Dave Taylor (Thames Ironworks F.C. founder) Dave Taylor (Thames Ironworks F.C. founder) Dave Taylor was one of the co-founders of Thames Ironworks, the team that became West Ham United, in 1895. He was a foreman at the Thames Iron Works as well as being a local football referee. Taylor approached the Ironworks owner Arnold Hills with the idea of starting a works football team, and with his financial aid was able to announce on 29 June 1895 the following in the company's weekly journal: He organised the half-a-crown year's membership for fifty would-be players and spent that summer arranging the fixtures for the Thames Ironworks team
Thames A.F.C. Thames A.F.C. Thames Association Football Club were an English football club from Custom House, east London (at the time part of Essex), who briefly played in the Football League between 1930 and 1932. Unlike other AFCs such as Sunderland A.F.C., the word Association was initially presented as part of the club name – i.e. Thames Association or Thames Association FC. The "Association" was abbreviated upon joining the Football League, giving the team the more regular name of Thames AFC. They were founded in 1928, in a similar manner to Sheffield United, Liverpool, New Brighton Tower and nearby Chelsea: to play