CHICAGO: US president-elect Barack Obama may sport a ubiquitous Chicago White Sox cap, but it turns out he is also a fan of West Ham United.
According to the
New York Daily News, Obama attended a game five years ago when visiting his family in the UK. The team itself was quick to capitalise when Obama won the Presidency last month, inviting him to attend a game at Upton Park in the East End the next time he visits London on official business.
West Ham fans watching a recent West Ham game at Nevada Smith’s — a haven for football fans on 3rd Avenue near Union Square — were quick to voice their appreciation when the subject of the president-elect came up.
“It’s not often you get the leader of the free world as a supporter of your team,” said Paul Shrudsole, a native of Essex. “It’s not bad having the President supporting West Ham United.”
Some made the connection between Obama and West Ham’s blue collar roots and fan base — the team was founded out of Thames Ironworks in 1895 and is a natural fit with the President-elect’s history as a community organiser and his focus on the working and middle classes.
Obama’s choice of West Ham bespeaks a more genuine interest in the world’s game than that of his one-time rival, Hillary Clinton.
