West Ham Premiership

Foundation:1900
Address:Boleyn Ground, Green Street, upton Park, London, E13 9AZ
Telephone:020.854.82.748
Fax:020.854.82.700
E-Mail:yourcomments@westhamunited.co.uk
Web Site:http://www.whufc.com
Chairman:Eggert Magnusson

History:
The Hammers were promoted via the play-offs in 2005 after having finished a distant sixth in the Championship behind Sunderland and Wigan, and promptly set about justifying their elevation with an impressive first campaign back in the Premiership. As well as reaching the FA Cup final and coming within seconds of winning it (Steven Gerrard equalised at the death and Liverpool won on penalties), Alan Pardew's side finished 9th in the Premier League table. With a Uefa Cup campaign booked courtesy of their FA Cup exploits, all looked set fair for an exciting 2006-07 season. And expectations rose further when, on transfer deadline day, the club signed the two Argentine World Cup stars, Javier Mascherano and Carlos Tevez. However, for a variety of reasons, things have not gone according to plan so far and the Hammers have endured a difficult first two months, against a background of constant takeover speculation, with Pardew looking increasingly beleaguered in the job he took on in October 2003. Remarkably, he is only the tenth manager in the history of the club formed in London's East End docks as Thames Ironworks FC in 1895 by employees of the eponymous shipbuilding company. The club's committee wanted to embrace professionalism so Thames Ironworks was wound up in June 1900 and relaunched as West Ham United a month later. The club's alternative nickname - The Irons - persists from those days, as does the symbolism of the crossed hammers (tools of the shipyard workers) on its crest which spawned the more familiar nickname. The Hammers left their first home - the Memorial Recreation Ground in Canning Town - in 1904 and moved to the Boleyn Ground in Green Street in the district of Upton Park. They were elected to the Football League Division Two 1919 and in 1923 won promotion to the old First Division as runners-up. That same season they were also runners-up in the FA Cup, contesting the first final to be staged at Wembley - the famous 'White Horse' final won by Bolton Wanderers. In fact the FA Cup has proved their most successful competition in the quest for honours. The Hammers won the trophy in 1964, 1975 and 1980, before losing so narrowly last May. In 1965 legendary skipper Bobby Moore led them to glory in the European Cup Winners' Cup, and Moore was back at Wembley a year later to lift the World Cup for England in a team also containing Hammers' team-mates Martin Peters and Geoff Hurst. West Ham were runners-up in the Cup Winners' Cup in 1976, but domestic league honours have eluded them. Their best finish was third in the old First Division in 1985-86.

Team Trophies
Football League: Championship: (promoted via play-offs: 2004-05). Division 2: Champions: 1957-58, 1980-81. (Runners-up: 1922-23, 1990-91). FA Cup: Winners: 1964, 1975, 1980. (Runners-up: 1923, 2006). Football League Cup: (Runners-up: 1966, 1981). European Cup-Winners' Cup: Winners: 1965. (Runners-up: 1975-76)