What do you get when you mix a West Ham United fan turned sports reporter into a novelist?

That would be John Dillon’s Home of the Hammers – West Ham United’s 112 years at The Boleyn Ground, Upton Park book.

Having worked as a reporter for the Daily Express for more than 13 years, the Daily Mirror as football and boxing correspondent and now as a Freelancer for London Evening Standard Sport, Dillon knew a thing or two about his boy hood club.

Living in South Woodford, the sports reporter has been a Hammer all of his life and felt compelled to write about West Ham’s time at their first home.

“I decided to take on this new project purely because West Ham were leaving the Boleyn Ground. The book is in conjunction with The Times,” said Dillon.

“It utilises their archives and pictures as well as me telling the story of the ground and the club as a supporter.

“The book starts with their first game to their last against Manchester United. But something in particular really shocked me when looking through the Times Archives.

“I found a small piece about their first game that ever took place at Upton Park in September 1904. I thought this was incredible as at the time West Ham were not even in the top tier of football.

With it being the international break this weekend, the 53-year-old, thought it would be a perfect time to host a book signing.

So far the book has received good feedback and has been selling well as the Hammers history of more than a century in east London is laid bare for all to see.

Passion, courage and family were the three key ingredients that made Upton Park so special to the home fans and even the visiting ones.

Mable Arnold, the 100-year-old West Ham fan, walked through the gates in 1934 and just ahead of the last match she had watched just shy of 2000 games – something only the Irons can appreciate and love.

Dillon added: “It was truly special to write a book about my club, people can only imagine how it feels as it is hard to put into words.

“I love football and it is about a club that people from a footballing area will appreciate. I have had people come up to me in the pub and say they have really enjoyed it.

“It has been well received and I hope it does well in the run up to Christmas.”

This is the first book the sports writer has ever published and he can certainly be proud of this momentous achievement.

When asked if he could see himself writing another in the future he said: “Well I want to get through with this book first.

“Maybe then I will have a think about whether or not I will write another in the New Year. This is the first book I have done and it was a lot of work which I enjoyed. But you never know.”

The event will take place at Waterstones in Romford’s Liberty Shopping Centre on Saturday at 1pm. 

John Dillons, Home of The Hammers West Ham United's 112 years at Boleyn Ground, Upton Park can be purchased from Amazon.co.uk for £19.98.