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West Ham United F.C.

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West Ham United
Crest
Full nameWest Ham United Football Club
Nickname(s)The Hammers, The Irons
The Academy of Football
Founded1895 as Thames Ironworks
GroundBoleyn Ground (Upton Park)
Capacity35,647 [1]
ManagerItaly Gianfranco Zola
LeaguePremier League
2007–08Premier League, 10th
Current season

West Ham United Football Club is an English football club based in Upton Park, London Borough of Newham, East London. They have played their home matches at the Boleyn Ground stadium since 1904.

The club was originally founded as Thames Ironworks F.C. in 1895 and was later reformed, in 1900 as West Ham United. They initially competed in the Southern League and Western League before joining the full Football League in 1919 and enjoyed their first top flight season in 1923, featuring in the first FA Cup Final to be held at Wembley that year against Bolton Wanderers. The club have won the FA Cup three times: in 1964, 1975 and 1980. They have also been runners-up twice, in 1923 and 2006.

In 1965, they won the European Cup Winners Cup (now defunct), and in 1999 they won the Intertoto Cup (also defunct).

They also won the inaugural Football League War Cup in 1940. The club's best final league position is third place in the 1985–86 (old) First Division.

West Ham currently compete in the Premier League, and finished in 10th position in the 2007–08 season. They have been members of the Premier League for all but three seasons since its creation in 1992, and their highest finish in the Premier League was 5th in 1998–99.

History

Main article: History of West Ham United F.C.
See also: Thames Ironworks F.C.
See also: Colours of West Ham Utd F.C.
Earliest club shot, during its founding year as Thames Ironworks in 1895.
1895-1896: First kit.

The earliest generally accepted incarnation of West Ham United was founded in 1895 as the Thames Ironworks team by foreman and local league referee Dave Taylor and owner Arnold Hills[3] and was announced in the Thames Ironworks Gazette of June 1895.

The team played on a strictly amateur basis for 1895 at least, with a team featuring a number of works employees including Thomas Freeman (ships fireman), Walter Parks (clerk), Tom Mundy, Walter Tranter and James Lindsay (all boilermakers), William Chapman, George Sage, and William Chamberlain and apprentice riveter Charlie Dove.[3]

The club, Thames Ironworks F.C.[4] were the first ever winners of the West Ham Charity Cup in 1895 contested by clubs in the locality, then won the London League in 1897. They turned professional in 1898 upon entering the Southern League Second Division, and were promoted to the First Division at the first attempt.[5] The following year they came second from bottom, but had established themselves as a fully-fledged competitive team. They comfortably fended off the challenge of local rivals Fulham F.C. in a relegation play-off, 5-1 in late April 1900 and retained their First Division status.[5]

The team initially played in full dark blue kits, as inspired by Mr. Hills, who had been an Oxford University "Blue", but changed the following season by adopting the sky blue shirts and white shorts combination worn through 1897 to 1899. In 1899 they acquired their now traditional home kit combination of claret shirts and sky blue sleeves in a wager involving Aston Villa F.C. players, who were League Champions at the time.

Following growing disputes over the running and financing of the club in June 1900 Thames Ironworks F.C. was wound up,[4] then almost immediately relaunched on 5 July 1900 as West Ham United F.C. with Syd King[4] as their manager and future manager Charlie Paynter as his assistant. Because of the original "works team" roots and links (still represented upon the club badge), they are still known to this day as 'the Irons' or 'the Hammers' amongst fans and the media.[4][6][7]

The reborn club continued to play their games at the Memorial Ground in Plaistow (funded by Arnold Hills) but moved to a pitch in the Upton Park area when the team officially severed ties with the company (losing their works provisioned offices in the process). After being made groundless in 1901 the team became transient, playing their home games on a number of local teams' grounds until moving to its current home, Upton Park (in the guise of the Boleyn Ground stadium), in 1904.

West Ham's first game in their new home was against local rivals Millwall F.C.[4] (themselves an Ironworks team, albeit for a rival company) drawing a crowd of 10,000 and with West Ham running out 3-0 winners,[8] and as the Daily Mirror wrote on 2 September 1904:

"Favoured by the weather turning fine after heavy rains of the morning, West Ham United began their season most auspiciously yesterday evening; when they beat Millwall by 3 goals to 0 on their new enclosure at Upton Park."

West Ham Utd F.C. had joined the Western League for the 1901 season[9] in addition to continuing playing in the Southern Division 1. In 1907 West Ham were crowned the Western League Division 1B Champions, and then defeated 1A champions Fulham 1-0 to become the Western Leagues Overall Champions.[9]

In 1919, still under King's leadership, West Ham gained entrance to the Football League Second Division and were promoted to Division One in 1923, also making the FA Cup final that year. The team enjoyed mixed success in Division 1 but retained their status for 10 years and reached the FA Cup semifinal in 1927.

In 1932 the club was relegated to Division Two and long term custodian Sydney King was sacked after serving the club in the role of Manager for 32 years, and as a player from 1899 to 1903. He was replaced with his assistant manager Charlie Paynter who himself had been with West Ham in a number of roles since 1897 and who went on to serve the team in this role until 1950 for a total of 480 games.

The club spent most of the next 30 years in this division, first under Paynter and then later under the leadership of former player Ted Fenton. Fenton succeeded in getting the club once again promoted to the top level of English football in 1958 and in helping develop both the initial batch of future West Ham stars and West Ham's approach to the game.

Ron Greenwood was appointed as Fenton's successor in 1961 and he soon led the club to two major trophies, winning the FA Cup in 1964 and the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1965. During the 1966 World Cup, key members of the England national football team were West Ham players, including the captain, Bobby Moore; Martin Peters (who scored in the final); and Geoff Hurst, who scored the only hat-trick (to date) in a World Cup final. After a difficult start to the 1974-75 season, Greenwood moved himself "upstairs" to become General Manager and without informing the board, appointed his assistant John Lyall as team manager. The result was instant success - the team scored 20 goals in the their first four games combined and won the FA Cup that year.

Lyall then guided West Ham to another European Cup Winners' Cup final in 1976, though the team lost the match 4-2 to Anderlecht. Greenwood's tenure as General Manager lasted less than three years, as he was appointed to manage England in the wake of Don Revie's resignation in 1977.

In 1978, West Ham were again relegated to Division Two, but Lyall was retained as manager and led the team to another FA Cup win in 1980. This was notable because no team outside the top division has won the trophy since that time. West Ham were promoted to Division One in 1981, but were relegated again in 1989. This second relegation resulted in John Lyall's sacking, despite the fact that that stay in Division One saw West Ham achieve their highest-ever placing in the top division, finishing 3rd in 1986.

After Lyall, Lou Macari briefly led the team, though he resigned after less than a single season in order to clear his name of allegations of illegal betting whilst manager of Swindon Town. He was replaced by former player Billy Bonds. In Bonds' first full season (1990-91), West Ham again secured promotion to Division One. The following season they were again relegated to Division 2, which had been renamed Division One as part of the league realignments surrounding the creation of the English Premier League in 1992. West Ham spent the 1992-93 season in Division One. finishing second and returning to the Premier League in May 1993.

After the 1993-94 season, Bonds quit and was replaced by Harry Redknapp in August 1994. Redknapp was active in the transfer market, and gained a reputation as a "wheeler-dealer" especially with foreign players being more available following the Bosman ruling. He led West Ham to fifth place in the 1998-99 season, but missed automatic qualification for the UEFA Cup, and instead qualified as winners of the Intertoto Cup. Despite consolidating the league placings for a handful of seasons, a disagreement with the board of directors during the close of the 2000-01 season, found Redknapp replaced with Glenn Roeder, promoted from youth team coach.

In Roeder's first season the team finished seventh, but West Ham lost by wide margins in several matches (7-1 to Blackburn, 5-0 to Everton and 5-1 to Chelsea) The subsequent season started badly and eventually resulted in relegation. Roeder, who had missed some of the season after being diagnosed with a brain tumour that was treated) was sacked on 24 August 2003, three games into the Championship campaign. Trevor Brooking (who served as manager during Glenn's ill health the previous season) stepped in as interim manager before being replaced by Alan Pardew in October 2003, headhunted from fellow promotion contenders Reading. Pardew led the team to a playoff final, though they were beaten by Crystal Palace. The club stayed in Division One (which at this time became the Championship) for another season, when they again reached the playoff final, but this time won and gained re-entry to the Premiership.

On their return to the top division, West Ham finished in 9th place,[10]. The highlight of the 2005-06 season, however, was reaching the FA Cup final, and taking favourites Liverpool to a penalty shootout, after a thrilling three-all draw. Although West Ham lost the shootout, they gained entry to the UEFA Cup as Liverpool had already qualified for the Champions League through league position.

In August 2006, West Ham completed a major coup on the last day of the transfer window, after completing the signings of Carlos Tévez and Javier Mascherano.[11] The club was eventually bought by an Icelandic consortium, led by Eggert Magnússon in November 2006.[12] Manager Alan Pardew was sacked after poor form during the season[13] and was replaced by former Charlton manager Alan Curbishley.[14]

The signings of Mascherano and Tévez were investigated by the Premier League, who were concerned that details of the transfers had been omitted from official records. The club was found guilty and fined 5.5 million pounds in April 2007.[15] However, West Ham avoided a points deduction which ultimately became critical in their avoidance of relegation at the end of the 2006-07 season. Following on from this event, Wigan Athletic chairman Dave Whelan, supported by other sides facing possible relegation, including Fulham and Sheffield United, threatened legal action.[16]

West Ham escaped relegation by winning seven of their last nine games, including a 1-0 win over Arsenal, and on the last day of the season defeated newly crowned League Champions Manchester United 1-0 with a goal by Tevez to finish 15th, above the relegation zone. Tevez' contributions were arguably important to the survival of the club in the Premiership as he scored seven goals, five of them crucial, in the last couple of months of the season to enable the team to stay up, notwithstanding his ineffectiveness throughout the early part of the season.

In the 2007-08 season, West Ham had a reasonably consistent place in the top half of the league table despite a slew of injuries; new signings Craig Bellamy and Kieron Dyer missed most of the campaign. The last game of the season, at the Boleyn Ground, saw West Ham draw 2-2 against Aston Villa; ensuring 10th place, finishing three points ahead of rivals Tottenham Hotspur. It was a five-place improvement on the previous season, and most importantly West Ham were never under any realistic threat of relegation.

After a row with the board over the sale of defenders Anton Ferdinand and George McCartney to Sunderland FC, manager Alan Curbishley resigned on 3 September 2008. His successor, Gianfranco Zola took over on 11 September 2008 and in so doing became the club's first foreign manager (The Scottish manager Lou Macari was the only other manager not from England), to coach the club and became West Ham's 12th manager.[17]. Following a promising start to his tenure as manager, including winning his first two league games, West Ham's form under Zola has been inconsistent. Despite earning credible draws away to Liverpool and Chelsea (0-0 and 1-1 respectively), West Ham endured a sequence of one win in the eleven league games since Zola's first two league games, until an emphatic 4-1 Boxing Day victory away to Portsmouth. Since then, West Ham have remained unbeaten in six consecutive Premier League games, and eight games in all competitions.

Crest

The previous club crest 1987-1997

The original club crest was a crossed pair of rivet hammers; tools commonly used in the iron and shipbuilding industry. A castle was later (circa 1903/4) added to the crest and represents a prominent local building, Green Street House, which was known as "Boleyn Castle" through an association with Anne Boleyn. The manor was reportedly one of the sites at which Henry VIII courted his second queen, though in truth there is no factual evidence other than the tradition of rumour.[18]

The castle may have also been added as a result of the contribution made to the club by players of Old Castle Swifts, or even the adoption (in 1904) of Boleyn Castle FC[19] as their reserve side when they took over their grounds on the site.

The crest was redesigned and updated by London design agency Springett Associates in the late 1990s, featuring a wider yellow castle with fewer cruciform "windows" along with the peaked roofs being removed; the tops of the towers had previously made the castle appear more akin to Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty's Castle than a functioning fortress. The designer also altered other details to give a more substantial feel to the iconography.

When the club redesigned the facade of the stadium (construction finished 2001/02) the 'castle' from the later badge was incorporated into the structure at the main entrance to the ground. A pair of towers are now prominent features of the ground's appearance, both bearing the club's modern insignia (which is also located in the foyer and other strategic locations).

Colours

The original colours of the team were dark blue, due to Thames Ironworks chairman Arnold Hills being a former student of Oxford University. However the team used a variety of kits including the claret and sky blue house colours of Thames Ironworks, as well as sky blue or white uniforms.[20][21]

The Irons permanently adopted claret and blue for home colours in the summer of 1899. Thames Ironworks right-half Charlie Dove received the Aston Villa kit from his father William Dove, who was a professional sprinter of national repute, as well as being involved with the coaching at Thames Ironworks. Bill Dove had been at a fair in Birmingham, close to Villa Park, the home ground of Aston Villa and was challenged to a race against four Villa players, who wagered money that one of them would win.

Bill Dove defeated them and, when they were unable to pay the bet, one of the Villa players who was responsible for washing the team's kit offered a complete side's 'uniforms' to Dove in payment. The Aston Villa player subsequently reported to his club that the kit was 'missing'.

Thames Ironworks, and later West Ham United, retained the claret yoke/blue sleeves design, but also continued to use their previously favoured colours for their away kits, and indeed, in recent years the club have committed to a dark blue-white-sky blue rotation for the away colours. For instance, the 2008-09 squad will wear sky blue away kits, while last year's campaign saw white away kits, the year before saw navy blue, etc. However, last year's away kit will be the Hammers' third kit for the coming season.

West Ham announced on 2 March 2007 their new kit supplier will be Umbro for the next 3 seasons but has since been extended to the 2013/2014 season[citation needed], with the club also announcing they will be changing the home and away kits at the end of every season for the next 3 years[citation needed].

On 7 June 2007 the club announced their new kit sponsor will be XL.com.[22][dead link][23][dead link]. On 12 September 2008 XL Leisure Group was put into administration,[24] leaving the club without a sponsor.

On 3 December 2008, the club announced that SBOBET, a betting company, will be the shirt sponsors until the end of the 2009/10 season.[25] Their logo will be worn on West Ham's first team shirts and replica adult kits. The Youth Academy and kids replicas will sport the Bobby Moore fund as sponsor due to the main sponsor being a betting firm.

Supporters, hooliganism and rivalries

Supporters

I'm forever blowing bubbles,

Pretty bubbles in the air.
They fly so high, nearly reach the sky,
And like my dreams they fade and die.
Fortune's always hiding,
I've looked everywhere...
I'm forever blowing bubbles,

pretty bubbles in the air.

— original lyrics to "Bubbles", from John Helliar[26]

The team's supporters are famous for their rendition of the chorus of their team's anthem, "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles" introduced to the club by former manager Charlie Paynter in the late 1920s. At the time, a Pears soap commercial featuring the curly haired child in the Millais "Bubbles" painting who resembled a player Billy J. "Bubbles" Murray in a local schoolboy team of Park School for whom the headmaster Cornelius Beal coined singing the tune "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles" with amended lyrics.

Beal was a friend of Paynter, whilst Murray was a West Ham trialist and played football at schoolboy level with a number of West Ham players such as Jim Barrett. Through this contrivance of association the clubs fans took it upon themselves to begin singing the popular music hall tune before home games, sometimes reinforced by the presence of a house band requested to play the refrain by Charlie Paynter.[26]

There is a slight change to the lyrics sung by the Upton Park faithful. The second line's "nearly reach the sky" is changed to "they reach the sky", "Then like my dreams" is also changed to "And like my dreams". In addition the fans begin a chant of "United, United!" to cap it off.

Bow Bells are ringing, for the Claret and Blue,

Bow Bells are ringing, for the Claret and Blue,
 When the Hammers are scoring, and the South Bank are roaring,
 And the money is pouring, for the Claret and Blue,
 Claret and Blue,
 No relegation for the Claret and Blue,
 Just celebration for the Claret and Blue,
 One day we'll win a cup or two, or three,

Or four or more, for West Ham and the Claret and Blue.

— Supporters song to the tune of 'The Bells are Ringing', circa 1960[27]

The 1975 FA Cup version - which contains the original lyrics, and features vocals from the teams then current players - is always played before home games, with the home crowd joining in and carrying the song on after the music stops at the verse line "Fortune's always hiding". The song was originally released as a single by the 1975 Cup Final squad and has been covered on occasion by such as the Cockney Rejects.

Like other teams (such as Liverpool F.C.'s adoption of "You'll Never Walk Alone") the team also have a history of adopting or adapting popular songs of the day to fit particular events, themes, players or personas. These have included serious renditions of theatre and movie classics such as "The Bells are Ringing", along with more pun laden or humorous efforts such as chanting former player Paolo di Canio's name to the canzone La donna è mobile by Verdi, or D.I.Canio to the tune of Ottawans D.I.S.C.O., or singing That's Zamora to the tune of Dean Martins 1953 classic That's Amore in honour of former Iron striker Bobby Zamora (this chant was originally created by the Brighton fans when he was at the club).

On the fans' darker side, they gained national attention after giving a torrid time to David Beckham in his first away match of 1998-9 the season after the England midfielder was sent off for a petulant foul on Diego Simeone.[28] Coinciding with the game there were claims (and an image taken) that fans, organised by a hardcore, had hung an effigy of the player outside a local pub. Although it was later revealed that the pub was in South-East London, the heartland of West Ham's greatest rivals Millwall. The West Ham fans did boo Beckham's every touch of the ball during the game, however.[29]

They have also displayed a particular zeal when it comes to abusing former players particularly those who are perceived to have abandoned the club, or performed some disservice. Famously Paul Ince ("Judas, Judas"[30]), Frank Lampard("Fat Lumpolard"[31]) Jermain Defoe ("You're just a small Paul Ince"[32]) and Nigel Reo-Coker[33] have born the brunt of verbal assaults and a guaranteed hostile reception at Upton Park. However, players such as Joe Cole, Michael Carrick, Rio Ferdinand and Carlos Tevez receive applause and even standing ovations in honour of their contributions during their time at the club.

West Ham fans display their rosettes, scarves and novelty hammers at an FA Cup match in 1933

Many West Ham fans also follow Leyton Orient and Dagenham and Redbridge, West Ham fans can be seen at either Leyton Orient or Dagenham and Redbridge, whenever West Ham are playing away from home, although the warmth felt by West Ham fans for Orient is not usually reciprocated by the Orient supporters.

Hooliganism

The origins of West Ham's links with organised football-related violence starts in the 1960s with the establishment of The Mile End Mob (named after a particularly tough area of the East End of London).[34]

During the 1970s and 1980s (the main era for organised football-related violence) West Ham gained further notoriety for the levels of hooliganism in their fan base and antagonistic behaviour towards both their own and rival fans, and the police.

The Inter City Firm were one of the first "casuals", so called because they avoided police supervision by not wearing football-related clothing and travelled to away matches on regular "Inter City" trains, rather than on the cheap and more tightly-policed "football special" charter trains. The group were an infamous West Ham-aligned gang. As the firm's moniker "inter city" suggests violent activities were not confined to local derbies - the hooligans were content to cause trouble at any game, though nearby teams often bore the brunt.

During the 1990s, and to the present day, sophisticated surveillance and policing coupled with club supported promotions and community action has reduced the level of violence, though the intense rivalry and association with Millwall, Chelsea and other major players in the 'firm' scheme remains.

The 2005 film "Green Street" (an allusion to the road on which the Boleyn Ground stands) depicted an American student played by Elijah Wood becoming involved with a fictional firm associated with West Ham, with an emphasis on the rivalry with Millwall. The two teams and their Chairmen moved to distance the clubs from the movie at the time. West Ham hooliganism was again highlighted in film in 2008, with the film based on the life of well known former hooligan Cass Pennant, Cass.

Rivalries

West Ham have strong rivalries with several other clubs. Most of these are with other London clubs, especially with their neighbours Tottenham Hotspur and also with Chelsea, which sublimates the age-old East versus West London rivalry.

The strongest and oldest rivalry is with Millwall. The two sides are local rivals, having both formed originally around the works sides Thames Ironworks and Millwall Ironworks shipbuilding companies. They were rivals for the same contracts and the players lived in the same locality. The early history of both clubs are intertwined, with West Ham proving to be the more successful in a number of meetings between the two teams, resulting in West Ham being promoted at the expense of Millwall. Millwall later declined to join the fledgling Football League while West Ham went on to the top division and an FA Cup final. Later in the 1920s the rivalry was intensified during strike action started by the East End (perceived to be West Ham fans) which Isle Of Dogs-based companies (i.e. Millwall fans) refused to support, breeding ill will between the two camps.

The rivalry between West Ham and Millwall has involved considerable violence and is one of the most notorious within the world of football hooliganism. However, the two clubs have not played each other in 4 years.

Another rivalry which has recently developed is with Sheffield United. The Blades have tried to sue West Ham and the Premier League for damages, over their claim that West Ham had an unfair advantage by playing Carlos Tevez. The FA fined West Ham a record £5.5 million for a third party contract agreement (illegal in the English Premier League) in the deal that brought Tevez to Upton Park, but ruled that the player was registered to play and had always been registered. The FA has sat twice on the matter and has thrown the case out twice. Sheffield United still continue to pursue damages, as they believe that West Ham should have been docked points instead of fined.

The day after West Ham were fined, they continued their fight to stay in the Premier League by defeating Wigan Athletic 3-0. In their last 9 games West Ham picked up 21 points by winning 7 of their last 9 games. Sheffield United only won 2 of their last 9 games, one of which was by defeating West Ham 3-0 at home to initially go 5 points above them. Their 2-1 defeat by Wigan on the last day of the season sealed their relegation. Meanwhile, West Ham won 1-0 away to Manchester United, with Carlos Tevez scoring the only goal, to ensure that they remained in the Premier league. This action by Sheffield United has increased fan and club rivalry and they are now seen as fierce rivals.

Nicknames

The fans and club alike are known as "The Hammers" by the media, partly because of the club's origins as Thames Ironworks company football team (see club crest) and also (incorrectly) due to the club's name. However, they are also known as "The Irons" by their own supporters. They are also known as "The Cockney Boys" from their history of being a Cockney team. Yet another nickname is "The Academy of Football", or just "The Academy", a nickname given, then adopted by West Ham United, by the London media.

Trivia

Billie the White Horse, saviour of the 1923 FA Cup Final.
  • The first ever FA Cup final to be held at the old Wembley stadium, in 1923, featured West Ham United vs Bolton Wanderers. This was also known as the White Horse Final. This is because so many people turned up to the game, (estimated at 200,000), that they spilled out on to the pitch. The pitch had to be cleared prior to kick-off, by Billie, a giant white horse (actually grey) being ridden by P.C. George Scorey. The cup final match itself ended at 2-0 to Bolton Wanderers. Some West Ham supporters felt because of crowd encroachment the game should have been postponed. It was not postponed because King George V was in attendance to present the Cup and it was thought too impolite to ask the King to return. It was considered that it was very appropriate that West Ham United appeared at the first Wembley final on the basis that the club name is an anagram of "The New Stadium". Had the new Wembley Stadium been completed on schedule for the 2006 FA Cup final West Ham would also have featured in the opening of the new stadium.
  • West Ham are the most recent team to win the FA Cup with an all English side when they beat Fulham 2-0 in the 1975 final. They were also the last team to win the competition whilst outside of the top flight of English football, this occurred when they beat Arsenal 1-0 in the 1980 FA Cup Final.
  • West Ham are the last team to ever win at Arsenal's old ground Highbury, and became the first team to win at Arsenal's new Emirates Stadium on April 7th 2007 winning 1-0. In that same season West Ham did the league 'double' over Arsenal and Manchester United winning all four games 1-0.
Champions Statue on Barking Road.
  • Also, the character Dean Thomas in the Harry Potter series is a West Ham supporter. Dean keeps a poster of the West Ham team in the dormitory he shares with Harry and others in his year.
  • A 2005 film entitled Green Street Hooligans is based around the exploits of a fictional West Ham firm (loosely based on the ICF).
  • Iron Maiden founder and bassist Steve Harris is a die-hard fan of the team, and it shows on his bass guitar, which sports the West Ham United crest. During the mid 1970s he was a youth team footballer for West Ham United. He still is a talented amateur football player, and he has stated his first ambition in life before music was to become a professional footballer.
  • United States president Barack Obama has been a fan of West Ham since a trip to the UK.[37]
  • On the 11th of August 2008 before the pre-season friendly versus Villareal the famous number 6 shirt worn by Bobby Moore throughout his time at West Ham was retired as a mark of respect for the former defender. This was the first shirt to be retired by the Hammers.
  • Trevor Brooking is the only player for West Ham United F.C. to have been honoured with the title of 'Hammer of the Year' three times in a row (1976, 1977 and 1978). He also is the player who has won the award most times as he has won it on five occasions (1972, 1976, 1977, 1978 and 1984).

Stadium

See also: Boleyn Ground
The Boleyn Ground.

West Ham are currently based at the Boleyn Ground, commonly known as Upton Park, in Newham, East London. The capacity of the Boleyn Ground is 35,303.[38] This has been West Ham's ground since 1904. Prior to this, in their previous incarnation of Thames Ironworks F.C., they played at Hermit Road in Canning Town and briefly at Browning Road in East Ham, before moving to the Memorial Grounds in Plaistow in 1897. They retained the stadium during their transition to becoming West Ham United and were there for a further four seasons before moving to the Boleyn Ground in 1904.

Former chairman Eggert Magnússon made clear his ambition for West Ham United to move to the Olympic Stadium after the 2012 Olympics. However, the move to the Olympic Stadium was abandoned when it was revealed that the stadium would have a reduced capacity from the current Boleyn Ground, and would have to remain primarily an athletics venue.[39]

As the move is no longer possible, Magnússon is eager to find another venue, and insists West Ham will preferably move from the Boleyn Ground in the future.[40]

Magnusson along with Legal and Commercial Director,- Scott Duxbury, have said that a move to a new ground is likely by approximately 2011, with the site for the new stadium likely to be the current Royal Mail depot next to West Ham station.[41]

The Academy of Football

"Academy of Football".
Main article: The Academy of Football

The club promotes the popular idea of West Ham being "The Academy of Football", with the moniker adorning the ground's new stadium façade. The comment predominantly refers to the club's youth development system which was established by Manager Ted Fenton during the 1950s, that has seen a number of international players emerge through the ranks.[42] Most notably the club contributed three players to the World Cup winning England side of 1966 including club icon Bobby Moore, as well as Martin Peters and Geoff Hurst who between them scored all of England's goals in the eventual 4-2 victory. Other academy players that have gone on to play for England have included Trevor Brooking, Alvin Martin, Tony Cottee and Paul Ince. More recently, Rio Ferdinand, Joe Cole, Michael Carrick, Glen Johnson and Frank Lampard have begun their careers at the club. Frustratingly, for the fans and managers alike,[43] the club has struggled to retain many of these players due to (predominantly) financial[44] reasons. West Ham, during the 2007/08 season, had an average of 6.61 English players in the starting line up, higher than any other Premiership club[45], which cemented their status as one of the few Premier League clubs left that were recognised to be bringing through young English talent and were recognised as having 'homegrown players'.

Players

Current squad

As of 2 February 2009.[46][47]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK England ENG Robert Green
2 DF Australia AUS Lucas Neill (captain)
3 DF Democratic Republic of the Congo COD Hérita Ilunga
4 DF Wales WAL Daniel Gabbidon
5 DF Uruguay URU Walter López
7 MF England ENG Kieron Dyer
8 MF England ENG Scott Parker
9 FW England ENG Dean Ashton
10 FW Germany GER Savio
12 FW England ENG Carlton Cole
13 FW Portugal POR Luís Boa Morte
14 DF Czech Republic CZE Radoslav Kováč (on loan from Spartak Moscow)
15 DF England ENG Matthew Upson
16 MF England ENG Mark Noble
18 DF United States USA Jonathan Spector
No. Pos. Nation Player
19 DF Wales WAL James Collins
21 MF Switzerland SUI Valon Behrami
22 MF England ENG Tony Stokes
24 GK Czech Republic CZE Jan Laštůvka (on loan from Shakhtar Donetsk)
25 FW Spain ESP Diego Tristán
30 DF England ENG James Tomkins
31 MF Wales WAL Jack Collison
32 FW Italy ITA David Di Michele (on loan from Torino)
33 FW England ENG Freddie Sears
34 GK Czech Republic CZE Marek Štěch
35 DF Iceland ISL Hólmar Örn Eyjólfsson
41 FW England ENG Zavon Hines
44 MF England ENG Bondz Ngala
46 MF England ENG Junior Stanislas

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
20 MF France FRA Julien Faubert (at Real Madrid)
23 GK England ENG Jimmy Walker (at Colchester United)
26 MF Scotland SCO Nigel Quashie (at Wolverhampton Wanderers)
27 DF England ENG Calum Davenport (at Sunderland)
28 MF England ENG Kyel Reid (at Wolverhampton Wanderers)
29 MF England ENG Lee Bowyer (at Birmingham City)
40 DF England ENG Joe Widdowson (at Grimsby Town)
45 DF England ENG Jordan Spence (at Leyton Orient)
43 GK England ENG David Blackmore (at Thurrock)

Retired numbers

Main article: Retired numbers in association football

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
6 DF England ENG Bobby Moore (posthumous honour)

West Ham dream team

See also: Category:West Ham United F.C. players

In the 2003 book The Official West Ham United Dream Team, 500 fans were quizzed for who would be in their all time Hammers Eleven. The voting was restricted to players from the modern era.

1 GK England ENG Phil Parkes
2 DF Scotland SCO Ray Stewart
3 DF England ENG Julian Dicks
4 MF England ENG Billy Bonds
5 DF England ENG Alvin Martin
6 DF England ENG Bobby Moore
7 MF England ENG Martin Peters
8 MF England ENG Trevor Brooking
9 FW England ENG Geoff Hurst
10 FW Italy ITA Paolo Di Canio
11 MF England ENG Alan Devonshire

Hammer of the Year

The following is a list of the "Hammer of the Year award" won by West Ham United players.[48]

Year Winner
1958 England Andy Malcolm
1959 England Ken Brown
1960 England Malcolm Musgrove
1961 England Bobby Moore
1962 Scotland Lawrie Leslie
1963 England Bobby Moore
1964 England Johnny Byrne
1965 England Martin Peters
1966 England Geoff Hurst
1967 England Geoff Hurst
1968 England Bobby Moore
1969 England Geoff Hurst
1970 England Bobby Moore
Year Winner
1971 England Billy Bonds
1972 England Trevor Brooking
1973 England Bryan 'Pop' Robson
1974 England Billy Bonds
1975 England Billy Bonds
1976 England Trevor Brooking
1977 England Trevor Brooking
1978 England Trevor Brooking
1979 England Alan Devonshire
1980 England Alvin Martin
1981 England Phil Parkes
1982 England Alvin Martin
1983 England Alvin Martin
Year Winner
1984 England Trevor Brooking
1985 England Paul Allen
1986 England Tony Cottee
1987 England Billy Bonds
1988 England Stewart Robson
1989 England Paul Ince
1990 England Julian Dicks
1991 Czech Republic Luděk Mikloško
1992 England Julian Dicks
1993 England Steve Potts
1994 England Trevor Morley
1995 England Steve Potts
1996 England Julian Dicks
Year Winner
1997 England Julian Dicks
1998 England Rio Ferdinand
1999 Trinidad and Tobago Shaka Hislop
2000 Italy Paolo Di Canio
2001 England Stuart Pearce
2002 France Sebastian Schemmel
2003 England Joe Cole
2004 England Matthew Etherington
2005 England Teddy Sheringham
2006 Wales Danny Gabbidon
2007 Argentina Carlos Tevez
2008 England Robert Green

Current staff

Position Name
Technical Director Italy Gianluca Nani[49]
Manager Italy Gianfranco Zola
Assistant Manager Scotland Steve Clarke [50]
First Team Coach England Kevin Keen
Head of Sports Science Nick Davies
Head of Physiotherapy George Cooper
Head of Corporate Affairs Ian Tompkins
Reserve Team Physiotherapist Dave Singleton
Reserve & Conditioning Coach Alex Dyer
Fitness Coach Antonio Pintus
Youth Academy Director Tony Carr
Goalkeeping Coach Luděk Mikloško
Chief Scout Roger Cross
Kit Manager Steve Rigby

Managers

West Ham have had only 12 managers in their history, fewer than any other major English club. Up until 1989 the club had only had five different managers. Before the appointment of Gianfranco Zola in 2008 the club never had an overseas manager, with the only non-Englishman being the Scot, Lou Macari. Former Hammers player and board member Trevor Brooking was briefly in charge during two separate spells as caretaker manager in 2003, first during the illness of Glenn Roeder and again between Roeder's sacking and the appointment of Alan Pardew. Former player Kevin Keen was a brief caretaker manager (just 1 game), prior to Zola's reign.

Manager Period G W D L Win % Honours/Notes
Italy Gianfranco Zola 2008- 23 9 6 8 39.13 Club's first foreign manager
England Alan Curbishley 2006-2008 71 29 14 28 40.85
England Alan Pardew 2003-2006 163 67 38 58 41.10 Championship Play Off Winners 2005, FA Cup runners-up 2006
England Glenn Roeder 2001-2003 86 27 23 36 31.39
England Harry Redknapp 1994-2001 327 121 85 121 37.00 UEFA Intertoto Cup winners 1999
England Billy Bonds 1990-1994 227 99 61 67 43.61
Scotland Lou Macari 1989-1990 38 14 12 12 36.84 Shortest spell as manager
England John Lyall 1974-1989 708 277 176 255 39.12 FA Cup winners 1975, 1980 Old Division Two Champions 1980-81, UEFA Cup Winners Cup runners-up 1976, League Cup runners-up 1981; highest ever league finish - 3rd Division One 1985/86
England Ron Greenwood 1961-1974 613 215 165 233 35.07 FA Cup winners 1964, Charity Shield (shared) 1964, UEFA Cup Winners Cup winners 1965, League Cup runners-up 1966
England Ted Fenton 1950-1961 483 192 107 184 39.75 Old Division Two Champions 1957-58
England Charlie Paynter 1932-1950 480 198 116 166 41.25
England Syd King 1901-1932 638 248 146 244 38.87 FA Cup runners-up 1923

Ownership

West Ham United was owned by Terry Brown until 2006, when Eggert Magnússon and Björgólfur Guðmundsson bought the club. Soon after, manager Alan Pardew was sacked and ex-Charlton Athletic Manager Alan Curbishley was hired. In a bizarre twist of fate, the two managers met each other in a relegation battle where the Hammers lost 4-0 to their South East London rivals. However, West Ham eventually stayed up and Charlton were relegated. Terry Brown was criticised by some sections of the fans (including pressure group Whistle specifically formed for this purpose) due to a perception of financial and staff mismanagement. In December 2008 West Ham began looking for new owners. Five potential buyer's have signed non-disclosure agreements, with offers invited after owner Björgólfur Guðmundsson's holding company went into voluntary administration.

On 18 September 2007, it was announced that Magnússon would step down as executive chairman[2] but would still retain the role as club non-executive chairman overseeing a new management structure, and would keep his stake in the club.[51]

However on 13 December 2007, it was announced that Magnússon had left West Ham and that his 5 per cent holding had been bought by club majority owner Björgólfur Guðmundsson.[52] He has since been blamed for West Ham´s overindulgence in the summer of 2007 when the team agreed sky-high wages for some players who then didn´t live up to expectations, Fredrik Ljungberg being a particular example.

In November 2008, Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson had said thet he would be listening to any offers made by other companies around the world to buy West Ham United Football Club due to his investments in the famous Icelandic bank, Landbanksi, going into administration therefore, his investments not being there any more.

Shirt sponsors and kit suppliers

On 11 September 2008, the BBC News Channel reported that the team's main sponsor, XL Leisure Group had been placed in administration, although Simon Calder of The Independent confirmed the group's website was still taking bookings.

The XL Leisure Group confirmed on their website that 11 companies associated with the group had been put into administration on 12 September 2008. This includes XL Airways UK Limited, Excel Aviation Limited, Explorer House Limited, Aspire Holidays Limited, Freedom Flights Limited, The Really Great Holiday Company plc, Medlife Hotels Limited, Travel City Direct, and Kosmar Villa Holidays plc. It does not affect the German and French divisions of the company's operations.

As of 12 September 2008 the club terminated its contract with XL Leisure group.[53][54]

On December 3rd 2008 West Ham announced that they had signed a shirt sponsorship deal with Far Eastern betting firm SBOBET. The deal is set to run until the end of the 2009/10 season, and will see the company's logo on First Team and Reserve Team kit, and adult replica shirts; all Academy teams and child replica shirts will carry the logo of the Bobby Moore Fund.[55]

Shirt sponsors

Years Sponsor
1983-89 AVCO Trust
1989-93 BAC Windows
1993-97 Dagenham Motors
1998-2003 Dr. Martens
2003-07 JobServe
2007-08 XL.com
2008-present SBOBET

Kit suppliers

Years Kit Supplier
1976-80 Admiral
1980-87 Adidas
1987-89 Scoreline
1989-93 Bukta
1993-99 Pony
1999-2003 Fila
2003-07 Reebok
2007 - present Umbro

Honours

Senior

Domestic

League
Cups

European

International

Other

  

Youth

Reserve

As Thames Ironworks F.C.

Statistics and records

Attendance

Transfers

Record results and performances

Victories

  • League Cup:
    • Home: 10-0 v Bury (Rd 2 leg 2), 25/10/1983
    • Away: 5-1 v Cardiff City (sf leg 2), 2/2/1966 & 5-1 v Walsall (Rd 2), 13/9/1967
  

Defeats

Club league highs and lows

See also West Ham United F.C. by season
  • Home:
    • Most:
    • Most Home Wins: 19 (1980-81)
    • Most Home Draws: 10 (1981-82)
    • Most Home Defeats: 10 (1988-89)
    • Most Home Goals Scored: 59 (1958-59)
    • Most Home Goals Conceded: 44 (1930-31)
    • Fewest:
    • Fewest Home Wins: 3 (1988-89)
    • Fewest Home Draws: 1 (1934-35, 1980-81)
    • Fewest Home Defeats: 1 (1957-58, 1980-81)
    • Fewest Home Goals Scored: 19 (1988-89)
    • Fewest Home Goals Conceded: 11 (1920-21, 1922-23)
  
  • Away:
    • Most:
    • Most Away Wins: 11 (1922-23, 1957-58)
    • Most Away Draws: 10 (1968-69)
    • Most Away Defeats: 17 (1932-33)
    • Most Away Goals Scored: 45 (1957-58)
    • Most Away Goals Conceded: 70 (1931-32)
    • Fewest:
    • Fewest Away Wins: 1 (1925-26, 1932-33, 1937-38, 1960-61)
    • Fewest Away Draws: 1 (1982-83)
    • Fewest Away Defeats: 3 (1980-81)
    • Fewest Away Goals Scored: 12 (1996-97)
    • Fewest Away Goals Conceded: 16 (1990-91)
  
  • Total:
    • Most:
    • Most Total Wins: 28 (1980-81)
    • Most Total Draws: 18 (1968-69)
    • Most Total Defeats: 23 (1931-32)
    • Most Total Goals Scored: 101 (1957-58)
    • Most Total Goals Conceded: 107 (1931-32)
    • Fewest:
    • Fewest Total Wins: 9 (1987-88, 1991-92)
    • Fewest Total Draws: 4 (1934-35, 1964-65, 1982-83)
    • Fewest Total Defeats: 4 (1980-81)
    • Fewest Total Goals Scored: 37 (1988-89, 1991-92)
    • Fewest Total Goals Conceded: 29 (1980-81)

Club goal records

  • Most League Goals In A Season:
    • 101, Division Two 1957-58
  • Top League Scorer In A Season:
  • Top Scorer In A Season:

Follow link to Official West Ham United Records Page[57]

 

Player records

Appearances

  1. 793 Billy Bonds 1967-88
  2. 674 Frank Lampard Sr. 1967-85
  3. 646 Bobby Moore 1958-74
  4. 635 Trevor Brooking 1967-84
  5. 601 Alvin Martin 1977-96
  6. 548 Jimmy Ruffell 1921-37
  7. 505 Steve Potts 1985-2002
  8. 505 Vic Watson 1920-35
  9. 502 Geoff Hurst 1959-72
  10. 467 Jim Barrett 1924-43
  

Goals

  1. 326 Vic Watson 1920-35
  2. 252 Geoff Hurst 1959-72
  3. 166 John Dick 1953-63
  4. 166 Jimmy Ruffell 1921-37
  5. 146 Tony Cottee 1983-88/1994-96
  6. 107 Johnny Byrne 1961-67
  7. 104 Bryan 'Pop' Robson 1970-74/1976-79
  8. 102 Trevor Brooking 1967-84
  9. 100 Malcolm Musgrove 1953-63
  10. 100 Martin Peters 1962-70

See also

Sources

  • Belton, Brian (2007). "BROWN OUT": The Biography of West Ham Chairmen, Terence Brown. Pennant Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-906015112.
  • Belton, Brian (2006). West Ham United Miscellany. Pennant Books. ISBN 0-9550394-4-4.
  • Blows, Kirk & Hogg, Tony (2000). The Essential History of West Ham United. Headline. ISBN 0-7472-7036-8.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  • Hellier, John & Leatherdale, Clive (2000). West Ham United: The Elite Era - A Complete Record. Desert Island. ISBN 1-874287-31-7.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  • Hogg, Tony (2005). Who's Who of West Ham United. Profile Sports Media. ISBN 1-903135-50-8.
  • Kerrigan, Colm (1997). Gatling Gun George Hilsdon. Football Lives. ISBN 0-9530718-0-4.
  • Nawrat, Chris & Hutchings, Steve (1996). The Sunday Times Illustrated History of Football. Hamlyn. ISBN 1-85613-341-9.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  • Pickering, David (1994). The Cassell Soccer Companion. Cassell. ISBN 0-304-34231-9.
  • Redknapp, Harry With Derek McGovern (1998). Harry Redknapp - My Autobiography. HarperCollins. ISBN 0-00-218872-4.
  • Ward, Adam & Smith, Dave (2003). The Official West Ham United Dream Team. Hamlyn. ISBN 0-600-60835-2.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

References

  1. ^ http://www.bookiealerts.co.uk/team_profiles/west_ham_united_.html
  2. ^ a b "Magnússon steps down as West Ham chairman". Reuters. 18 September 2007. Retrieved 2007-11-09. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  3. ^ a b "The History of West Ham United 1895-1896". Spartacus Schoolnet.
  4. ^ a b c d e DogManStar (2003-03-15). "West Ham United origins". BBC.
  5. ^ a b 'Richard Rundle. "Source for Thames Ironworks statistics". Football Club History Database.
  6. ^ "East London History regarding Thames Ironworks". EastLondonHistory.com.
  7. ^ "Pg24, citing study into West Hams community ties" (PDF). Leeds Metropolitan University.
  8. ^ Northcutt, John (1993). West Ham United: A Complete Record. Derby: Breedon. p. 198. ISBN 1873626444. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  9. ^ a b 'Richard Rundle. "Source for West Ham statistics". Football Club History Database.
  10. ^ "Final 2005/2006 English Premier Table". Soccerbase. Retrieved 2007-08-12.
  11. ^ "West Ham sign Tevez & Mascherano". BBC Sport. 2006-08-31. Retrieved 2007-08-12.
  12. ^ "West Ham accept £85m takeover bid", BBC news report, 21 November 2006. Retrieved 11 June 2007.
  13. ^ "Pardew sacked as West Ham manager", BBC news report, 11 December 2006. Retrieved 11 June 2007.
  14. ^ "Curbishley named West Ham manager", BBC news report, 13 December 2006. Retrieved 7 June 2007.
  15. ^ Daily Mail article on fine.
  16. ^ Whelan on Warpath
  17. ^ "West Ham unveil Zola as new manager". The Guardian. 2008-09-11. Retrieved 2008-09-12.
  18. ^ "East Ham: Manors and estates". University of London & History of Parliament Trust. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |Author= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  19. ^ Colm Kerrigan. ""Gatling Gun" George Hildson". Football Lives. ISBN 0-9530718-0-4.. {{cite web}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)
  20. ^ kitclassics.co.uk. "West Ham kits since inception I". Various sources, image of kits.
  21. ^ Dave Moor. "West Ham kits since inception II". Various sources, images of kits.
  22. ^ http://www.whufc.com/articles/article.php?page_id=9195
  23. ^ WHUFC.com
  24. ^ BBC News article on the demise of XL Leisure Group.
  25. ^ West Ham United and SBOBET
  26. ^ a b John Helliar. "The Story of Bubbles". West Ham Utd.
  27. ^ David Pickering. The Cassell Soccer Companion. Cassell. pp. 343–344.
  28. ^ "Beckham runs gauntlet at West Ham". BBC.co.uk.
  29. ^ "Beckham still subject of fans' ire". CNN - Sports Illustrated.
  30. ^ Neil Drysdale. "Football's Tribal Instincts". The Scotsman.
  31. ^ "Practice Makes Perfect". {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |Author= ignored (|author= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Publisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help)
  32. ^ "West Ham stunned by Stalteri strike". The Telegraph.
  33. ^ Reo-Coker: West Ham fans didn't want me at the club
  34. ^ "Want Some Aggro" by Cass Pennant
  35. ^ "A Wapping Mythology". Retrieved 2007-11-03.
  36. ^ "Up The Hammers". Retrieved 2007-11-03.
  37. ^ Up the Irons - Barack Obama is West Ham fan
  38. ^ Stadium information | West Ham United | Tickets | Stadium Information
  39. ^ "Hammers' Olympic move ruled out". The BBC. 07-02-2007. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  40. ^ Buckingham, Mark (8-2-2007). "Hammers to look elsewhere". Sky Sports. Retrieved 2007-02-08. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  41. ^ "Magnusson in talks over new West Ham stadium". Guardian Unlimited. 10-08-2007. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  42. ^ BBC article on "House of Legends"
  43. ^ The lost generation
  44. ^ Terry Brown letter to Shareholders
  45. ^ BBC SPORT | Football | Premier League | England player numbers at new low
  46. ^ "2008/09 First-team squad". West Ham United F.C. Retrieved 2008-08-06.
  47. ^ "West Ham United". Soccerbase. Retrieved 2008-09-13.
  48. ^ Hammer of the Year
  49. ^ "Nani confirms Hammers deal". Sky Sports. 2008-03-16. Retrieved 2008-03-16.
  50. ^ "West Ham appoint Clarke as coach". BBC. 2008-09-15. Retrieved 2008-09-15.
  51. ^ "Eggert Magnússon relinquishes West Ham role". The Times. 18 September 2007. Retrieved 2007-11-09. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  52. ^ "Eggert is victim of Hammers' reshuffle as he loses chairman's role at Upton Park". Daily Mail. 2007-12-13. Retrieved 2007-12-13.
  53. ^ "Club ends relationship with XL". whufc.com. 2008-09-12. Retrieved 2008-09-12.
  54. ^ "Hammers hit by backer's collapse". The Guardian. 2008-09-12. Retrieved 2008-09-12.
  55. ^ http://www.whufc.com/page/News/0,,12562~1475647,00.html
  56. ^ Club Record Home Attendance
  57. ^ WHUFC.com list of Club Titles, honours and records
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