There are a few things we can guarantee ahead of the launch of West Ham United’s 2026/27 kit.
One, that it will be some shade of claret and blue. Two, that replicas will be extremely overpriced. Three, that it will not be emblazoned with an Umbro logo.
Fourth, and most painfully, the usual Premier League badge stitched onto the arm will be replaced with a Championship one; West Ham United looking reluctantly ahead to their first second-tier campaign since 2011/12 under Sam Allardyce.
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New Balance have replaced Umbro as the designer. There has been talk of ‘Amazing Thailand’ replacing Boyle Sports as the sponsor too, though Championship clubs are not subject to the same betting ban forced upon top-flight clubs.
One suspects former Hammers captain Julian Dicks would have one demand if he was part of the consultation. No baggy collars, please…
West Ham United fans speak out ahead of 2026/27 kit launch
As for the fans – who will inevitably be forced to shell out upwards of £80 unless they are willing to look, ahem, a bit further afield – they have a few demands.
Some want to see the stone turrets of the Boleyn Castle make a reappearance. Others are just hoping for a simple, traditional, claret and blue colour scheme.
“Claret and light blue, white shorts,” says one of Hammers News’ Talking Point users. “All light blue with claret hoops for change strip. Third option: all white with claret and blue trim. No other colours are necessary. Ever.
“Just claret, blue and white,” another agrees. “No black, no orange, or any other colour not associated with the club.”
“Claret and Blue, simple really.”
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Daniel Kretinsky would be extremely popular if he brings back the Boleyn Castle
The aforementioned Boleyn Castle disappeared from West Ham’s badge following their move to the London Stadium in 2016.
If anything sums up the pursuit of supposed ‘progress’ over tradition, it’s this. A new stadium nobody wanted, accompanied by a simplified, social media-era badge designed to fit neatly into an Instagram profile pic.
As Daniel Kretinsky looks to shake this sleeping giant from it’s slumber, a return to the old emblem, if not the old stadium, would do the ‘Czech sphinx’s’ popularity no harm.
“[Bring back] the Boleyn castle as our badge,” another fan writes.
“Our old badge reinstated.”
For others, it matters a lot less about the colour of the kit than it does those wearing it.
“I’d like to see the names Fernandes and Summerville written on the back,” one says hopefully and ambitiously.
“[I want] players in then giving their all every game and winning matches. Get us promoted back the EPL at the first attempt. Too much spoken about kits and other things, just concentrate on getting the team right and winning.”
We can’t argue with that.
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