The Doctor goes up West Ham

Did you know that West Ham is the only football club ever mentioned in new Doctor Who? You can find this fact in my new e-book Whovian Dad: Doctor Who, Fandom, Fatherhood and Whovian Family Values. In Planet of the Ood there’s an incredible moment when David Tennant's Doctor asks Donna Noble (clearly related to Mark) where she learned to whistle like that and she answers, “up West Ham!” 

The only other footie mention that I've been able to find in Who is when Charlton get a namecheck in the 1988 Sylvester McCoy story Silver Nemesis. Ace is reading the Daily Mirror and says, "Charlton picked up three points." 

There are other Who and Hammers links. While in The Lodger  Matt Smith's Doctor lodges with Craig (played by real life West Ham fan James Corden) in Colchester and turns out for Craig’s pub side the Kings Arms. The Sunday League boys assume 'the Doctor' is just another laddish nickname. He soon earns respect on the pitch though, as he bamboozles The Rising Sun and scores eight goals in a dramatic 8-0 win. Which clearly indicates he could do a job up front for the Hammers. And while we're on cult mentions of the Irons, West Ham are also the only team mentioned in Harry Potter — Dean Thomas has a West Ham shoulder bag and scarf. If only we could use some of that regenerative energy on the pitch…