History of West Ham United F.C.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
West Ham United Football Club are based in Stratford, Newham, east London. They played home matches at the Boleyn Ground in Upton Park between 1904 and 2016, and moved to the London Stadium for the start of the 2016–17 season.
- See also List of West Ham United F.C. seasons
The club's formative roots stretch back to their formation as a professional side in 1900, but existed for at least five years prior to this under the name Thames Ironworks F.C. who themselves were built upon the remains of Old Castle Swifts F.C. (a club formed in 1892).
The club initially competed in the London League (Winners 1897–98) later joining the Southern League (Division 2 Champions 1898–99) and Western League (Western League Champions in 1907–08) before joining the full Football League in 1919. They enjoyed their first top flight season in 1923 and have never fallen outside the top two divisions. They have won the FA Cup three times: in 1964, 1975, and 1980, and have also been runners-up twice, in 1923 and 2006. The club have reached two major European finals, winning the European Cup Winners Cup in 1965 and finishing runners up in the same competition in 1976. West Ham also won the Intertoto Cup in 1999. The club were inaugural winners of the War Cup in 1940. Their best finish in the top flight was a third-place finish in 1986. West Ham have been runners up twice in the Football League Cup in 1966 and 1981, and shared the 1964 Charity Shield
They were awarded the 1965 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Team Award in honour of their European Cup Winners Cup win.