theyflysohigh : Steve Marsh
email: theyflysohigh@btinternet.com
West Ham United Club Historian : Welcome to the Private memorabilia collection of 'theyflysohigh'
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CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN : To View previous days, Click picture link above
I BELIEVE
Christmas Countdown : Day 14
The fourteenth door swung open to a thunderous cheer. Steve found himself swept into Wembley Stadium on 2 May 1964, the air alive with claret and blue scarves, rattles clattering, and voices raised in song. This was the day West Ham United claimed their first major trophy – the FA Cup.
The terraces buzzed with anticipation as Ron Greenwood’s side strode out to face Preston North End. The match programme, clutched tightly by supporters, carried the line‑ups, Greenwood’s calm words of encouragement. Tickets, simple in design yet priceless in meaning, were tucked into jacket pockets, each one a passport to history.
The game itself was a rollercoaster of nerves and exhilaration. Preston struck first, only for West Ham to equalise through Ronnie Boyce. Preston regained the lead, but Geoff Hurst – rising high in the box – levelled again with a header that rattled the net. Then, in the dying minutes, Boyce struck once more, sealing a 3–2 victory and sending the claret and blue faithful into raptures. Bobby Moore, calm and commanding, lifted the Cup with quiet dignity, while the players danced across the turf, their joy unrestrained.
It was more than a win. It was the culmination of Greenwood’s vision, proof that West Ham could marry artistry with resilience. For the players – Moore, Hurst, Boyce, and their teammates – it was the beginning of a golden era, one that would carry them to European glory and World Cup immortality.
Beyond the pitch, the advent calendar revealed a treasure trove of keepsakes: rosettes in claret and blue, their ribbons frayed but proud; souvenir pennants emblazoned with “Wembley 1964”; and commemorative mugs, chipped yet cherished, each one a relic of triumph. For the fans who carried them home, these tokens were more than souvenirs – they were proof that West Ham had arrived, that the club’s spirit could be bottled in porcelain and cloth. In the days after the final, fans clipped headlines from newspapers, pasting them into scrapbooks that chronicled the triumph.
Memorabilia of the Day
Match Programme – A modest publication, priced at a few pence, yet a cherished relic. Its pages carried the names of heroes, team notes, and adverts that now read like time capsules, each one a portal back to Wembley ‘64.
Ticket Stub – A simple slip of paper, but for the fan who held it, it was a key to glory. Surviving stubs are treasured keepsakes, often creased but tangible links to the roar of 100,000 voices.
As Steve stood among the jubilant crowd, he felt the weight of history. The FA Cup gleamed in Bobby Moore’s hands, lifted high above the Wembley turf. The roar of the fans, the confetti, the sheer emotion - it was all bound together in that moment, a triumph that would echo through generations.
The vision vanished into a roar, swallowed by the voices of the faithful, and Steve was back in the boardroom. Fourteen doors opened, fourteen treasures revealed - each one a spark of history, shining like the Cup itself beneath the Wembley sun.
A HISTORY of WEST HAM UNITED : The Upton Park Years 1904-2016
Tim Crane
"I’m proud to have played a small part in supplying some team group photographs from my memorabilia collection and supporting Tim's research by identifying many of the lesser-known players featured in those squads. It’s been a privilege to contribute to a project that shines new light on the club’s history."
To Order your copy
email Tim at
tcrane183@gmail.com
West Ham United’s legacy is inseparable from the hallowed grounds of Upton Park, where over 112 years of football history unfurled in front of generations of passionate supporters. “A History of West Ham United – The Upton Park Years 1904-2016” by Tim Crane is an essential read for any true Hammers fan, revisiting every pivotal match, player profile, and unforgettable moment at the heart of East London. With meticulously curated photographs and detailed statistics spanning over a century, this book captures the indomitable spirit and culture that defined West Ham’s golden era at the Boleyn Ground.
From the roaring crowds urging on club legends like Bobby Moore, Trevor Brooking, and Billy Bonds, to the emergence of new icons through the famed academy, Upton Park stands as a symbol of tradition and community. Crane’s narrative honours each generation of heroes – the legendary squad of the 1964 FA Cup triumph, the resilience during post-war years, and the electric nights under floodlights that saw future stars rise. With profiles of over 1,000 players and evocative team photographs, this history breathes life into the club’s storied past.
Quick Links to 2025-26 Season
PUDDY
The Life and Times of Syd Puddefoot : By Peter Morris
"I was honoured to contribute research work to this definitive account of one of football’s most remarkable figures. From West Ham heroics to a world-record transfer, FA Cup triumphs, and even a stint in cricket - Puddefoot’s story is finally told in full.
A must-read for anyone who loves football history."
Sydney Charles Puddefoot, “Puddy” to his admiring fans, was a household name amongst football supporters between the two world wars, a time generally regarded as the golden age of British football. In this first-ever full-length biography, Peter Morris charts Puddefoot’s rise to stardom: from his East London upbringing to hero status at his beloved West Ham United whilst still a teenager; his sensational world-record transfer to Falkirk; his return to England with Blackburn Rovers, where he won an FA Cup winners’ medal; his brief and unsuccessful return to Upton Park; his venture into football management, firstly with Galatasaray of Istanbul and then Northampton Town; and his 5 England caps and brief second career as a first-class cricketer with Essex are all comprehensively covered in these pages. Largely forgotten by all but a few football aficionados, “Puddy” brings back to life the man as well as the tumultuous times that he lived through.
To Order your copy from the Publishers click the link below
UPDATE -
If your viewing this website for the first time
Please bear with me, I'm trying to combine my Memorabilia website (this one) with my Programme website (whu-programmes.co.uk) into one huge site.
Latest Additions:
COMPLETE
COMPLETE
COMPLETE
Odd Competitions added
Odd Competitions added
COMPLETE
Complete to 1944/45
Odd Competitions added
Odd Competitions added
COMPLETE
Odd Competitions added
Odd Competitions added
Odd Competitions added
Odd Competitions added
This site is dedicated to all collectors of
West Ham United Memorabilia
It all began at the start of the 1968-69 season, the acquisition of my first matchday programme 17th August 1968 West Ham United v. Nottingham Forest. A game which saw Geoff Hurst scoring the only goal of the match, even a 1-4 home reverse against Everton two days later didn’t dampen my enthusiasm for my new found passion West Ham United and memorabilia associated with the Claret and Blue. By then it was too late, I was hooked.
Happy collecting and remember...
Today's throw away is Tomorrow's Collectable
Thanks also to:
Barbara Shrimpton, Robert Banks, Stephen Bell, Steve Blowers, Michael Clifford, Andrew Conway,
Tim Crane, Alan Deadman, John Farley, Jon Farrelly, Paul Ford, John Helliar, Alan Jenkins, Richard Johnson, Thomas Kern,
Dennis Lamb, Vic Lindsell, John Northcutt, Tim Parish, Errick Peterson, Richard Quirk, Mark Waight, Steve Wheeler