1899–1900 Thames Ironworks F.C. season 1899–1900 Thames Ironworks F.C. season The 1899–1900 season was the last for Thames Ironworks before the club folded to be reformed as West Ham United. They adopted claret and blue 'uniforms' for the first time. Charlie Dove had got the kits for the club at a very cheap price of £3.10s. They had come from William Belton, who was a professional sprinter, as well as being one of the coaches at Thames Ironworks. During the summer of 1899, Belton had been at a fair in Birmingham, close to Villa Park, the home ground of Aston Villa. Belton had been challenged
Thames Ironworks F.C. Taylor returned to refereeing, handing over organizational duties to Ted Harsent, who became the first club secretary. The birth of Thames Ironworks F.C. coincided with the demise of Old Castle Swifts, the first professional football club in Essex. Thames took over the tenancy of Castle Swifts' Hermit Road ground in Canning Town and signed a number of Old Castle Swifts players, including former Woolwich Arsenal full back Robert Stevenson, who became the club's first ever captain and is credited as being the team's first player of note. The Ironworks played their first ever fixture against Royal Ordnance reserves on 7