West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United F.C are a professional English football club based in east London, at the Boleyn Ground, which is known more commonly as Upton Park due to its proximity to the London Underground tube station of the same name. They are nicknamed "The Hammers". The club has a training facility at Chadwell Heath in Essex, adjacent to the railway line from which the team may occasionally be viewed at practice during the week.
The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks, playing in the London League. The club joined the Southern League Second Division in 1899. When they became a limited company in 1900 the club name was changed to West Ham United. The club moved to the Memorial Ground in Plaistow in 1897 and then to a pitch in the Upton Park area, originally named The Castle for the 1905-06 season. They joined the Football League in 1919 and were first promoted to the top division in 1923. The club has never been hugely successful in the League or in Europe but has won the F.A. Cup three times in 1963-64, 1974-75 and 1979-80.
The team play at the 35,000+ seater Upton Park ground.
Famous players, past and present, include;
- Bobby Moore
- Billy Bonds
- Sir Geoff Hurst
- Ronnie Boyce
- Bryan Robson
- Frank Lampard
- Martin Peters
- Ray Stewart
- Trevor Brooking
- Harry Redknapp
- Phil Parkes
- Ludek Miklosko
- Paolo di Canio