While Gillingham may be the county's only Football League team, many football fans in Kent let the train take the strain in a bid to support their Premier League side.

Traditional West Ham-heartland would appear to be heading out into Essex but, as I found out on Saturday, there's plenty of 'Irons' who make the quick trip up to the capital from the Garden of England.

It's only an hour's journey by train from Faversham to Stratford International, a mere 10 minutes if I had joined at Ebbsfleet. So the attraction seems obvious.

Gone are the days of Upton Park - instead West Ham play at the London Stadium these days - a venue best known for hosting the London 2012 Olympic Games. It's walking distance from the train station.

Matchday on Saturday was a 3pm kick-off against Nottingham Forest - only the third time this season the Hammers have been in that traditional timeslot thanks to television demands and European football.

The last time I'd been to these parts was for the Olympics so I wanted time to reacquaint myself with the area - having studied at the University of East London - as well as getting lunch before the game. I aimed to get the 10am train from Faversham.

Initially, the train seemed fairly quiet when I got on. Some carriages were virtually empty. But it soon filled up as the train went through Medway and north Kent before reaching our final destination.

Joe White, 28, had boarded the train at Rainham.

"I've probably been going up for about 15 years but I only got a season ticket when I began working five years ago,” he explained. “So I don't really miss a match now.

"It's so easy to get to. I just get on the train, get to Stratford and it's easy from there, really!"

Another Hammer Dale Lightfoot, 52, who got on at Gillingham, said: "My experience all sort of depends on the result, to be fair.

"If we win, the day's all worthwhile and the beer afterwards tastes a bit nicer. But if not, it can be a bit of a slog.”

West Ham manager David Moyes recently faced speculation his job is under threat and Mr Lightfoot is not a fan of the experienced Scot despite the Hammers still being in this season's FA Cup and the Europa Conference League.

"I'd have got rid of David Moyes ages ago,” he added.

"I'll go to the European games - they're a bit of a one-off - but if we keep struggling in the league, I might stop going to those games soon."

Luke Moore, 43, and his 39-year-old wife Lauren were with daughter Tiffany, 11, and 14-year-old son Aiden.

They joined the high-speed train at Gravesend and only go to weekend fixtures.

"It's great," said Lauren. "We always get up to London early. First, we tend to go shopping in Westfield before the game, so we all get something out of it and make a day of it."

Aiden said: "I just hope we stay up!" while Tiffany added: "Declan Rice is the best. He's brilliant." Maybe she knew what was about to happen during the match.

There were issues with the doors opening on the carriage I was on, which caused problems for fellow train passengers trying to get off at Gravesend and Ebbsfleet International.

But we soon made our way to Stratford International, from where I headed for Westfield Stratford City. I hadn’t really noticed before but part of the stadium is actually visible from inside the shopping centre.

My pre-match preparations also involved an unexpected sighting of ex-Gillingham boss Martin Allen, also a former West Ham midfielder, who was making his way into the ground at around midday.

Tickets for West Ham matches start from £35 and the return train journey cost me roughly about that too. So - at least - I’d estimate it costs £70 to £75 per fixture for these supporters.

Maybe that's the reason I’d still much rather watch non-league football. My commute to the likes of Dover Athletic, Folkestone Invicta, Herne Bay, Chatham Town, Sheppey United, Ashford United, Faversham Town and the like is a lot cheaper, so too is entry to the game.

Perhaps, the sort of standard of game you are treated to with non-league fixtures is a bit more random. Something you see less of in the non-league game, but can see in the Premier League on nearly a weekly basis, are real world-class moments of quality.

That was certainly on show, with the pick of the Hammers’ goals coming from the aforementioned skipper Declan Rice, who bent a beautiful strike from the edge of the area beyond Costa Rican goalkeeper Keylor Navas.

The match came a day after the 30th anniversary of Bobby Moore’s death so, perhaps, it was fitting it involved a strike from the club's current captain to a fellow England international. Tributes were also paid to popular commentator John Motson after his death last week.

Rice’s excellent effort made it 3-0 to Moyes’ men after Danny Ings' first goals for West Ham - two identical goals in three second-half minutes - had set his new club on their way to victory after a £15m move from Aston Villa.

Striker Ings then came off to an ovation and it was left to his replacement, Michail Antonio, to round off the win with a goal against his old club.

The Hammers had only scored 19 goals all season before the game and were made to wait 70 minutes for a breakthrough. But the latter stages saw most of the 62,469 fans leave those concerns behind briefly and head home in fine voice.

They could still make the trip across London to Wembley this term, too, and visit Manchester United in the Fifth Round tomorrow night (Wednesday).

Journeys to Brighton and AEK in Europe follow that cup clash for West Ham, whose next home game is against Aston Villa on Sunday, March 12.

No doubt, those happy Hammer from Kent will make the journey all over again.