West Ham United

West Ham regained their top-flight status via the play-offs in 2005 and have since consolidated their position back among England's elite. The Hammers' 10-year stay in the Premier League ended with a nail-biting final-day draw at Birmingham City in May 2003, which came after a season spent battling to retain their Premiership status. Under Billy Bonds and then Harry Redknapp, the Hammers established themselves in the Premier League before finding their feet and recording four top-10 finishes in the space of five years. And Redknapp's successor, Glenn Roeder, continued the momentum with a seventh-placed finish in his first campaign, 2001/2002. After the long-serving Bonds guided the team back into the top flight in 1993, Redknapp stepped up from his post as assistant manager to take the helm in 1994 and led the evolution from strugglers to the Premiership's stylish stalwarts. In the former winger's seven-year reign, he brought stars such as the charismatic Italian Paolo Di Canio to the Boleyn Ground. The club's famous youth system has produced some outstanding talent such as England stars Joe Cole, Frank Lampard, Rio Ferdinand and Michael Carrick. A brand of open, attacking football remains West Ham's trademark and the Hammers faithful won't accept anything less. Roeder fell ill towards the end of the 2002-2003 season and although club director and United legend Trevor Brooking stepped into the breach and enjoyed an unbeaten streak, the club were unable to avoid the drop. Alan Pardew took over in October 2003 and guided the east London side to the play-off final in his first season, where they suffered a heartbreaking 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace. They were not to be denied 12 months later, though, after finishing sixth in the Coca-Cola Championship to clinch the final play-off place. Boyhood Hammers fan Bobby Zamora struck at the Millennium Stadium to see off Preston and secure West Ham's return to the Premiership at the second time of asking. They finished a respectable ninth in 2005/2006 and secured a place in the UEFA Cup as FA Cup runners-up.

European
European Cup Winners’ Cup
Winners: 1964-65
Runners Up: 1975-76

UEFA Intertoto Cup
Winners: 1999-2000
Domestic
FA Cup
Winners:1964, 1975, 1980
Runners Up: 1923, 2006

Division Two
Champions: 1957-58, 1980-81
Charity Shield
1964 (shared)
Football League Championship
Play-Off Winners: 2004-05

Youth
FA Youth Cup
Winners: 1963, 1981, 1999
South-East Counties
Champions :1984-85, 1995-96, 1997-98
FA Premier Youth Academy Under-19
Champions: 1998-99, 1999-2000

War years
Football League War Cup
Winners: 1940

As Thames Ironworks F.C.
Southern League Division Two
Champions: 1898-99
London League
Champions: 1897-98
West Ham Charity Cup
Winners: 1895-96

Other
BBC Sports Personality of the Year
Team Award: 1965

League status
1896-1898: London League
1898-1899: Southern League Division Two ~ Promoted as Champions
1899-1915: Southern League Division One ~ Elected to The Football League.
1919-1923: Division Two ~ Promoted as Runners Up.
1923-1932: Division One
1932-1958: Division Two ~ Promoted as Champions
1958-1978: Division One
1978-1981: Division Two ~ Promoted as Champions
1981-1989: Division One
1989-1991: Division Two ~ Promoted as Runners Up.
1991-1992: Division One
1992-1993: Division One (Renamed) ~ Promoted as Runners Up.
1993-2003: FA Premier League
2003-2005: Division One/Football League Championship ~ Promoted via Play-Offs
2005–present: FA Premier League

Most successful teams
1958-1959, 6th place in Division One.
1963-1964, FA Cup Winners.
1964-1965, Cup Winners’ Cup Winners. Perhaps West Ham’s greatest achievement.
1972-1973, 6th place in Division One.
1974-1975, FA Cup Winners.
1975-1976, Cup Winners’ Cup Runners Up
1979-1980, FA Cup Winners.
1985-1986, 3rd place in Division One, West Ham’s highest ever league finish
1998-1999, 5th place in FA Premier League, ensuring European football for the first time in 18 years
1999-2000, Intertoto Cup Winners.
2005-2006, FA Cup Runners Up , UEFA Cup place for next season.

The club was founded in 1895 as the works side Thames Ironworks F.C. by Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Co. Ltd company chairman Arnold Hills and foreman Dave Taylor. "The Irons" joined the London League in 1896 winning it in the 1897-98 season. They turned professional upon entering the Southern League Second Division in 1898, which they won at the first attempt. When the club became a limited company in 1900 the club name was changed to West Ham United F.C..

The club moved to the Memorial Ground in Plaistow in 1900 and then to a pitch in the Upton Park area, originally named The Castle for the 1905-06 season. The original gates to the ground, with the original Hammers crest (now painted in claret and blue, can be seen in Grange Road, London, E13. They joined the Football League in 1919 and were first promoted to the top division in 1923. They have won the FA Cup three times: in 1963-64, 1974-75 and 1979-80. In 2002-2003, after a poor campaign in which it took them nearly six months to win their first home match, they were relegated from the Premiership. The following season they reached the play-off final but were defeated by Crystal Palace. At the end of the 2004-05 season, which saw huge pressure placed on manager Alan Pardew by the team's supporters, West Ham managed to finish sixth in the Championship, securing a play-off place for the second successive season. After a 2-2 draw at Upton Park, West Ham went on to beat Ipswich (who had finished 3rd, 12 points ahead of West Ham) 2-0 at their homeground of Portman Road, thereby qualifying for the playoff final. The Hammers went on to win the promotion final 1-0 over Preston North End to secure a return to the Premiership.
West Ham United first established themselves in 1964, when manager Ron Greenwood guided the club to their first major trophy in the shape of an FA Cup final victory over Preston North End. Their captain, Bobby Moore, would skipper the England team to World Cup success in 1966, while striker Geoff Hurst scored a hat-trick in the final against West Germany. (The other goal in the 4-2 victory was scored by Martin Peters, also a Hammer). The success of 1964 was repeated a year later, this time with a European Cup Winners Cup triumph over 1860 Munich at Wembley. Greenwood guided West Ham to another FA Cup success in 1975, this time against Fulham, before being promoted to the position of general manager - a role which he occupied for two years before beginning a five-year reign as England manager.

Ron Greenwood was succeeded as team manager by John Lyall, who guided West Ham to another Cup Winners Cup final in his first season in charge (1975-76). But this time West Ham were on the losing side, and were relegated to the Second Division soon afterwards. In 1980, while still a Second Division side, Lyall inspired West Ham to an FA Cup victory over Arsenal - a feat which no side outside the top division has achieved since. It is also West Ham's most recent major trophy. In 1981, West Ham finished runners-up in the League Cup. Between 1982 and 1985 West Ham achieved three consecutive top ten finishes. Lyall helped them achieve their highest league finish of third in 1986, but was sacked three years later as they suffered relegation to the Second Division.

Lyall was replaced by Lou Macari for the 1989-90 season, but Macari resigned after just one season as manager to concentrate on clearing his name in connection with financial irregularities at his previous club Swindon Town. The next manager to occupy the hot seat at West Ham was Billy Bonds, whose first season at the helm (1990-91) ended with runners-up spot in the Second Division and a place back in the top division. But West Ham struggled throughout the 1991-92 season and were relegated in bottom place, missing the first season of the new Premier League.

West Ham regained their top flight status at the first attempt, finishing Division One runners-up in 1992-93 and securing promotion to the Premiership. They survived relegation by a comfortable margin in 1993-94, but Bonds walked out on the club the following summer to be succeeded by Harry Redknapp.
One of Harry Redknapp's first actions as West Ham manager was to re-sign striker Tony Cottee from Everton. He also signed Liverpool's Don Hutchison and Julian Dicks, as well as re-signing striker Iain Dowie from Southampton. West Ham avoided relegation again in 1994-95 and played their part in the final-day drama of the season, holding Manchester United to a 1-1 draw at Upton Park and denying them a third successive Premiership title. West Ham progressed to 10th place in 1995-96. That summer Redknapp made two of the least productive signings in the club's history - Romanian striker Florin Răducioiu and Portuguese winger Paulo Futre. Răducioiu left after six months at the club and returned to Romania after falling out with the manager, while Futre played just one first-team game before being beaten by a long-term knee injury and announcing his retirement. But Redknapp's remaining players pulled together and achieved Premiership survival, bolstered by the £3.3million acquisition of 21-year-old striker John Hartson from Arsenal in March. But let's not forget he would then go on to sign Paulo Di Cano in Jan 1999 and despite his well chronicled difficulties, he became a firm favourite and scored the goal of the season in 2000.

Harry Redknapp, West Ham United manager, 1993 - 2001.West Ham progressed further in 1997-98, finishing eighth in the Premiership and missing European qualification by just one place - they were in the hunt for a UEFA Cup place right up to the last day of the season. They progressed further in 1998-99, finishing fifth in the Premiership and thus becoming eligible to play in the Intertoto Cup; the thrilling victory over Metz in the two-legged final earned the Hammers a place in the UEFA Cup - ending an absence of almost 20 years from European competition.

A 10th place finish followed in 1999-2000, but West Ham's form slipped in 2000-01 after the (then) record English fee of £18million which saw brilliant central defender Rio Ferdinand move to Leeds United. A succession of bizarre signings followed, including notable failures such as Rigobert Song, Titi Camara, Ragnvald Soma, Hayden Foxe and Svetoslav Todorov. This saw West Ham finish 15th in the final table, their lowest-ever finish in the history of the Premiership, clocking up only 42 points, which West Ham were relegated with two seasons later under a different manager.

Redknapp requested that a warchest of £12m to get the club back into the top six, with a sizeable fee of his requested budget wanting to go towards bringing in Paris Saint-Germain left-winger Laurent Robert, a client of football agent, and close Harry Redknapp associate, Willie McKay.

Slanderous comments followed in direction of the West Ham board as Redknapp gave an interview in the unofficial West Ham fanzine Over Land and Sea, focusing his tirade on the lack of funding. The outburst caused so much friction which made his position as manager untenable, and Redknapp was sacked before the end of the season.

Several big names were linked with the vacant manager's job. Former West Ham player Alan Curbishley, who had rebuilt Charlton Athletic on and off the field since becoming their manager in 1991, instantly became favourite for the job but insisted he wasn't interested. Steve McClaren, who had been assistant manager of Manchester United in three successive title-winning seasons (including the 1999 treble campaign), was also linked with the job, but he was then appointed manager of Middlesbrough. So West Ham turned to highly respected youth team manager Glenn Roeder to fill the role. People doubted Roeder's suitability for the job, as his only managerial exploits had been short-lived and perceived to be unsuccessful with Gillingham (1992-93) and Watford (1993-96) a viewpoint not shared by Glenn himself who had dealt with difficulties both on the pitch and off it at both teams (soon to be repeated). West Ham had a slow start to the 2001-02 season, hampered by injuries to key players (new signing David James injured before he even made an appearance whilst on International duty, Frederic Kanoute, Michael Carrick and Paolo Di Canio nursing groin and knee problems) and the need for clearing out some of the dead wood from the previous term. The board made money available for strengthening the squad and Glenn acquired respected Czech International defender Tomáš Řepka from ACF Fiorentina, and Don Hutchison for his second term with the Hammers. However Glenn Roeder was soon under immense pressure from fans who were calling for him to be sacked, especially after witnessing back to back maulings at the hands of Everton (5-0) and Blackburn (7-1). He responded by turning the club's fortunes around and guiding them to a seventh-place finish in the final table, just one place short of European qualification - although there was a 12-point gap between West Ham and sixth-placed Chelsea. Had West Ham been more consistent over the season, then UEFA Cup or even Champions League qualification could have been achieved.

The summer of 2002-03 did not bode well for the season ahead. Despite a glaring need for squad reinforcements, the only positive transfer activity involved Irish international Gary Breen signing on a free transfer (he was to be later to be reviled as one of the poorest players ever to wear the West Ham shirt). Out the door went a number of experienced pro's such as Paul Kitson, a hatful of youth players and a number of fringe element. Another (now traditional) poor start plagued West Ham United through to 2002-03, and this time Roeder was unable to turn things round quickly enough. The loss of Kanoute for nearly 1/3rd of the season, and Di Canio at the exact same period resulted in the teenage Jermain Defoe leading the line on his own. The loss of form of key players such as Trevor Sinclair, 01/02 Hammer of the Year Sebastian Schemmel, Michael Carrick (still nursing a groin problem), plus the absence of a dependable left back, left midfielder or suitable reserves to call upon merely exacerbated a difficult situation. The Hammers failed to win a single home game until January and suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of Manchester United in the FA Cup. The much maligned Gary Breen was pointedly at fault for a number of errors, but his play was under no circumstances helped by the lack of any cohesive team. During the transfer window the club acquired Les Ferdinand and Rufus Brevett, and more importantly got Di Canio and Kanoute both back on the pitch and off the treatment table. The clubs form improved tremendously and began to claw their way up towards safety. In April Glenn collapsed in his office and was diagnosed with having a brain tumour. He was immediately given a leave of absence and 1980 FA Cup final hero Trevor Brooking took over for the final 3 games of the Premiership season, but despite an upturn in the teams form (winning 2 and drawing only 1) they were unable to overhaul Bolton Wanderers and finished 18th in the final table, 2pts short (West Ham drew early in the season and then lost against Bolton during the run in, a draw against Bolton in their second match would have been sufficient to see West Ham survive). Their 10-year spell in the Premiership was over.

West Ham United Football Club is a professional English football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London.

They play their home matches at The Boleyn Ground, referred to as Upton Park by most followers of football. They are nicknamed "The Hammers" "The Academy of Football" by the media, but are better known as "The Irons" by their own fans (due to the club's origins at the Thames Ironworks - see below). The club has a training facility at Chadwell Heath, adjacent to the railway line from which the team may occasionally be viewed at practice during the week. The club currently play in the FA Premier League.

A belief in entertaining football has been forged into the side created by workers from the shipbuilding company Thames Iron Works in 1895. The club was relaunched in 1900 as West Ham United and elected to the Football League in 1919. Success came in 1923 with promotion to the First Division and an appearance in the first Wembley FA Cup final. Later, under the auspices of captain Malcolm Allison and later coach Ron Greenwood, the Hammers plotted for the future by nurturing young talent and introducing innovative coaching techniques. It paid off with FA Cup victory in 1964, a European Cup Winners' Cup triumph in 1965 and the club rightfully took credit when three homegrown stars - captain Bobby Moore, striker Geoff Hurst and midfielder Martin Peters - helped England win the 1966 World Cup. Another FA Cup victory in 1975 was followed by relegation in 1978. There was a return to Wembley in 1980 and the Hammers, still in the Second Division, shocked Arsenal 1-0. After mixed success in the 1980s, West Ham sealed promotion to the F.A. Premier League in 1993. And while standing by their beliefs, the Hammers graced the Premiership for 10 years until their relegation in 2003. Secured a return to the top flight two seasons later via the play-offs, beating Preston 1-0 in Cardiff.
After the club first returned to the Premier League, they finished 9th and led the FA Cup Final match on May 13, 2006 first 2-0 in the first half and then 3-2 in the second half before being tied 3-3 and lost 3-1 on penalties after a nail biting match. They will be playing European football next season (2006-2007) in the UEFA Cup.

Also The Inter City Firm ('ICF') was a UK football firm affiliated to West Ham United, so called because they used the InterCity train network to get to away games. They were active in the 1970s and 1980s, but are now disbanded. Bill Gardner was generally recognised as the firm's leader or "top boy".

Another of the leading figures was Cass Pennant, who authored one of the very few books on the subject to be written by a genuine top flight member of a firm, Congratulations You Have Just Met the ICF. In this book, two factors made clear are that the ICF were not ostensibly a racist or right-wing firm, and that they were notably averse to join up with firms of other teams whilst supporting the England national team. What is also mentioned is the reluctance of other teams' firms to travel to Upton Park in any great numbers and, this being true, it is evidence of the ICF's supremacy at the time.

They were probably the most notorious of the hooligan firms that existed in the "golden age" of football hooliganism, although the Chelsea Headhunters, the Birmingham Zulus and Millwall Bushwhackers also had fearsome reputations.

London is the capital city of England and of the United Kingdom, and is the most populous city in the European Union.

An important settlement for nearly two millennia, London is now an international leader in finance, and its involvement in politics, education, entertainment, fashion, media and the arts contribute to its status as a major global city.

London has an estimated population of 7.5 million (as of 2005) and a metropolitan area population of between 12 and 14 million. Its population is very cosmopolitan, drawing from a diverse range of peoples, cultures and religions, speaking over 300 different languages. Residents of London are referred to as Londoners.

The city is an international transport hub and a popular tourist destination, counting iconic landmarks such as the Houses of Parliament, Tower Bridge and Buckingham Palace amongst its many attractions, along with famous institutions such as the British Museum and the National Gallery.

London's most popular sport (for both participants and spectators) is football. Six FA Premier League teams are from London — Arsenal, Charlton Athletic, Chelsea, Fulham, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United.

Greater London covers an area of 609 square miles (1,579 km²). Its primary geographical feature is the Thames, a navigable river which crosses the city from the southwest to the east. The Thames Valley is a floodplain surrounded by gently rolling hills such as Parliament Hill and Primrose Hill. These hills presented no significant obstacle to the growth of London from its origins as a port on the north side of the river, and therefore London is roughly circular.

The Thames was once a much broader, shallower river with extensive marshlands. It has been extensively embanked, and many of its London tributaries now flow underground. The Thames is a tidal river, and London is vulnerable to flooding.The threat has increased over time due to a slow but continuous rise in high water level by the slow 'tilting' of Britain (up in the north and down in the south) caused by post-glacial rebound. The Thames Barrier was constructed across the Thames at Woolwich in the 1970s to deal with this threat, but a more substantial barrier further downstream may be necessary in the near future.

London has a temperate climate with regular but generally light precipitation throughout the year. The warmest month is July, with an average temperature range at Greenwich of 13.6 °C-22.8 °C. The coolest month is January, averaging 2.4 °C-7.9 °C. Average annual precipitation is 583.6 mm, with February on average the driest month.Snow is uncommon, particularly because heat from the urban area can make London 5 °C hotter than the surroundings.

West Ham's nicknames "The Hammers" and "The Irons" both date from the club's foundations in the Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Co. Ltd, who employed many riveters whose main tool was a hammer.

The club would remember its roots when the club badge was created featuring crossed hammers on its crest.

The modern media, and many football fans, mainly refer to the club as "The Hammers", although West Ham fans themselves very rarely sing or chant this at games, preferring the club's original nickname of "The Irons."

The team's supporters are famed for their passionate rendition of the chorus of their team's anthem, I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles, the lyrics which are as follows:

I'm forever blowing bubbles, pretty bubbles in the air
They fly so high, nearly reach the sky
Then 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
United! (clap hands) United! (clap hands) United! (clap hands)

There is a slight change to the lyrics sung by the Upton Park faithful though. The second line's nearly reach the sky is changed to they reach the sky by the crowd. Then like my dreams is also changed to And like my dreams. However, the 1980 FA Cup Squad's version (released as a single that year) - which contains the original lyrics - is always played before home games, with the home crowd joining in.

In the last five years these lyrics have been also heard to be sung to the tune of the theme to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, changing the first line to end pretty little bubbles to allow scansion.

Another popular chant is, Come on you Irons or simply Irons! Irons! Irons!

As with many clubs, a rhythmic clapping chant incorporates the current manager's name and team colours. For the present day West Ham, the chat is Alan Pardew's Claret and Blue Army. Interestingly this chant can reflect the crowd's overall satisfaction of the manager, with ommittance of the manager's name something of a rebuke.. At the end of Glenn Roeder's stewardship the chant had changed to East London's Claret and Blue Army. Before West Ham's successful Play-Off campaign, Pardew's name had been dropped in favour of We are West Ham's Claret and Blue Army.

A popular chant heard at home and away matches (especially in London derby games) is East, East, East London, a pronouncement of the pride that West Ham fans have for their area.

As with most football clubs, West Ham have strong rivalries with other clubs. Most of these are with other London clubs such as Chelsea (East London versus West London rivalry) and Tottenham Hotspur (near neighbours). However the strongest rivalry is with Millwall. The rivalry began before either club was formed, in the days when the Thames Iron Works and Millwall Iron Works shipbuilding companies were rivals for the same contracts. What continued as a local rivalry between football clubs developed into open hostility during the General Strike of 1926. The shipbuilders and dockers of the Royal Docks on the north bank of the River Thames (West Ham) went on strike but Millwall Docks and Surrey Docks continued to work. The intense feeling of conflict between those dockers working and those striking was transferred back into the club rivalry.

During the 1970s and 1980s (the main era for organised football-related violence) the hostilities continued as "firms" associated with the clubs continued to fight. West Ham gained some notoriety for the amount of hooliganism in their fan base; the Inter City Firm was an infamous West Ham-aligned gang. The firms' violent activities were not confined to local derbies, however - the hooligans were content to cause trouble at any game, though nearby teams bore the brunt of their venom. During the 1990s, and to the present day, sophisticated surveillance and heavy policing has reduced the level of violence, though the intense rivalry with Millwall remains. The 2005 film Green Street (Hooligans) depicts an American student who becomes involved with a fictional firm associated with West Ham, with an emphasis on the rivalry with Millwall.

The Premier League club located closest to West Ham is Charlton Athletic and, perhaps strangely, no significant additional rivalry appears to exist at all, Charlton being one of the more family-orientated clubs.

The League club which is located even closer than Charlton are East London team Leyton Orient F.C., but the two clubs have only occasionally played each other in both League and Cup competitions. However, when they do meet, it is usually a very special occasion; Orient's club record attendance was against The Hammers in an F.A. Cup tie in 1964.