Greatest team in the Galaxy

New Year's Day saw West Ham win at Everton followed by Graham O'Brien on Doctor Who wearing a West Ham scarf. Graham, played by real-life Arsenal fan Bradley Walsh, is the second Doctor Who companion to support the Irons, following Donna Noble who learned to whistle "up West Ham". Clearly the Irons are big among Gallifreyan fellow-travellers. 

Graham has now left the Doctor to live in Sheffield with grandson Ryan, where he will presumably be laughing at Sheffield United and watching West Ham win on Sky while also hoping the Doctor can change Lionel Scaloni's timeline in the 2006 FA Cup Final.

Is Graham wearing a West Ham badge?

Was Graham wearing a West Ham badge in last week's episode of Doctor Who? He's already been seen in a claret and blue scarf in the opening episode and the badge on his jacket in Demons of the Punjab was clearly claret and blue too — as befits an East End bus driver exiled to Sheffield. A worthy addition to the WHUniverse.

Irons on board the Tardis

Well, an impressive debut by Jodie Whittaker on Doctor Who. But wasn't companion Graham, played by Bradley Walsh, wearing a West Ham scarf? It was certainly claret and blue and as he's a London geezer it would fit in with the character. Walsh, Ryan's step-grandad, has an air of perpetual bemusement ("Why's she running at another alien?") that will be familiar to all West Ham fans. Irons supporters are used to disaster, starring into the abyss and evil plots to conquer the universe. While the Hammers have previously been mentioned by a companion. In Planet of the Ood Donna Noble told David Tennant's Doctor that she learned to whistle "up West Ham". Yes, it makes sense to have a Hammer in the Tardis a well as a sonic screwdriver.

How West Ham made it into Doctor Who's Planet of the Ood…

Thanks to my fellow season ticket holder Michael the (Possible) Whovian and pal Charlie Ross for a great joint birthday bash on Saturday that included a host of Doctor Who luminaries. This resulted in a world exclusive revelation about the only-ever mention of West Ham in Doctor Who.

In Planet of the Ood David Tennant's Doctor asks Catherine Tate's Donna where she learned to whistle like that. Donna replies, "up West Ham!" As the writer of Planet of the Ood Keith Temple was present at the party I was able to ask him directly how this came about. 

Temple revealed that he didn't actually write this line, it was added in by script editor Lindsey Alford. Could Ms Alford be a Hammers fan? Told that this was the only ever mention of the Irons in Doctor Who Andrew laughed and said his home-town team of Newcastle have never got any mentions at all. The only other team to be mentioned in Doctor Who is Charlton Athletic, who got a name-check from Sophie Aldred's Ace in 1988's Silver Nemesis. Not a lot of people know that.

Danny Dyer in a claret and blue Tardis?

Wanna ride in my Tardis, babes? Quite a week for West Ham trivia. First Slaven Bilic was spotted at a Green Day concert (clearly he doesn't want to be an American Idiot) and then Hammers fan and uber geezer Danny Dyer announced that he'd be up for the role of the Doctor in Doctor Who. Danny wouldn't be the first Doctor Who character to support West Ham; in Series 4 Donna Noble (Mark's big sister?) informed David Tennant that she learned to whistle "up West Ham." Presumably Danny would play the Doctor in the style of the ICF, threatening to front up that moody geezer the Master (except he's now a moody Missy), taking on the Dalek mob on Green Street and giving the Zygons a slap round the back of the Queen Elizabeth Park. And he's already tackled Mourinho, quipping "alright sunshine?' when the then-Chelsea boss was sent off, so dealing with Davros should be pretty easy.

West Ham references in Doctor Who

My book Whovian Dad: A Doctor Who Fan's Travels Through Time and Space is now out as a Kindle Single and there is a West Ham link. The Hammers are one of only two clubs ever to be mentioned in Doctor Who. In the story Planet of the Ood there’s an incredible moment. David Tennant's Doctor asks Donna where she learned to whistle like that and she answers “Up West Ham!”, which at the time had me jumping up in delight. 

The only other mention of a team that I’ve been able to find is when Charlton get a namecheck in the 1988 Sylvester McCoy story Silver Nemesis. Sophie Aldred's Ace is reading the Daily Mirror while listening to Courtney Pine playing jazz and remarks, “Charlton picked up three points.” She also mentions having a Charlton badge in The Happiness Patrol. West Ham are also the only team mentioned in Harry Potter. Not a lot of people know that.