Pride Of Irons
Get to know us
Meet the committee
A Lifelong Hammer and a Season Ticket Holder for both the Women and Men. Jo is also a committee member of Pride in Football & WHU Fan Advisory Board LGBTQ+ representative. Her main goal as Chair is to promote awareness and education while creating an inclusive space for all POI members, their friends, and families. Jo wants to ensure the Kick it Out education project is a priority for the club. Kick It Out helps fans facing bans for discriminatory language and behaviour, by offering them a second chance. She continues to work alongside our Allies, LGBTQ+ sporting and wider groups and communities, to combat hate. #COYI
Megan is a lifelong hammer, originally from Essex – now living in Peterborough. She attends games with her Dad, Lee – who is the reason she supports West Ham! Megan believes that football is for everyone – she wants to help make West Ham a welcoming club for all current and new supporters. Outside of Pride of Irons, Megan plays for a grassroots women’s team, is currently undertaking FA coaching qualifications, and works full time in IT. Come on you irons!
Patrick is a relatively new Hammer by any Hammer standards. He grew up in the US, and although he played football (soccer, to him at the time) and loved it, he had no awareness of professional league. He moved to London in 2008, and would occasionally be asked “What’s your team?” He realised: He needed a team. He started research and ask around. He wanted a proper London team seeped in history, he wanted a scrappy team with ardently loyal fans. What everyone told him was: “You want West Ham”. It was during lockdown when he got truly obsessed, and when he found Pride of Irons online and started to join some Zoom sessions with them, he knew he had picked the right team… and the right community. He promptly bought season tickets for both the Men’s and Women’s teams. He joined the Committee as Treasurer in 2022, and has loved every minute of supporting West Ham (even in the bad times) and every interaction with the Pride of Irons members. Patrick says “I’m so proud of us all!”
Kon’nichiwa (Hello), Max is our Trans Officer and he’s been a West Ham fan for as long as he can remember. Apart from his love of football, he loves Star Wars, travelling and studying Japanese. #COYI
Megan is a dedicated West Ham Women’s season ticket holder who regularly attends home and away matches to support the team. As a queer, autistic person, she believes in creating a welcoming and safe environment for all fans. Megan wants to build a community for queer disabled individuals who attend both men’s and women’s games. She started supporting the team in 2022 after playing football for fun as a goalkeeper at a local youth club. Now, she plays for a pan-disability team and helps coach fun activities for disabled children. Megan wants everyone to feel safe and heard, not just at home games but also while traveling for away matches.
Georgia is a lifelong West Ham fan hailing from East London. She’s delighted to be a committee member for Pride of Irons. Georgia adores the beautiful game, championing women’s football at any opportunity! She is the West Ham Women’s Supporter’s Board Co-Chair and LGBTQ+ representative, sitting on the Fan Advisory Board as the Women’s Supporters rep.
Outside of museums, reading, and video games, Georgia also sits on the committee for her grassroots women’s and non-binary football club in South London where inclusion, community, and visibility are at the heart of what they do. Her aims are to ensure our matchdays are welcoming, safe, and joyful for all queer fans, whether they’re long-time Hammers or new to the game. Georgia wants LGBTQ+ voices to be heard and woven into the very claret of our club.
Hello, I’m Ali, the website designer and social media manager for Pride of Irons. I’ve supported West Ham since the late ’70s, which means I’ve seen it all, the ups (hmmm), the downs, and the moments that make you question your life choices. Despite this, I am a season ticket holder for both the men’s and women’s teams.
I’m committed to ensuring LGBTQ+ supporters have a voice within the West Ham community. Football should be for everyone, whether you’re celebrating a glorious victory or drowning your sorrows, so come along to a Pride of Irons meet up. Although I’m quite shy, I’ll make you feel welcome, as will everyone else. That’s what we want to do, create a safe space where all fans feel welcome.
Got ideas for the website? Want to see something new? Drop me a message via Contact Us.
Our Mission
Our committee of volunteers aim to ensure that West Ham United remains an environment free of hate, and is committed to being a driving force in tackling hate both on and off the pitch. We commit to:
- Providing a safe, welcoming and fun space for all LGBTQ+ members of the West Ham fanbase to allow them to fully express themselves and their love of West Ham and football.
- Actively fight for increased visibility and inclusivity at West Ham and encourage the club to become champions of LGBTQ+ inclusion. We will voice our member’s experiences and amplify the positivity of our own existence and our achievements around the club.
- Challenging direct and indirect homophobia, biphobia and transphobia across the football community. We commit to engaging with and tackling any culture of casual bigotry we encounter online and in person with the support and inclusion of other West Ham fan groups.
- Providing education and awareness for fans who have received bans due to discriminatory behaviour by working with Kick It Out thus enabling a culture of hope and change.
- Actively challenge West Ham United where it falls short in supporting and promoting inclusivity, our aims, and our group to a best-in-class standard.
Pride of Irons is a not-for-profit organization that relies on donations to keep membership free and accessible to everyone. Any donation is very much appreciated.
Pride Of Irons 