West Ham United finally unveiled their kit for the 2026/27 Championship season on Thursday, with captain Jarrod Bowen front and centre in the launch.
It is a time of change, on the pitch, off the pitch and in the fashion department too. While front-of-shirt sponsors Boyle Sports escaped the Premier League’s gambling ban, New Balance replaced Umbro after ten years of service.
The American sportswear company released their first home shirt this morning. And the fact that Jarrod Bowen was at the forefront did not go unnoticed.
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West Ham United have grown increasingly confident in their hopes of retaining the skipper. As things stand, the chances of Bowen starting next term with a Hammers badge on his chest look pretty good.
Speaking of the badge, as New Balance replace Umbro and a Championship patch replaces the old Premier League one on the arm, the crest on the front of the shirt remains unchanged.
West Ham United will let the fans have a say in their new badge
It was confirmed earlier this week that West Ham will be allowing fans to have their say on the design of a new badge. If you were wondering why the 2026/27 shirt is adorned by the familiar crossed-hammers, with ‘London’ inscribed underneath, well there is a very simple explanation.
In their official statement, the Hammers revealed that any changes to the badge would not be unveiled until 2028. Therefore, the fans have got two more years to wait until their demands are reflected in claret and blue.
“With 2026 marking ten years since our current crest was launched, now is the right time for us to review its future,” said Karim Virani, the club’s interim CEO. “The Board and I want to ensure that the Club’s history and heritage are appropriately reflected in everything we do, and that our loyal fans should play a leading role in determining how that is delivered.
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“To that end, we will ensure any change is supporter-led and we will be working with the FAB [Fan Advisory Board] as an independent body every step of the way.
“I look forward to working with them and the wider supporter base as we embark on this exciting project.”
When Hammers News asked our TalkingPoint users last month what they would like the new badge to contain, opinions seemed split on the old Boleyn Castle. Some would prefer a simple crossed Hammers design, harking back to the sepia-toned days of the 50s and 60s.
Whatever route West Ham opt to go down, the hope will be that Premier League football is back in East London by 2028.
Retaining Jarrod Bowen certainly won’t do their plans of automatic promotion any harm.
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