Many in the United States know the toil of supporting a shit sports team, the Philadelphia Phillies, the New York Knicks, or the Tampa Bay Bucs.

I had the crazy idea of supporting a shit sports team that I had no right in supporting. However, it was the greatest thing to ever happen to me. It started a life-long love affair with a country, a sport, and a culture.When I was younger I used to love Wayne Rooney. I mean there he was a kid, only two years older, scoring goals in one of the great leagues in the world. What wasn't to like (even though he was a thick Scouse guy that plays in Manchester)?I even liked Manchester United (once again, to be fair, it was a time you couldn't watch any other team in the US). Then I got older and I was listening to Oi, Ska, Punk and I found out about this club called West Ham United. It was a party. It was let's not give a shit about the result and have a conga because the season is over and we lost to Wigan.You know the moment I fell in love with the club? It came after I heard Cass Pennent in the documentary Hooligans. He looks into the camera and he says (I forget the exact line), "...I am West Ham." That was all it took. To know that football, even in the mid-eighties, was the great equaliser.To know that some kid from a working class family could feel like he was a part of something greater.Yeah, I mean I have only watched West Ham for nine years but they have been nine of the greatest years I have been alive. I will never forget that moment of being hung over and drinking tall cans of Guinness on the tube out to Upton Park. Drunkenly feeling like an ass, spilling a bit on the floor.But, Jesus. That feeling of stepping off the tube and seeing that fake castle. Walking into the 'Academy of Football'. See the 'same' pitch that Bobby Moore, Billy Bonds, Paolo Di Canio and Julian Dicks all played on was an amazing feeling. That is something that can truly ever be replaced.I have watched West Ham three times in real life. Supporting West Ham in person has been a lot like me supporting them in front of a TV. I have seen them three times and their record in those three games? 0-0-3. Bolton in 2010. Wigan in 2012. Man City in 2013. Two away games and a home game.But it was all worth it to see those that shit goal from Carroll slip in through Joe Hart's fingers at the Etihad. It was worth it to see Diamanti score at Upton Park. And it was sure as shit worth it to see Vaz Te and Cole score at Wembley in front of a TV 3,539 miles away with some of the greatest people I have ever met because of this damn club.I may be American by birth but I surely am West Ham by soul. No matter where I am my blood looks blue in my vein and claret when I bleed.