Beginning four years and four months ago, supplying food to six foodbanks in Newham, Irons Supporting Foodbanks (ISF) now supports over 60 foodbanks, homeless centres, community groups and schools across east London and Essex. When we began collecting, it was with a view to supporting Newham Foodbank. Since then, during and post-pandemic, we’ve been in a fortunate position to support many more groups with what we have to offer. Whether it be food, new clothing, sports equipment or seasonal chocolates for the kids. The list continues to grow, as does our possibilities to offer useful support. F ..read more

It’s been a manic start to 2024 after having a baby just before Christmas, but I thought I’d take a break from changing nappies to write about my beloved West Ham. Keeping up with the absolute madness of West Ham is hard enough with all of the crazy news stories we have, but with a baby, the lack of sleep and continuing to run my own copywriting business, it’s stepped up a whole level. It’s a completely different experience not attending games at the moment, especially seeing as our daughter has developed a habit of screaming most evenings (colic is fun), meaning we essentially spend every gam ..read more

The moral indignation that greeted the proposed blue card was both surprising and baffling. Of course it’s all about opinions and we must always respect the views of others. But too few have stopped to consider the real difference it could make. The International Football Association Board (IFAB) is an archaic organisation responsible for the rules of the game. I would be the first one to admit their ideas are sometimes devoid of logic and reason. Endless fiddling with the handball rule is infuriating and ignores the maxim that should be their motto ‘if it ain’t broke don’t fix it’. The nightm ..read more

I wanted to start this piece with a dedication to fellow Blowing Bubbles writer Hugh Southon after his sad passing in March. Hugh is someone I’ve known from the very first day that I decided to create this “Ex” profile. He was the number one source of West Ham news and someone who always showed his passion for the club through his writing. As my account started to develop, Hugh and I would regularly swap news and stories in the hope that together we would be able to piece together accurate and informative articles for West Ham fans. At times we clashed, I guess there was always an element of r ..read more

We’re hurtling towards the end of the season, which means a multitude of things; panic, fear of disappointment, the conclusion of European competitions. But of course, the most important question on everyone’s mind is, who’s going to win Hammer of the Year. It’s harsh though to say that there haven’t been any standouts. We’ve had a mixed season, but key players have kept us afloat and we can say they deserve some recognition for that. Lucas Paqueta is, obviously, a talent to behold. He changes games and we saw how everything went downhill when he was injured at the start of the year. As soon a ..read more

With the season nearing an end, it’s clear that with Fulham, Chelsea and Crystal Palace still to play we will have a few London derbies to contest. I suppose I could include Luton in this mix due to a certain fellow writer having an irrational hatred of them, but with them lying outside the Greater London area, I don’t think they really count. So maybe it’s opportune to look at the history of West Ham and the London derby. Our first recorded derby was in September 1898 in the Thames and Medway league, a 3-0 defeat to Tottenham. No doubt the analysts out there will tell me I’m wrong on that one ..read more

The Hammers hit the headlines with news the club was hiking ticket prices by between 6% and 14%, ignoring the rapidly falling rate of inflation, of just 3.4%. But the detail flagged by the West Ham Supporters Trust (WHUST) was that no new concession-priced tickets will be sold in the best seats. Only band five and six – up in the gods – will be available for concession rates to new applicants. That means someone out of work through accident or sickness and on a reduced income will no longer be able to apply for their seat at a discounted rate. Instead they will have to climb the mountain of st ..read more

Last month the previously unheard of ‘Profit and Sustainability Rules’ reared its head again as another Premier League team was charged for financial breaches. Fresh on the heels of Everton successfully getting their points deduction reduced from 10 to six, it was Nottingham Forest who were charged for the same offence of exceeding allowed losses over a three-year period. So, what punishment did Forest fall foul of? After all, Everton’s charges must set the precedent, and there were reasons for their deductions. But did the Premier League match the original 10 points, or the appealed six? Well ..read more

How do you think your season is going so far? Lisa: I think we are doing well this season. I’m happy where we are in the mid-table scene and hopefully we can keep on progressing from there. We have the potential to catch teams above us like yourselves and there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be able to take advantage of teams who are in the fall. What are your thoughts on your manager? Lisa: Marco Silva has got us a win at Old Trafford which hasn’t happened since 2003. I think that speaks volumes. You always go to Old Trafford hoping for a win and thinking that today is the day but it never actu ..read more

The fear of a Freiburg failure, eliminating West Ham from the Europa league of which we cling so helplessly to, was palpable after the 1-0 defeat in theEuropa-park Stadion. But the boys surged back on English soil with a 5-0 show of dominance over the German side. We showed players on the European stage that we belonged there, that our earlier victories weren’t a fluke, and that we are still as inconsistent as we were when David Moyes took the reins. Having passed through the Round of 16, we were left to watch Mark Noble’s face for a shared reaction as we anticipated the Europa league quarter ..read more