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West Ham United FC were founded by Arnold Hills, Chairman of the Thames Ironworks & Shipbuilding Company, in 1895.

The team was initially called Thames Ironworks FC, and joined the Southern League under that name in 1898.

Thames Ironworks becomes West Ham United

In June 1900, the club was wound up and reformed as West Ham United.

In 1919 West Ham were elected to Division Two when the League was expanded after World War One.

They won promotion in 1923, and that same year reached the first Wembley FA Cup Final where they lost 2-0 to Bolton.

Nine years later, the club dropped into Division Two where they stayed for the next 26 years.

Cup Triumphs at Home and in Europe

In 1958 The Hammers won the Second Division championship. Three years later Ron Greenwood became manager, and in 1964 they won the FA Cup for the first time, beating Preston North End 3-2.

A year later they lifted the European Cup Winners' Cup, beating TSV Munich 1860 2-0 at Wembley.

It would be eight years before West Ham won another trophy, the FA Cup, by beating Fulham in 1975. A year later they reached the European Cup Winners' Cup final again but lost to Anderlecht.

FA Cup Giantkillers

In 1978 West Ham were relegated and while in Division Two they won the FA Cup for the third time, beating favourites Arsenal in the final. A year later they were promoted to Division One as Second Division champions.

In 1986 they achieved their highest ever League placing, finishing third in Division One behind Liverpool and Everton.

Between 1989 and 1993 West Ham were relegated twice and promoted twice, before establishing themselves as a Premier league side until 2003 when they were relegated again.

They were promoted again in 2005, and in 2006 took part in an epic FA Cup final, eventually losing to Liverpool on penalties.

Takeovers, sackings and relegation

The club was bought by an Icelandic consortium, in November 2006, but the move soon turned sour, precipitating a period of instability during which managers were hired and sacked with some regularity.

In January 2010, David Sullivan and David Gold bought the club. In June 2010, they appointed Avram Grant as manager, a move which was to prove a disaster.

The hapless Grant, who had relegated Portsmouth the previous season, proved an inadequate manager, as the Hammers finished bottom of the Premier League.

During 2011, West Ham won the right to move to the Olympic Stadium in Stretford where they will play from 2014.

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