The West Ham Syndrome

This week Andrew and Max sit down with a man who's done a bit of everything - journalist, author, broadcaster and podcasting powerhouse Sam Delaney. Before any of that, Sam was a parliamentary researcher working alongside Gordon Brown and Ed Miliband, until a switch into journalism took him through Loaded, Heat magazine (as editor-in-chief), Comedy Central UK, talkSPORT, BBC London and his ow...

This week on The West Ham Syndrome, Andrew and Max are joined by Brian Williams, journalist, author and West Ham supporter of over fifty years, to discuss his two books about the club and what it means to follow the Hammers across a lifetime. Brian's first book, Nearly Reach the Sky (2015), is part memoir, part history lesson and part farewell to Upton Park. It traces fifty years of following...

This week on The West Ham Syndrome, Andrew and Max take on the 2026 World Cup and the question West Ham fans have been arguing about for sixty years. Did West Ham win the 1966 World Cup? All four of England's goals in the final were scored by West Ham players. The moves that produced them were rehearsed at Upton Park under Ron Greenwood. The composure that defined extra time was Bobby Moore&a...

This week on The West Ham Syndrome, Andrew and Max are joined by Pete May - journalist, author, blogger and lifelong Hammer - for a wide-ranging conversation about three decades of writing West Ham United. Pete has written five books solely about the club, from Irons in the Soul (2002) and Hammers in the Heart (2005), through to Flying So High: West Ham's Cup Finals (2015), Goodbye to Boleyn...

This week, Andrew and Max are joined by journalist and author Christopher Lepkowski to discuss his book The Slum Sport , which tells the story of the 1985-86 football season - the year that came closer to producing a West Ham title than anything before or since. We explore the extraordinary context of a sport in crisis: the aftermath of Heysel, the Bradford fire, and the total absence of football...

Well. Here we are. In what is easily their least enjoyable recording session to date, Andrew and Max sit down to make sense of the unthinkable - West Ham United's relegation to the Championship after a season that was, in truth, a long time coming. Taking inspiration from A Christmas Carol (the Muppets version, naturally), the lads split this one into three acts. The Ghost of West Ham Past ta...

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 for every year West Ham had called Upton Park home. What followed was 374 days of matchday photography, interviews over email, recorded conversations...

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 Cardiff in a match now widely regarded as one of the greatest FA Cup finals ever played. We take you through West Ham's road to the final, the cont...

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 West Ham United and the Nickelodeon series Renford Rejects — specifically the Series 3 episode, “Another Italian”. For many fans, Renford Rejects was part of growing up: a f...

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 revenues still be financially vulnerable? In this episode of The West Ham Syndrome, we’re joined by football finance journalist Chris Weatherspoon to unpack the...

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 deeply divided city and how supporting West Ham United became a source of solace, identity, and connection during turbulent times. From early supporter groups like th...

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 following a top-half finish, with a squad that mixed experienced leaders and emerging Academy talent. Off the pitch, the club was changing too, with the Dr Martens Sta...

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 of four West Ham books, including the cult classic An Irrational Hatred of Luton, West Ham ’til I Die, The Legacy of Barry Green, and An Irrational Hatred of Everything. Toget...

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.  In this conversation, we explore Martin’s lifelong connection to West Ham and his evolution as a writer, beginning with Our Days Are Few , his raw and compelling account of the turbu...

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.  In this conversation, we explore Martin’s lifelong connection to West Ham and his evolution as a writer, beginning with Our Days Are Few , his raw and compelling account of the turbu...

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 spent years tracking down the most extraordinary collection of match-worn West Ham shirts ever assembled — from the heavy cotton classics of the 1950s to the lightweight modern kits wo...

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 following the move from the Boleyn Ground to the London Stadium. Levi guides us through his research into fan identity, the emotional impact of the stadium relocation,...

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. Callum reflects on the unexpected Facebook message that kick-started his involvement in the 'Inside the Academy' book project, how reconnecting with old t...

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, highs, and heartbreaks of the countless young players striving to make it at The Academy of Football . In this episode of The West Ham Syndrome , Andrew a...

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 , to talk about how the organisation began, how it grew through the challenges of the pandemic and how it continues to make a difference across East London and Essex....

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, moments and misfortunes still haunt West Ham fans to this day. From Saša Ilić conceding four on his only appearance to Marco Boogers’ infamous red card and “ca...

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 inspired him to write the book, the process of researching and interviewing players, and what the stories of figures like Clyde Best and John Charles reveal about football, race...

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 barriers in the late 1960s, to modern icons like Michail Antonio, the boys reflect on the players who’ve shaped the club’s history on and off the pitch. Support th...

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 into the long-term structural problems that keep the Hammers trapped in a cycle of false dawns: short-term managerial fixes, confused recruitment, and a lack of footballing identit...

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’ group chair Paul Colbourne, Andy brings both authority and passion to the table as we explore the state of fan governance at West Ham. Andy shares insights into th...