Will Cearns Will Cearns William John Cearns also known as Will and Bill (1882 – 19 February 1950) was a chairman of English football club West Ham United and Managing Director of Wimbledon Stadium. Cearns was a member of a family which had been associated with West Ham since its 1900 foundation. His father, James "Jimmy" William Y. Cearns, worked for the Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company and was on the first committee when a works team was formed in 1895. He was then one of the inaugural directors when the team went professional and became West Ham United in 1900. He
1898–99 Thames Ironworks F.C. season against Cowes and Sheppey. 1898–99 Thames Ironworks F.C. season The 1898–99 season was Thames Ironworks' fourth season after the club's formation in 1895. During the summer of 1898, Thames Ironworks became a professional outfit for the first time, to match their new status as new members of the Southern League. It was a decision reluctantly taken by Ironworks chairman Arnold Hills, who had always believed in the classical ideal of competitive sport being for its own sake. But with the success the club had been enjoying, together with the increased crowds at their Memorial Grounds venue, he relented, and was