The tradition of bubbles on West Ham's new jersey

Just over a month since West Ham lifted their first trophy in over 40 years, they are ready to show off the new kits for next season. Following Declan Rice’s departure, 2023-2024 looks to be full of challenges as well as excitement, and the Hammers decided to begin with a truly special kit. Claret top with blue sleeves: a classic West Ham look. There is really not much to say about the new design, if not that its simplicity brings true elegance to the table.

Named The Anthem Kit, it celebrates one of the most recognizable aspects of the London club's aesthetic. In fact, Umbro's designers decided to include an element that has been ingrained in West Ham tradition for more than 100 years and yet has never officially appeared on a jersey: bubbles.

A very distinct and unique feature, bubbles have a longstanding history with the club from East London. The very origins come from a waltz song known as “I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles”,  released in 1919 and composed by Selvin’s Novelty Orchestra in New York City. The song was a major hit, and as a result made its way into the London music scene.

Here, it was picked up by artists, bands, and at times, advertisements, most famously for a soap advert that ran in the 1920s and purposefully depicted a 19th century painting called ‘Bubbles’. This is where Billy J. Murray comes in. A schoolboy player for the Park School in East London, Murray was nicknamed “Bubbles” for his uncanny resemblance to the figure in the painting, which often prompted the school’s headmaster Cornelius Beal to break into the famous song whenever the team scored or seemed to be excelling.

Interestingly, Beal was also close friends with several West Ham players and trainers, including main manager Charlie Paynter. So, organically, the song slowly started to claim the West Ham faithful, eventually sticking and adding a completely new side to the club’s identity. Over time, the matchday experience grew more and more attached to the bubble theme, first with routine performances of the song, and then with real bubble-blowing celebrations. Nowadays, around 60 bubble machines at the London Stadium produce vast amounts of bubbles during the players’ entrance onto the field and after goals, but most importantly, “I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles” is West Ham’s official anthem.