Early 1900s to 1950s — West Ham fans were proper East London working-class through and through, born from the Thames Ironworks shipyard roots. They were loyal, community-driven, and turned out in decent numbers at the Boleyn Ground, but it was more about local pride than massive glamour. The rivalry with Millwall kicked off right from the club’s first games in the 1890s and got ugly quick — fights in the stands as early as 1906. The anthem “I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles” became a thing in the 1920s, and fans stuck by the club through the lean years. Not much trophy joy, but they were the heartbeat of the East End.
1960s to 1980s — This is when things got intense. The club finally delivered silverware — FA Cups in ’64, ’75 and ’80, plus that European Cup Winners’ Cup in ’65 — and the fans went absolutely mental celebrating. But alongside the party, hooliganism exploded. The Mile End Mob in the 60s turned into the Inter City Firm in the late 70s, one of the most notorious firms in football. They travelled by train to away games, left calling cards on rival fans, and built a reputation that scared people. The atmosphere at Upton Park was electric and intimidating — passionate, loud, and sometimes properly nasty. West Ham supporters became known as proper hard nuts, and films like Green Street later cemented that image.
1990s to 2000s — The hooligan days started to fade as policing got tighter and all-seater stadiums came in, but the fiery reputation stuck. Fans protested against the board a few times, invaded the pitch over ticket schemes, and kept the rivalry with Millwall burning — there were still nasty clashes, like the 2009 one that got the club fined. On the pitch it was up and down, with a few promotions and that 2006 FA Cup final, but the support stayed rock-solid. More international fans started jumping on board thanks to the growing Premier League profile, and the “bubbles” chant was still belted out every week.
2010s to now — The move from the Boleyn to the London Stadium in 2016 was a massive shift — a lot of the old-school intimacy got lost, and some fans never forgave the board for it. There’ve been protests against the owners, pitch invasions, and plenty of moaning about the atmosphere not being the same. But when it matters, the fans still show up — that 2023 Europa Conference League win sparked huge street parties and a proper East End celebration. Hooliganism is way down, though they still lead the league in some arrest stats when things kick off. Overall, West Ham fans are seen as loud, loyal, a bit old-school, and not afraid to make noise — good times or bad. They’ve got that underdog spirit that just won’t die.