Happy tenth birthday Pride Of Irons! West Ham United F.C.

How Pride Of Irons started

As we celebrate the official ten-year anniversary of Pride Of Irons, it’s impossible not to reflect on our journey with both immense pride and amazement, though the story of course started more than a decade ago.

What began as a response to adversity – a homophobic incident at a match on Saturday 21 September 2013 – has blossomed into something truly special. From that moment, a movement was born, not just to stand against discrimination but to create something positive, something powerful, and something that would change lives.

The story of our founding has been told many times, but what truly matters is how something rooted in a difficult experience has grown into an organisation that has brought so much joy, inclusivity, and belonging to so many. Rather than dwell on the negatives, I choose to celebrate the extraordinary moments and the incredible people who have made Pride Of Irons what it is today.

I think of our founding committee – Al Holmes, Carol Hinvest, Lorna Severn, David Wood, David Springer, myself and, of course, our dear and greatly missed friend, Trevor Wood MBE. Each of us put in the work to build a foundation strong enough for POI to grow into the family it is now.

Jim Dolan, Founder