Thames Ironworks F.C.
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| Full name | Thames Ironworks Football Club |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Irons |
| Founded | 1895 |
| Dissolved | 1900 |
| Ground |
Hermit Road 1895–1896 Browning Road 1896 Memorial Grounds 1897–1900 and until 1904 as West Ham Utd. |
| Capacity | 17,000 |
| Chairman | Francis Payne |
| Club Secretaries |
Dave Taylor 1895 Ted Harsent 1895–1897 Francis Payne 1897–1899 George Neill 1899–1900 |
| League |
London League 1896–1898 Southern League 1898–1900 |
Thames Ironworks Football Club, the club that later became West Ham United, was founded by Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Co. Ltd owner Arnold Hills and foreman Dave Taylor in 1895. Thames Ironworks took over the tenancy of The Old Castle Swifts' Hermit Road ground in Canning Town until their eventual eviction in October 1896. They would briefly play at Browning Road in East Ham, before moving to the Memorial Grounds, a stadium which was situated close to where West Ham station now stands. The ground was built at Arnold Hills' own expense, costing £20,000.
Thames Ironworks were West Ham Charity Cup winners in 1895–96 and London League runners up and champions in 1896–97 and 1897–98. They were promoted to Southern League Division One in 1898–99 as Southern League Division Two Champions. They retained their Southern League status the following season by beating Fulham 5–1 in a Test Match. At the end of June 1900, Thames Ironworks F.C. resigned from the Southern League and were officially wound up. On 5 July 1900 they reformed under the new name of West Ham United F.C. and accepted an offer of the Southern League place left vacant by Thames Ironworks.
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