The West Ham Syndrome
Welcome to The West Ham Syndrome, a podcast about West Ham, but with a bit of a twist. Look, we know there are already loads of brilliant Hammers pods out there, but this one’s going to be a little different. We’re not just here to ride the highs and lows of every matchday. Don’t worry, we’ll still talk about the games, because that’s what we all live for, but our focus is more on everything else that makes West Ham, well… West Ham.
We’ll be getting into the bigger stories off the pitch and we’ve got some fun features lined up too. Think rewatching old season review DVDs, flicking through classic programmes and magazines, and unearthing some of the forgotten stories that make following this club such a rollercoaster.
So, if you’ve ever wondered why supporting West Ham feels like a condition we can’t quite shake, this one’s for you. This is The West Ham Syndrome, talking West Ham beyond the matchday.
Episodes
20 episodes
No Place Like Home - Joseph Fordham on Documenting the Last Days of Upton Park | Season 2: Episode 2
In 2015, with West Ham's move from the Boleyn Ground to the London Stadium announced, photographer and creative director Joseph Fordham set himself a task: to collect 112 portraits and personal accounts from fans, players and club figures - one...
The 2006 FA Cup Final, 20 Years On | Season 2: Episode 1
We're back! Season 2 of The West Ham Syndrome is here and we're kicking things off with a special episode marking the 20th anniversary of the 2006 FA Cup Final.On 13 May 2006, West Ham United faced Liverpool at the Millennium Stadium in ...
Renford Rejects - the West Ham Episode | Season 1: Episode 18
In this episode of The West Ham Syndrome Podcast, we’re doing something slightly different.Instead of focusing on matchdays, players, or club politics, we’re heading back to the 1990s to revisit a memorable crossover between Wes...
West Ham and the Financial Impact of Relegation (Interview with Chris Weatherspoon) | Season 1: Episode 17
West Ham United are ranked 20th in Deloitte’s Football Money League, placing them among Europe’s highest-revenue clubs. And yet, as this season has shown, they remain firmly entangled in a relegation battle. How can a club with elite-level reve...
"The only religion is West Ham". The Belfast Hammers with Peter O'Prey | Season 1: Episode 16
In this episode, we’re joined by Peter O’Prey – lifelong Hammer, retired teacher, and the founder and Chairman of the Belfast Hammers.Growing up in Belfast during the height of the Troubles, Peter reflects on what life was like in a deep...
The 2000/01 Season in Review | Season 1: Episode 15
In this episode of The West Ham Syndrome, we look back at the 2000/01 season, a campaign that didn’t end in disaster or success, but still feels important when viewed in hindsight.Under Harry Redknapp, West Ham came into the season follo...
Rob Banks on An Irrational Hatred of Luton | Season 1: Episode 14
In this episode of The West Ham Syndrome Podcast, we’re joined by author and Hammer Rob Banks, whose writing charts the emotional highs and lows of following West Ham United across more than four decades.Rob is the author ...
Martin Godleman (Matchday Annoucer and Author) on Giving West Ham Its Voice (Part 2) | Season 1: Episode 13
This week on The West Ham Syndrome, we sit down with one of the voices and chroniclers of West Ham United: Martin Godleman, author, journalist, broadcaster, filmmaker and stadium PA announcer at the London Stadium. I...
Martin Godleman (Matchday Annoucer and Author) on Giving West Ham Its Voice (Part 1) | Season 1: Episode 12
This week on The West Ham Syndrome, we sit down with one of the voices and chroniclers of West Ham United: Martin Godleman, author, journalist, broadcaster, filmmaker and stadium PA announcer at the London Stadium. I...
Inside West Ham’s Greatest Match-Worn Collection with Mick Clifford | Season 1: Episode 11
In this episode of The West Ham Syndrome, Andrew and Max sit down with Mick Clifford, lifelong Hammer and author of the stunning book Playing for the Shirt: One Hundred West Ham United Match-Worn Shirts.Mick has ...
Identity, Heritage & the Case for a West Ham Museum with Levi Tippett | Season 1: Episode 10
In this episode of the West Ham Syndrome, we dive into the heart of West Ham United’s identity with researcher Levi Tippett, whose MSc dissertation explored how heritage shapes what it means to be a Hammes, especially in the years follow...
Inside West Ham's Academy with Graduate Callum McNaughton | Season 1: Episode 9
In this powerful and deeply honest episode, we sit down with former West Ham United defender Callum McNaughton to explore his journey from Chadwell Heath to the first team and the complex inner world that shaped the path along the way.Ca...
Inside the Hopes, Highs and Heartbreaks of West Ham's Academy with Paul Brand | Season 1: Episode 8
West Ham United’s academy has produced some of the most iconic players in English football history, from Bobby Moore and Trevor Brooking to Rio Ferdinand and Declan Rice. But behind the legends lies a far more complex and human story: the hopes...
Interview with Irons Supporting Foodbanks | Season 1: Episode 7
With Christmas on the horizon, The West Ham Syndrome Podcast takes a look beyond the pitch to explore how the West Ham community looks after its own. Andrew and Max are joined by John Ratomski, founder of Irons Supporting Foodbanks
The Hammer House of Horror XI | Season 1: Episode 6
In this Halloween special of The West Ham Syndrome Podcast, we dust off the cobwebs and open the creaking doors of Upton Park’s darker history to unveil our Hammer House of Horror XI, the eleven players (and one manager) whose performances, mom...
'The Black Hammers' interview with Dr Brian Belton | Season 1: Episode 5
In this episode of The West Ham Syndrome, we’re joined by Dr. Brian Belton, author of The Black Hammers: The Voices of West Ham United’s Ebony Heroes (2006). Nearly twenty years on from its release, Brian reflects on what insp...
Black History Month X11 | Season 1: Episode 4
In this special episode of The West Ham Syndrome Podcast, Andrew and Max kick off their series of episodes celebrating Black History Month by naming their all-time Black West Ham United XIs. From trailblazers like Clyde Best, who broke...
Groundhog Day at the London Stadium? | Season 1: Episode 3
After the chaos of Potter’s sacking and Nuno’s arrival, The West Ham Syndrome Podcast takes a deeper look at the club’s biggest recurring issue - how West Ham United is actually run.In this episode, Andrew and Max dig int...
Andy Payne OBE on the Fan Advisory Board and the Fight for Change | Season 1: Episode 2
In our episode proper of the West Ham Syndrome Podcast, we sit down with Andy Payne OBE, Co-Chair of West Ham United’s Fan Advisory Board (FAB) and representative of Hammers United. Described as “pretty f’ing impressive” by supporters’...
Introducing the West Ham Syndrome | Season 1: Episode 1
Welcome to The West Ham Syndrome, a podcast about West Ham, but with a bit of a twist. Look, we know there are already loads of brilliant Hammers pods out there (and yeah, we listen to them too), but this one’s going to be a little different.&n...
