West Ham United

West Ham is a London football club that was established in 1895. The original name of the club was F.C. ‘Thames Ironworks’, but in 1900 it was named West Ham United. The nicknames of the club are the Irons of the Hammers. The home stadium of the team is The Boleyn Ground that can hold up to 35,000 fans.

In the early days West Ham saw mixed results in Division 1 retaining its position there for 10 years. One of the highest achievements at that time was the FA Cup semifinal in 1927. The club was sent to Division Two in 1965 staying there for the following 30 years. After Ted Fenton appeared in the club the tactics of the management changed and the main focus was set on young players. West Ham went up to the first division.

The appointment of Ron Greenwood as a head coach in 1961 resulted in two major trophies. West Ham claimed the 1964 FA Cup and 1965 the European Cup Winners' Cup where the Irons defeated the German club 1860 Munich.
West Ham won the English Cup once again in 1975 and in 1976 clashed with Anderlecht in the European Cup Winners' Cup final losing the match 4-2. In 1978 West Ham was classed down to Division Two, however performed brilliantly in the FA Cup and claimed the title in 1980.

In 1981 West Ham came back to Division One and finished in the top ten. After that the Hammers finished seventh in the 1985/1986 season. From 2000 to 2010 the team was struggling to secure their place in the top flight of the English football.

West Ham academy is a very prominent and well-known football establishment in England. Since the late 1990s Frank Lampard, Joe Cole, Michael Carrick, Rio Ferdinand and Glen Johnson began their football careers there.