West Ham's bus hits the USA streets, but is it real?

West Ham is in the USA for its schedule of preseason friendlies, and it is doing so with a lavish bus with an over-the-top showpiece. West Ham posted a video of this bus cruising through the streets of Tampa, FL, on Monday afternoon. Immediately following the video, questions surfaced regarding how legitimate the bus is.

While it was a standard bus, the video showed a massive cannon on top that shoots out bubbles. West Ham is connected to bubbles, tracing back to the club song and one of the mottos for the club of forever blowing bubbles. Fittingly, this bus in the video is playing that song. As it rolls down the streets of Tampa, speakers on the bus play the main part of the club song for those in Tampa.

However, with the growth of augmented reality and the ability to superimpose things on videos, this video may not be real. The bubble cannon on top may be too good to be true. Also, it is unlikely to see banners on the buildings of Tampa welcoming West Ham to the Florida city. However much support West Ham has in the United States, even this may be a stretch. Finally, there are no people on the streets in Tampa. This is an especially rare occurrence, even if the summer heat in Florida would be enough to scare people to remain inside. Regardless, there is certainly anticipation for the West Ham friendlies in the United States, and the tour bus in the video certainly helps communicate that.

West Ham bus taking Hammers on two-game trip of Florida

Whether real or fake, there will be a bus taking West Ham on its trip in the United States. The Premier League side is playing two games during its stay in Florida. On July 27, the English club plays domestic rivals Wolves at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville. Then, on Aug. 3, West Ham is in action again. Julen Lopetegui’s side faces Crystal Palace at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. Tickets for both games are still available.

“The U.S. is already our biggest audience outside the UK, but we are determined to continue building on that success,” said Baroness Karren Brady, Vice-Chair at West Ham United. “For new fans, it’s about taking them on a journey, introducing them to our Club and showcasing what makes us stand out and different from other clubs.”

“The U.S. is home to the highest number of official West Ham United supporter groups outside the UK and every time we play a match in our magnificent stadium in London, we know from our social media channels that tens of thousands of fans in the U.S. are watching alongside us, no matter what time of day it is. So, we are really looking forward to seeing many of those fans in person on this visit and playing at a packed out Raymond James Stadium on 3 August. America has always felt like a home from home for our Club and that is reflected in the size and passion of our fanbase throughout the States.”

PHOTOS: IMAGO.