West Ham Football Club was Established in 1895 and the Football Club Nickname is The Hammers.
West Ham United is certainly one of the most prestigious football clubs in London. The club is also known as “The Academy of Football” since the club has produced many young and talented football players, especially in the early 1950s. The Hammers had a reputation of Cup specialists in the 1960s, as the club won three FA Cup titles in addition to a Club Winner’s Cup in 1965. In 2023 they also lifted the UEFA Europa Conference League Trophy by beating ACF Fiorentina.
The club has been based in Boleyn Ground, Upton Park, East London, since its inception in 1900, but moved to London Stadium in 2016.
The Football Club Manager is: David Moyes
A Brief History of West Ham United Football Club
Thames Ironworks was a shipbuilding firm based in London. In 1895, Thames Ironworks’ managing director, Arnold Hills, decided to establish a new football club to represent the company. He thought that forming a football club might be beneficial for his employees and management. In June 1895, the formation of Thames Ironworks FC was officially announced by the company.
A number of players and officials from Old Castle Swift FC joined the newly established Thames Ironworks FC, including the first captain of Thames Ironworks FC Walter Parks Robert Stevenson, John Woods, Jamie Lindsay, William Morton, George Sage, and Walter Parks. It would not be incorrect to say that Thames Ironworks FC was founded on the foundations of Old Castle Swift FC.
The club was initially financed by members’ subscription and a substantial contribution from the Thames Ironworks. It was overseen by a club committee of supervisors, clerical staff and foremen. Ted Harsent, a Thames Ironworks employee, was the team’s first coach. Tom Robinson, who formerly worked as a physio with Old Castle Swift, was also hired as a team trainer and physio.
First West Ham Charity Cup and the London League title
In their inaugural season in 1895/96, Thames Ironwork FC played 46 matches and won 30 of them. It was an outstanding performance from an amateur team. The club contested West Ham Charity Cup in the same season and won the cup by defeating Barking Woodville by 1:0 in the second reply final. It would be fair to say that the historic inaugural season of Thames Ironworks FC was a success.
After winning the West Ham Charity Cup in 1895, Thames Ironworks FC earned a qualification to the London League in 1896. The club performed outstanding in the league and won seven out of their 12 league games. In their first League season, Thames Ironworks FC finished second in the league. In the following league season, the Hammers again showed outstanding form throughout the season.
Thames Ironworks and Brentford were at the top of the table at the end of the 1897/98 season, competing for the league title. Brentford had a one-point advantage over Thames Ironworks. Both teams met on April 23, 1898, and the Irons lost by a score of 1:0. Brentford climbed to the top of the table as a result of this victory. Thames Ironworks gained 3 points by defeating 2nd Grenadier Guards in the league’s final game, but Brentford lost their final game to Barking Woodville. Ironworks had won the London League for the first time.
Thames Ironwork FC was renamed West Ham Football Club
Arnold Hills decided to expand his business in 1900 by purchasing John Penn & Sons which was an engineering firm. Hills was no longer in a position to invest company’s funds in the football team. He chose to turn Thames Iron Works into a public company in order to generate new funds for the buyout. This meant that he would be held accountable to shareholders in the future. The West Ham Guardian advised local people to invest in club shares.
In September 1900, it was officially announced that the club name was changed to West Ham Football Club Company Limited. The main idea of this transition was to promote the game of football in West Ham and attract more fans to watch the club’s matches. West Ham United had a £2,000 starting capital (4,000 shares). Arnold Hills bought 1,000 shares and stayed on as the club’s most powerful figure.
Western League title and entrance to the Football League
West Ham United participated in the Western League for the first time in 1901. The Hammers won the Western League Division 1B title in 1907, and just a year later in 1908, they defeated Western League Division 1A winner Fulham by 1:0 to become the Western League champion. Winning such a prestigious award boosted West Ham United’s popularity in the area, and the Hammers became one of the District’s most popular clubs. Stay up to date with the latest West Ham United football news with Football24-7.
After spending 18 years in the Western League, West Ham United became a member of the Football League and participated in the Football League Second Division in 1919. In 1923 the club earned promotion to the First Division. The club played in the Football League First Division for the next eight seasons before being relegated to the Second Division in 1932.
In the FA Cup 1923, the Hammers showed outstanding performance throughout the tournament. After winning four rounds, they qualified for the FA Cup Semi Finals after winning four rounds. West Ham United played Derby County in an FA Cup semi final on May 25, 1923, and won 5:2 over the Rams. This convincing victory helped West Ham United to qualify for the FA Cup final for the first time. West Ham United faced Bolton Wanderers in the FA Cup final and lost by a score of 2:0.
First FA Cup and Charity Shield titles
In 1961, West Ham United appointed Ron Greenwood as Manager. This transition of management proved to be beneficial for the Hammers. Greenwood reorganized the club and also hired new skilled players. Under his management, West Ham United entered in the FA Cup 1964 like a champ. The club performed outstandingly throughout the tournament, and defeated a few prominent English teams including Swindon Town, Burnley, and Manchester United.
On 14 March 1964, West Ham faced Manchester United in the FA Cup semi final. The Hammers won the match by 3:1 goals and qualified for the FA Cup final for the second time. On 2 May 1964, West Ham United claimed their first FA Cup title by defeating Preston North End 3–2 in the final at Wembley London. Over 100,000 people watch the game inside the stadium.
After the FA Cup victory in 1964, the club qualified for the FA Charity Shield where they faced Football League First Division winner Liverpool. The match was played on 15 August 1964 at Anfield, Liverpool. Both teams showed outstanding skills and temperament throughout the match. The game ended at 2:2 draw, and the Charity Shield was awarded to both teams.
First European title for West Ham United
West Ham United maintained their excellent record and brought their continuous performance to Europe under the guidance of the legend Ron Greenwood. West Ham United qualified for the European Cup Winners’ Cup after winning the FA Cup in 1964. The club qualified for the finals by defeating Real Zaragoza 3:2 on aggregate in the Semifinals. In the final, West Ham United faced 1860 Munich, the German Cup winner.
West Ham won their first European Cup Winners’ Cup trophy after defeating 1860 Munich by a score of 2:0. The final was held at Wembley Stadium in London. England won the FIFA World Cup 1966 the following year, and West Ham United captain Bobby Moore became the only captain to win three different trophies at Wembley Stadium, including the FA Cup 1964, and European Cup Winners’ Cup 1965 with West Ham United, and World Cup 1966 with England.
Relegation to the Second Division and more FA Cup titles
In 1975, John Lyall was appointed as the club’s new manager, and he led West Ham to their second UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup final, but they were defeated by Anderlecht in the final. Two years later in the 1977-78 season, West Ham United finished at 20th place in the league. The Hammers were relegated to the Second Division after winning only 12 games in the entire season.
It was thought that the management would make significant changes to the management and squad following the poor performance, but despite the club’s poor performance and relegation to the Second Division, manager John Lyall was not replaced, and several players were also kept. It was a huge surprise for critics, but the decision of not replacing manager John Lyall became fruitful when he guided the team to win the FA Cup in 1980. It was the club’s third FA Cup title.
Premier League Era and “The Academy of Football” title
In 1994, West Ham hired Harry Redknapp as their new manager, who brought a lot of changes to the squad. Harry also put his efforts to promote new talent and recruit more domestic players in the club. In the early Premier League period of the club, West Ham became home of a talented young team. The club introduced some of the star players of England including Rio Ferdinand, Joe Cole, Frank Lampard, and Michael Carrick.
Despite producing some of England’s top football players, West Ham United has failed to win the Premier League title since the league’s renaming in 1992. West Ham United’s best Premier League result was a fifth-place finish in the league table in the 1998-99 season. West Ham United remained a mid-table club throughout the majority of the League seasons. They sold their star players to other top ranked clubs such as Manchester United and Chelsea.
The Club’s Rivalry
West Ham has two key rivals in the area, Millwall FC to the south of the river and Tottenham Hotspur to the north. Millwall FC is the club’s oldest and most ferocious opponent, having been created by employees of local businesses and featuring players from the same area. Both clubs always compete with passion and aggression against each other. Both clubs’ fans had been involved in infamous football hooliganism on various occasions.
Tottenham’s rivalry with the Hammers is not as heated as Millwall’s, but both clubs see each other as a big competitor. In 2004, Star players of West Ham United like Michael Carrick, Martin Peters, Paul Allen, Jermain Defoe, and Scott Parker had left the Hammers to join Tottenham, which ignited the rivalry between the two clubs. This rivalry became even worse in 2008 when Tottenham appointed West Ham United ex-manager Harry Redknapp as their new manager.
Interesting Facts about West Ham FC
- The Hammers were originally established in 1895 as a franchise of the Thames Ironworks shipbuilding enterprise. The club was formerly known as Thames Ironworks FC, but in July 1900, it was renamed West Ham United FC.
- Only eight English clubs have avoided relegation to the third division of the English football league. These English clubs are West Ham United, Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, and Everton. – Follow the latest Everton Football News here.
- Brain Dear, a former striker for West Ham United, owns the record for scoring five goals in a league game in the shortest time. In a home game against West Brom in 1965, Brain Dear scored five goals in just 20 minutes.
- Due to the Second World War, the FA Cup was canceled in 1940, and the Football League War Cup was held in its place. West Ham United qualified for the competition final and defeated Blackburn Rovers in the final to win the Football League War Cup for the first time.
- Many supporters would be unaware of West Ham United’s biggest victory because it was not officially recorded by the Football League. During the London Wartime Combination fixture, West Ham played against Crystal Palace on April 6, 1918. The Hammers won 11:0 against Crystal Palace. SydPuddefoot, a striker for West Ham United, scored seven goals in the encounter.
- West Ham United has scored 10 goals against three different opponents. In March 1940, the Hammer defeated Chelsea by 10:3 goals, the Hammers won the match versus Clapton Orient by scoring 10 goals in January 1943, and third time West Ham United scored 10 goals against Bury in the League Cup match in October 1983.
- Another intriguing fact about West Ham United is that seven players in the playing eleven in the 1964 FA Cup final had first names that began with the letter B. These seven players were Ken Brown, John Bond, Jack Burkett, Eddie Bovington, Dave Bickles, Peter Brabrook, and Johnny Byrne.
- In 1980, West Ham won the FA Cup when the club was playing in the Second Division Football League. The Hammers were the last club to win the FA Cup title while playing in the Second Division. They defeated Arsenal in the final.
- There were no foreign players on West Ham United’s playing squad in the 1960s. The eleven players on the field were all from the United Kingdom. The club had an English manager in addition to its playing eleven.
- In 1975, the Hammers won the FA Cup with an all-English team. It was the last time an all-English team won the FA Cup. The final was won by West Ham United, who defeated Fulham by a score of 2:0.
- Bobby Moore, a former West Ham captain, led England to their first FIFA World Cup victory in 1966. Three West Ham players were part of the England squad, and each played a key role in the team’s World Cup victory. Check out the Football24-7.org Football game schedules here.
- You’ll not see a West Ham United player wearing the number 6 or 38 shirt because the club retired the number 6 shirt in honour of former captain Bobby Moore, and the number 38 shirt in honour of Dylan Tombides.
West Ham United FC Honours List
The club is well-known in the United Kingdom for promoting academy players and developing young talent. West Ham United has a worldwide following of millions of supporters. So far, the Hammers have won five major trophies, including three FA Cups, one FA Charity Shield, and one European Cup Winners’ Cup. The complete list of significant trophies and titles won by West Ham United FC can be seen below.
3 FA Cup – the Hammers have qualified for the FA Cup finals 5 times, but could win 3 FA Cup titles. The club won the FA Cup in 1963–64, 1974–75, and 1979–80.
1 FA Charity Shield – West Ham United FC has qualified for the FA Charity Shield three times, but could have won one FA Community Shield title in 1964.
1 European Cup Winners’ Cup – the Hammers also have a European trophy hanging on their wall. The club has qualified for European Cup Winners’ Cup two times and has won 1 European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1964-65.
1 UEFA Intertoto Cup – West Ham has won a UEFA Intertoto Cup in 1999. The competition was discontinued after 2008.
9 London Challenge Cup – the club has won London Challenge Cup titles for 9 times, including 1924–25, 1925–26, 1929–30, 1946–47, 1948–49, 1952–53, 1956–57, 1967–68, and 1968–69. The competition was discontinued in 1974.
1 Football League War Cup – the Hammers have won the Football League War Cup in 1940. The competition was organized in place of the FA Cup due to the Second World War.
1 UEFA Europa Conference League winners in June 2023.
The Official Website for West Ham Supporters is: http://www.whufc.com
The Contact Details for West Ham Football Club are as follows:
For Corporate Hospitality Please phone – 0208 548 2748
The Official Facebook Account for West Ham is: https://www.facebook.com/WestHam/
The original ground address was:
West Ham Football Club
Boleyn Ground
Green Street
Upton Park
London
E13 9AZ
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