why do west ham sing bubbles

West Ham fans sing "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles" as a long-standing club anthem that dates back to the 1920s. The song was originally popularized in the UK from a 1918 Broadway musical and became a popular tune in East London, particularly around West Ham's home at Upton Park. The connection to West Ham is linked to a schoolboy player named William "Bubbles" Murray, who played at a local school near West Ham and was nicknamed "Bubbles" because he resembled a boy in a painting used in a Pears soap advert. The headmaster of this school, Cornelius Beal, who was also a football enthusiast and friend of West Ham's trainer Charlie Paynter, created his own version of the song and fans of the school would sing it, customizing the lyrics with the name of whichever player was excelling. Many of Murray’s teammates went on to play for West Ham’s first team, and the song transitioned into a club anthem, becoming a distinct part of West Ham's identity. The singing of this song by fans has endured for over 100 years and remains a symbol of the club's heritage and community ties in East London.