down to Shillelagh Tavern in Astoria and join us. Everyone is welcome and we would love to have you.

By Lorna Evio

Currently competing in Germany’s second tier, Bundesliga 2, the club’s popularity boomed during the 1980s when FC St. Pauli transitioned from being merely a traditional club to more of a so called  “kult�?club. In the early 1980s the average home attendance was 1600, but by the late 1990s St. Pauli were regularly selling out their 20,000 capacity Millerntor-Stadion.

Moderately successful on the field, the club has attracted many of its fans through a strong stand against racism, sexism, fascism and homophobia. Known as the most left wing club in the world, they also have the largest female fan base in German football, which can be partly attributed to their ban on any advertising deemed prejudice against women.

These days, support for FC St Pauli extends all the way to our own East River, specifically at the East River Bar (ERB), located on 97 S6th Street, in Williamsburg, under the bridge.

FC St. Pauli In New York City

Through the magic of the message board, David Barkhymer was able to locate and organize a very small group of local St. Pauli fans and  suggested forming a supporters club which, for David, “sounded more fun than watching the games on my computer alone�?

The group met with Marek, the owner of the ERB and decided that it would be the ideal location of the FC St Pauli supporters club in New York, thanks to its cozy dockyard feel and outside patio where supporters can barbeque and socialize. These days the group averages over 30 fans per game.

David went to his first FC St Pauli game at the Millerntor over 20 years ago and is now committed to arranging the screening all of their matches for the grateful supporters here at the East River Bar.

Having to show the games on tape delay at ERB does not take anything away from the excitement of the match, especially, when you are drinking shots of Knob Creek, a bourbon whiskey that is something of a signature drink with the FC St Pauli supporters because of its “ugly bottle�? So if you enter the bar thinking you are not a whiskey drinker, you will soon realise you are. Trust me.

Watching a game with the FC St Pauli group on a Sunday afternoon with the sun setting and the grill sizzling gave me a sense of how inclusive the group is. It was refreshing to see a football supporters club that welcomes supporters of other teams with such warmth.

St. Pauli And Celtic

Celtic FC is one team that has a special relationship with FC St. Pauli.

“In the early 90s FC St Pauli was not playing in Europe so they decided to support Celtic because both football clubs stood by the same principles,�?explained Kevin, one of a number of Celtic fans who had come down to the bar to cheer on their German friends.

The recorded match comes complete with authentic 15-minute half time break, a chance for the club to collect donations for charity. They have supported various causes such as the floods in Pakistan, the earthquakes in Haiti and Japan, and more recently Oxfam and their humanitarian efforts in Egypt.

The New York soccer community is home to many supporters clubs, all of them doing great work for numerous causes.

What is unique about St. Pauli is how this tiny 2nd division German team can capture the imagination on a global scale through its ideas and what they stand for �?that what happens outside the pitch is just as important as what happens on it.

Find the NYC St. Pauli fans at www.fcstpaulinyc.com

Follow Lorna Evio on twitter at twitter.com/herrightboot

By Lorna Evio

Sean heads up the NYC Hammers (West Ham Supporters Club in NYC) and is often found on his phone tweeting away to his 6000+ followers. He also uses this social media vehicle to pester the owner of West Ham, David Gold, to take notice of the fans in the Big Apple Which Gold did when he re-tweeted a photo of them watching last season’s Wembley play-off final at Smithfield’s NYC.

Sean’s persistence (ten years of sending emails to the club) has achieved some other long overdue results. The NYC Hammers were featured in the final West Ham matchday programme last season. This official recognition gives NYC supporters benefits when they visit their spiritual East London home. Also, it has also opened the door for NYC Hammers to connect to other supporters around the world, and to let them know where they can watch games when they are visiting NYC.

“There is no better New York experience than to wake up in the morning, and watch your team while having a couple of laffs. It also creates feeling of pride, community and shared respect,�?says Sean.

NYC Hammers Find a New York Welcome at Smithfield Hall

“Smithfield has a special atmosphere that will really make you feel that you are at the game,�?enthused Sean. The bar shows all the Hammers�?games live and is also home to other supporter clubs that the lads enjoy some friendly banter with.

Last May’s play off final at Wembley Stadium was one of the most memorable games for Sean. Not only did it bring West Ham back to the Premier League but it was also a chance for him to do some more public relations work and let other fans know that there is a serious fan base in NYC. He also managed to hang the NYC Hammers supporters flag at Wembley on the second tier of their end.

Despite their rich history, West Ham is not one of the so called  ‘big�?clubs. Indeed there are some who question if they can survive in the Premier League. However, they’ve shown the same drive and perseverance as the NYC Hammers have over the years. Subsequently they should have no problem in proving the doubters wrong.

One thing we can be sure of is that West Ham Sean will continue to be on his phone pestering David Gold until he becomes ones his followers. Something tells me he will not have to wait another ten years for that to happen.

Twitter: @nychammer (not a plural as someone already took that handle)