Today marks 130 years since the formation of Thames Ironworks FC, the football club that would eventually become West Ham United. As reported by whufc.com, the team was born out of the east London shipbuilding yards on this date in 1895 and laid the foundations for the club we know today.
The Beginning: A Club for the Workers
The idea for the club came from David Taylor, a foreman at Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company, who wrote a proposal in the Thames Ironworks Gazette. His suggestion was to form a football team to boost morale among the company’s 3,000 workers.
Company director Arnold Hills backed the idea, and within weeks, around 50 workers paid a subscription fee of 2 shillings and sixpence to sign up. Hills, a former Oxford footballer who played in the 1877 FA Cup final and later for England, saw the initiative as part of a wider vision for social and physical health.
Early Players and First Matches
The first lineup featured a mix of boilermakers, engineers, clerks, and ex-players from the now-defunct Old Castle Swifts. Names like Charlie Dove, George Sage, and Johnny Stewart were among the original squad.
Thames Ironworks FC played their first match on 7 September 1895 at Hermit Road, drawing 1-1 with Royal Ordnance (Woolwich Arsenal reserves). Arthur Darby scored the team’s first-ever goal.
While their first FA Cup outing ended in a 5-0 loss to Chatham, the team showed promise in friendly matches and went on to win the West Ham Charity Cup later that season.
Hills’ Vision Beyond Football
Hills didn’t stop at football. He helped form a network of clubs promoting athletics, cycling, and drama, along with temperance societies. He believed sport and social activity could strengthen community life and improve health.
Crowds quickly gathered to watch games, helped by the club’s location near the docks and east London’s growing population.
Thames Ironworks also made early strides in innovation. On 16 December 1895, they staged a floodlit game by rigging up lights around the Hermit Road ground. The ball, dipped in whitewash, made for a clear view under the glare. The team beat Old St Stephen’s 3-1, and reports called the experiment a success.
The Story Continues
From the shipyards of Canning Town to the Premier League spotlight, the story of Thames Ironworks remains central to West Ham’s identity. As the club prepares for another season, 130 years on, its roots in working-class east London still echo through every matchday at the London Stadium.
