West Ham United F.C. facts for kids

West Ham United F.C.
Full name	West Ham United Football Club
Nickname(s)	The Irons; The Hammers; The Academy of Football
Short name	West Ham
Founded	29 June 1895; 125 years ago, as Thames Ironworks; 5 July 1900; 119 years ago, as West Ham United
Ground	London Stadium
Capacity	60,000
Owner(s)	David Sullivan (51.1%); David Gold (35.1%); Albert 'Tripp' Smith (10%); Other investors (3.8%)
Co-chairmen	David Sullivan and David Gold
Manager	David Moyes
League	Premier League
2018–19	Premier League, 10th of 20
Website	Club website

West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stratford, East London. They compete in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The club play at the London Stadium, having moved from their former home the Boleyn Ground in 2016.

The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. They moved to the Boleyn Ground in 1904, which remained their home ground for more than a century. The team initially competed in the Southern League and Western League before joining the Football League in 1919. They were promoted to the top flight in 1923, when they were also losing finalists in the first FA Cup Final held at Wembley. In 1940, the club won the inaugural Football League War Cup.

West Ham have been winners of 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. They are one of eight clubs never to have fallen below the second tier of English football, spending 61 of 93 league seasons in the top flight, up to and including the 2018–19 season. The club's highest league position to date came in 1985–86, when they achieved third place in the then First Division.

Three West Ham players were members of the 1966 World Cup final-winning England team: captain Bobby Moore and goalscorers Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters.

Images for kids

Earliest club shot, during its founding year as Thames Ironworks in 1895
Billie the White Horse, saviour of the 1923 FA Cup Final
Champions statue on Barking Road
West Ham players on open-top bus near Upton Park celebrate winning the 2005 play-off final in Cardiff. From L-R Shaun Newton (crouching), Back row, Matthew Etherington, Jimmy Walker, Teddy Sheringham, Marlon Harewood, Front row Don Hutchison, Carl Fletcher, Elliott Ward and Mark Noble (with flag)
Kevin Nolan lifts the trophy after the 2012 Football League Championship play-off Final
André Ayew, West Ham's record signing
The previous club crest 1987–1998
West Ham fans display their rosettes, scarves and novelty hammers at an FA Cup match in 1933
The East Stand at the London Stadium
West Ham moved into the Olympic Stadium in 2016
West Ham and Domžale enter the pitch for first ever game at the London Stadium
"Academy of Football"
The Bobby Moore Stand
The East Stand
Facing north, The Sir Trevor Brooking stand