For two weeks this summer, the United States is the centre of the West Ham United world.
The Hammers are currently in the middle of a fortnight-long trip to Florida, visiting the Sunshine State for the first time in the Club’s history, competing in the Stateside Cup, meeting supporters from across America and beyond and immersing themselves in the local cultures and communities.
West Ham are one of no fewer than ten Premier League clubs visiting the US this summer, with two, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Crystal Palace, providing the Irons’ opposition in their two Florida fixtures in the cities of Jacksonville and Tampa respectively.
After defeat to Wolves last weekend, the Claret and Blue Army will face off against the Eagles this Saturday, 3 August (7pm EDT), at Raymond James Stadium. The match will be available to watch worldwide on West Ham TV via whufc.com and our official mobile app – with passes available now for just £4.99! Alternatively, if you are in the United States, come along and watch West Ham live and in-person! Tickets on sale now HERE.
Julen Lopetegui’s squad have been welcomed to the States by fans from all over the country, with supporters’ groups flying in to be part of the Sunshine State Tour. Among them are the hometown Tampa Hammers, who were formed by Cameron Bixby in 2015.
We caught up with Bixby as he and his fellow Tampa Hammers welcome their heroes to Florida…
So, Cameron, how did the Tampa Hammers come about?
“I grew up in Tampa, Florida myself. Historically, a lot of my family were born in England and had actually come over from east London, as well as the St. James’s area, and they emigrated to Detroit, Michigan, then slowly, they made their way down to Florida, so Tampa is where I grew up. In terms of the Hammers, I got involved watching them in the 2011/12 season. Then, from there, I started the supporters’ group in 2015, just on a whim. I didn’t know of any other Hammers in Tampa at the time, but I just put it together, and then slowly, everyone just kind of came along and joined me!
“Interest has grown a lot in West Ham across the US but here in Florida, a lot of the people who are fans have moved over from England themselves, so naturally our group grew pretty quickly when they heard about us. It was surprising for me, considering the other supporters’ groups of other Premier League clubs we were up against. For example, we shared our bar with Manchester United supporters, so we had to compete against them, but we’ve got our flags up and it’s become our bar too, now!”
Where is your supporters’ group based in Tampa?
“We’re at MacDinton's Irish Pub on South Howard Avenue in Tampa. It’s a big place which has been around for 20 years or more. The owner had catered to the English Premier League and Scottish Premiership, so they’d always open for games and we found a place there and have been established there for years now.
“We’re a very tightknit group and everyone we meet is welcomed in like a member of the family, and I think that’s testament to West Ham in general, because I feel the same way when I go to England to see my friends and go to games over there. The last time I was over was at the Leeds United match in May 2023 and it was an amazing day. I feel the same everywhere when I’m in a West Ham environment, as there is great camaraderie.”
With the five-hour time difference, you must have a lot of early kick-offs?!
“Over the years, West Ham would only be on sporadically on TV, but now it's changed with the streaming meaning every Premier League game is shown live. Our routine is to get to MacDinton’s at about 8am and they’d be serving beer, so we’d hang up our flags in the bar and settle in for the games. With it being a Man U bar too, there is usually plenty of good, healthy banter between us and them and the fans of other clubs who are also there. We are a tightknit group, as I said, so we usually hang out until mid-afternoon, too.”
Florida is a sports-mad state and Tampa has had success in recent years with the Buccaneers winning the American football Super Bowl, the Tampa Bay Rays being regulars in the Major League Baseball playoffs and Tampa Bay Lightning winning ice hockey’s Stanley Cup, so how does football fit into the local sporting landscape?
“Football has really grown here and a lot of that can be attributed to the Tampa Bay Rowdies, who are a team based in the city of St. Petersburg. They were originally around in the 1970s and had a lot of famous international players, including some from England, and played against some visiting international teams. They got Florida going in terms of following football in the state and, since returning in 2008, they’ve had West Ham legend Joe Cole over as their team captain.
“Surprisingly, they’ve not got a Major League Soccer spot, but we do have Orlando City who have a massive following and a beautiful stadium, and there is also Inter Miami which was formed in 2018 and has had some really high-profile players, including Luis Suárez and Lionel Messi.
“Florida is a real melting pot of cultures and we have people from Latin America and the Caribbean who are big football fans and have formed their own clubs, too.”
And now West Ham United are coming to your home city, so that will generate some excitement and interest!
“Yeah, we have a group with the founders of all the supporters’ groups in the US and basically they’re all flying in to watch the games! There are going to be a lot of people coming into Tampa and they’re all excited! The opportunity to see West Ham playing in the United States doesn’t come around that often, so I know people are flying in from all over, from Baltimore and from California, as they’ve never seen West Ham play in-person. It’s huge!”
It's been eight years since West Ham last visited the United States, and 16 years since we took part in the MLS All-Star Game in Canada. How has the Club’s reputation grown in that time, particularly since we won the UEFA Europa Conference League in 2023?
“In terms of how West Ham is considered, I would say the image of the Club has grown significantly in the last four years. I’m going based off the supporters’ groups around the country, as I’ve seen them all growing in terms of the numbers of people joining them, so I think that’s testament to what West Ham has been doing.
“There are always going to be ups and downs supporting a football club, but West Ham is definitely on the up and coming in the US. Obviously for clubs like Liverpool, Manchester United and Manchester City, it was easier for them to garner supporters because they had all the media coverage, but times have changed and I'm happy to see it, I really am.
“At the end of the day, I think most people that support West Ham, whether it be in England or the US, are very dedicated fans and not fair-weather fans, which I appreciate. That's how I've always grown up in my family. We don't walk away from our team, and that’s just how it is.
“We’re all looking forward to seeing our players play, and especially those who will be coming back from international tournaments.”
We’ve had a few American players, so would you like to see us sign another one?
“That would be exciting! Clubs like Fulham, Leeds and Everton have had more of a tradition of signing American players, but it would be a dream to see one playing for West Ham. We have a lot of good young players coming up, so if one could get an opportunity, that would really be exciting.”
Finally, what can West Ham United supporters expect from their visit to Raymond James Stadium for our Stateside Cup tie with Crystal Palace on Saturday 3 August?
“Thankfully it’s a night game, as the summers in Florida can be pretty hot! With where the stadium is situated, it’s great for tailgating, so that’s one big thing! It’s a nicely designed stadium for a football match, too, and I think it’s great that we’re playing Crystal Palace as that’s an underrated rivalry between two London clubs that goes back and forth every time. It’s not far from downtown Tampa, either, so fans will have easy access to everything the city has to offer, too.”
