Did you know that a West Ham player led England to their one and only World Cup win? That’s why there’s a statue of the late, great Bobby Moore standing outside Wembley Stadium! How much do you know about this football team from London’s East End?

Once you’ve read and digested these 15 facts, why not have a go at our ultimate West Ham trivia quiz?

1. They were founded in 1895

West Ham United was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC. The club’s nickname, ‘The Hammers’, pays homage to its origins in the ironworking industry along the Thames River. They became known as West Ham United in 1900.

2. Their home ground was built for the 2012 London Olympics

West Ham’s home ground is the London Stadium, previously known as the Olympic Stadium, which has been the club’s home since 2016. It was initially constructed for the 2012 Summer Olympics. Before that, the team played at the Boleyn Ground (also known as Upton Park) from 1904.

3. Their fans sing about bubbles

The club’s anthem, I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles has been sung by fans for over 100 years. It was first adopted in the 1920s and there are even bubbles featured on their current kit design! The song was written for a Broadway musical The Passing Show in 1918 and became popular in the UK a little later.

4. They have a mascot called Hammerhead

West Ham’s mascot is Hammerhead, a cheerful… er… hammer-headed character who whips up the crowd into a frenzy buy making flat-pack furniture against the clock. Not really, they just run about for a bit and greet the fans. This picture isn’t Hammerhead. It’s just a normal hammer.

5. Three of England’s 1966 World Cup team were Hammers

Three West Ham players – Martin Peters, Bobby Moore, and Geoff Hurst – were part of the World Cup winning side of 1966. Peters scored one and Hurst completed a hat trick against Germany in the final!

6. West Ham Women FC play in the Women’s Super League

West Ham Women’s team were founded in 1991 and compete in the Women’s Super League. They play their home games at Dagenham & Redbridge’s Chigwell Construction Stadium. They’ve won several trophies and were runners-up in the 2019 final, losing 3-0 to Manchester City WFC.

7. West Ham’s biggest rivals are Millwall

The club has a fierce rivalry with Millwall FC, known as the ‘Dockers Derby’ due to the historical connections between the two clubs’ local communities and industry.

8. They’ve won a number of European cups

West Ham have enjoyed a significant amount of success in Europe. They won the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1965, and were runners-up in 1976. In 1999, they won the UEFA Intertoto Cup. In 2023, manager David Moyes led the team to victory in the UEFA Europa Conference League!

9. West Ham United played the first FA Cup final held at Wembley

The Hammers have the distinction of being one of the first teams to play the old stadium at Wembley as part of the 1923 FA Cup Final. They lost to Bolton Wanderers by two goals to nil.

10. They’ve won the FA Cup 3 times

The 1923 cup final defeat became a distant memory some 41 years later when they won in 1964. They’ve since followed up that victory with two further FA Cup wins in 1975 and 1980!

11. No player wears the number 6 shirt

In August 2008, West Ham made the decision to retire the number 6 in honour of the late Hammer and England captain Bobby Moore. He’s regarded as one of the team’s greatest ever players and there’s even a statue of him outside the new Wembley Stadium.

12. The team changed their badge when they changed stadiums in 2016

When West Ham moved away from the Boleyn Ground to start a new chapter in their history at the London Stadium, the team changed their crest. They removed the Boleyn Castle from the background of main shield and kept the hammers. They added the word ‘London’ to the new badge to establish the city they call home, for the benefit of international fans who were starting to follow the Premier League. Their first game at the London Stadium was a UEFA Europa League qualifying round against Slovenia’s NK Domžale in August 2016. The Hammers won 3-0!

13. They’ve never been in the lower leagues

Alongside Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, Everton, Liverpool, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur, the Hammers have never played football in a league lower than the second division!

14. Lucas Paqueta is the team’s most expensive signing

Lucas Tolentino Coelho de Lima became the club’s most expensive signing in 2022. He was previously at Lyon and the Brazilian international signed with the Hammers for an estimated £50 million!

15. They have some famous fans

Over the years, the Hammers have loyal support from a number of celebrities including iconic film director Alfred Hitchcock, Eastenders star Danny Dyer and Iron Maiden bassist Steve Harris (whose instruments are adorned with the club’s crest).