Julian Shea, Author at Blowing Bubbles

‘Even at a young age, Mark Noble had the makings of being a top pro’

January 12, 2022 Julian Shea 0

Although Mark Noble is destined to end his career as one of that increasingly endangered species, the one-club player, West Ham’s is not the only shirt he has worn in a professional career that began

Joey O’Brien: ‘Beating Millwall, Spurs and Liverpool – I loved my time at West Ham’

January 11, 2022 Julian Shea 0

In recent years, it has become a ritual for new arrivals at clubs to stand up and sing for their team-mates as an initiation ceremony. But there were no such niceties when former Bolton defender

‘The Boys of 84 could have excelled had we all stayed injury free’

November 10, 2021 Julian Shea 0

His time at Upton Park was short but Dave Swindlehurst will always wonder what could have been

‘You’d want to be in the trenches with someone like Repka – He was kind of defender you want in your team’

October 15, 2021 Julian Shea 0

Striker Brian Deane looks back on his short-lived time at Upton Park including that memorable debut

Jimmy Walker: ‘I didn’t have to buy a drink in Essex after my Lampard penalty save’

September 12, 2021 Julian Shea 0

Life may supposedly begin at 40 but in the case of former West Ham goalkeeper Jimmy Walker, one of the most remarkable periods of his life began a decade earlier. Signed on a free transfer

Matt Jarvis: ‘When Upton Park was rocking, it was a wonderful place to be’

August 9, 2021 Julian Shea 0

Sam Allardyce, it is safe to say, is someone whose name provokes strong opinions at West Ham – and not always positive ones. The former Bolton coach was in charge of the Irons for four

Rob Lee: “My West Ham career was short but I’m still delighted it happened”

May 24, 2021 Julian Shea 0

Former England midfielder Rob Lee says he played much of his best at Upton Park – so it is West Ham’s loss that just 14 games in his 23-year long professional career were at the

Kenny Brown: ‘I’m a Hammer but also a Lion – I’m in a really unique position’

April 13, 2021 Julian Shea 0

Football fans love their tribes, and their derbies, and having local rivals to define themselves against. So it is always a shock to come across someone who goes against the flow and supports two less-

Paul Allen: ‘I never believed I’d be able to get in the West Ham first team at 17’

March 15, 2021 Julian Shea 0

Scoring the winning goal in an FA Cup final is nothing that special. After all, every year someone does it. But being remembered more than four decades on for being prevented from scoring one of

Luke Chadwick: ‘We really should have won the league with the squad we had’

February 17, 2021 Julian Shea 0

Life, like football, is all about being in the right place in the right time. And in the case of former West Ham winger Luke Chadwick, although he managed to be in the right place,

Articles by Julian Shea

‘Even at a young age, Mark Noble had the makings of being a top pro’

Joey O’Brien: ‘Beating Millwall, Spurs and Liverpool – I loved my time at West Ham’

‘The Boys of 84 could have excelled had we all stayed injury free’

‘You’d want to be in the trenches with someone like Repka – He was kind of defender you want in your team’

Jimmy Walker: ‘I didn’t have to buy a drink in Essex after my Lampard penalty save’

Matt Jarvis: ‘When Upton Park was rocking, it was a wonderful place to be’

Rob Lee: “My West Ham career was short but I’m still delighted it happened”

Kenny Brown: ‘I’m a Hammer but also a Lion – I’m in a really unique position’

Paul Allen: ‘I never believed I’d be able to get in the West Ham first team at 17’

Luke Chadwick: ‘We really should have won the league with the squad we had’

Sheringham: ‘Rice is the key ingredient for West Ham’s future success – if he stays’

‘Even at a young age, Mark Noble had the makings of being a top pro’

Paul Ince: ‘West Ham have got every chance of breaking into the top four’

‘Poor VAR decisions have cost us at least six points this season’