Welcome, Junior Hammers! Click through the images to discover all the exciting moments and legendary stories from West Ham United's history. From famous wins to unforgettable players, each click will take you on a journey through the Club's amazing past. Find out more about each moment below!
1895 Thames Ironworks founded
When the Old Castle Swifts, Essex’s first professional football team, disbanded, it left a spot for a new team in West Ham. Arnold Hills, a businessman who ran the Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company, was asked by his worker, Dave Taylor, to start a football team for the company. Hills, who loved sports and believed in staying healthy, agreed. Their new team’s first-ever goal was scored by Arthur Darby from Canning Town. Darby was also there for the team’s first big game on 12 October 1895, when we played against Chatham in the FA Cup but lost 5-0 in front of 3,000 fans.
1900 West Ham United formed
In 1898, Thames Ironworks FC decided to become a professional football team to play in the Southern League. To raise money, the company became public, which meant it could no longer support the team as a company. So, in June 1900, Thames Ironworks FC closed but a new Club, West Ham United FC, was born soon after on 5 July 1900.
1914 The West Ham Pals go to the First World War
We honour the ‘West Ham Pals’, a group of brave Hammers players and supporters who joined the British Army in World War I. In 1914, the Mayor of West Ham gathered 1,000 local men to form a fighting force, called the 13th Battalion of the Essex Regiment. Many were loyal Hammers, ready to serve their country. Even without much training, uniforms, or weapons, they trained hard and fought courageously. They proudly shouted, ‘Up the Hammers!’ in battle and became famous for their bravery in major battles like the Battles of the Somme and Cambrai.
1919 Elected to Football League Second Division
West Ham United had played in the London League and then the Southern League since being reformed in 1900, finishing as high as third in 1912/13. Back then, clubs had to be elected to the Football League, rather than promoted. In 1919, after the First World War had ended, the Football League returned after a five-season break and was expanded by four clubs. The Hammers were elected to the Second Division alongside Coventry City, South Shields and Rotherham County.
1923 The ‘White Horse final’ and promotion to the First Division
The 1920s were important years for West Ham United, as the Club was promoted to the First Division and made it to the famous ‘White Horse’ FA Cup final in 1922/23. West Ham defeated Hull City, Brighton & Hove Albion, Plymouth Argyle, Southampton and Derby County to reach the final against Bolton Wanderers. The final took place at the newly-completed Empire Stadium in Wembley on 28 April 1923, when an estimated 240,000 fans crowded in to watch. Bolton won 2-0, but the match is best remembered for the grey horse named ‘Billie’ who helped clear the packed pitch so the game could go ahead.
1940 Football League War Cup success
During the Second World War, a special knockout competition called the Football League War Cup was held. West Ham United played strongly, beating teams like Chelsea and Leicester City, and then winning an exciting semi-final 4-3 against Fulham. This took us to the final against Blackburn Rovers at Wembley Stadium on 8 June 1940. In front of 42,399 fans, Sam Small scored the only goal of the game. West Ham’s victory brought a huge morale boost to east Londoners enduring difficult times and marked the Club’s first big win at Wembley.
1958 The ‘West Ham Way’ secures the Second Division title
West Ham United created a new playing style known as the ‘West Ham Way’, which focused on teamwork and developing young talent. The team first had to earn promotion from the Second Division. After two eighth-place finishes in 1955 and 1957, West Ham made a big push for promotion in the 1957/58 season. Manager Ted Fenton and defender Malcolm Allison played key roles in this success, focusing on scouting and recruiting local players. This approach helped West Ham return to the top division and earned them the nickname ‘The Academy of Football’.
The 1960s was a golden decade for West Ham United, marking the peak of the Club’s success. Under the management of the great Ron Greenwood, we won the FA Cup, the European Cup Winners’ Cup, and even helped England win the FIFA World Cup!
1964 Defeat Preston North End in FA Cup final
West Ham's first major trophy was won in 1964, when we defeated Preston North End 3-2 in an exciting FA Cup final at Wembley. The match was a thrilling example of ‘The West Ham Way’, with goals from striker Geoff Hurst and winger John Sissons a late header from midfielder Ronnie ‘Ticker’ Boyce securing the win.
1965 European Cup Winners' Cup winners
In the 1964/65 season, West Ham had an amazing run in the European Cup Winners' Cup. We beat La Gantoise of Belgium, Spartak Praha Sokolovo of Czechoslovakia, Lausanne of Switzerland and Real Zaragoza of Spain to set up a final against West German Cup holders TSV 1860 Munich at Wembley. It was an exciting match, often called one of the best ever, and we won 2-0 thanks to two second-half goals from Alan Sealey.
1966 Three Irons inspire England to FIFA World Cup glory
In 1966, three West Ham players – captain Bobby Moore, striker Geoff Hurst and midfielder Martin Peters – returned to Wembley for a third summer in a row, and this time they made history by inspiring England to an historic FIFA World Cup win. Moore captained the Three Lions, Hurst scored a famous hat-trick, and Peters added a goal in a thrilling 4-2 victory over West Germany. Even now, Hammers claim ‘West Ham won the World Cup’!
1975 Beat Fulham to lift FA Cup for second time
In the 1970s, West Ham United continued to do well, inspired by captain Billy Bonds and midfielder Trevor Brooking. In 1975, they were part of the team which beat Fulham in the FA Cup final at Wembley. Young striker Alan Taylor scored both goals, while Fulham’s team included legend Bobby Moore, who had left West Ham the previous year. The following season, 1975/76, the Hammers went all the way to the European Cup Winners’ Cup final, but were beaten 4-2 in the final by Anderlecht in the Belgian capital, Brussels.
1980 Two finals and another promotion
After being relegated in 1978, West Ham United bounced back in the early 1980s. While still a Second Division club, manager John Lyall led the Hammers to an incredible FA Cup final win over Arsenal in 1980, with Trevor Brooking heading the winning goal. West Ham then reached the League Cup final in April 1981, where they lost to Liverpool, and won the Second Division title and promotion back to the First Division the same month.
1986 ‘Boys of ‘86’ go close to title
The 1985/86 season saw West Ham United go close to winning the First Division title for the first time. With homegrown striker Tony Cottee and his Scottish partner Frank McAvennie scoring goals galore, the Hammers finished third behind Liverpool and Everton. Had bad weather and a long FA Cup run not caused a fixture backlog, who knows, maybe our ‘Boys of ‘86’ would have topped the table?!
1990 Relegations, promotions and European success
West Ham United were relegated in 1989, won promotion in 1991, were demoted again in 1992 and then promoted to the newly-formed Premier League in 1993 under manager Billy Bonds. His former West Ham teammate Harry Redknappy then took charge and led us to a fifth-place finish and UEFA Intertoto Cup glory in 1999, inspired by the Italian forward Paolo Di Canio.
2005 Beat Preston North End in Championship Play-Off final
West Ham United were relegated again in 2003, with a record-high 42 points. After a near-miss in 2004, when Crystal Palace edged us out in the Play-Off final, we were promoted again in May 2005. Strikers Marlon Harewood and Teddy Sheringham had scored 43 goals between them, but it was another forward, Bobby Zamora, who made himself the hero at the Millennium Stadium, where his goal saw off Preston North End.
2012 Overcome Blackpool to win Championship Play-Off final
Relegation hit West Ham United again in 2011. To bounce back, the Club appointed ‘Big Sam’ Allardyce as manager and he rebuilt the squad and confidence. After finishing third in the Championship, the Hammers brushed aside Cardiff City, then overcame Blackpool in a tight Play-Off final at Wembley, where goals from Carlton Cole and Ricardo Vaz Tê secured a 2-1 victory.
2016 Farewell Boleyn Ground, hello London Stadium!
In our final season at the Boleyn Ground, we had an unforgettable campaign under manager and former West Ham United player Slaven Bilić, with French playmaker Dimitri Payet leading the way. The team finished seventh in the Premier League, ending with a thrilling 3-2 win over Manchester United and a special closing ceremony in May 2016. A few weeks later, we moved to London Stadium on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, providing a bigger home for more Hammers to enjoy each home match.
2023 Bowen secures UEFA Europa Conference League
After qualifying for the UEFA Europa League in the COVID-hit 2020/21 season, then reaching the semi-finals in 2021/22, David Moyes led West Ham United to the UEFA Europa Conference League final in 2022/23. The Hammers swept all before us, winning 14 out of 15 ties and visiting Denmark and Belgium twice each, Romania, Cyprus and the Netherlands before Jarrod Bowen’s last-minute goal defeated Italians Fiorentina 2-1 in the final in Prague. The following day, 70,000 supporters filled the streets of Newham for an open-top bus parade.
If you want to learn more about the history of West Ham United and all the amazing moments the team has had over the years, be sure to follow this link!