theyflysohigh : Steve Marsh
email: theyflysohigh@btinternet.com
West Ham United Club Historian : Welcome to the Private memorabilia collection of 'theyflysohigh'
1900 - 1909
Trophy Cabinet
South Essex League (Division One)
Championship Decider
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South Essex League (Division One)
West Ham United and Grays United finished their South Essex League campaign with an identical points total. From the 14 game league campaign both sides recorded 12 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss. The Hammers scored 37 goals and conceded 7, Grays scored more goals with 46, but they they also conceded more with 14. The goal diffrence was also ended equal at 30. To decide who would be champions both clubs played off against each other at Grays Recreation Ground on 28 April 1902. West Ham United won the Championship decider 2-0.
London League (Premier Division)
JAMES BIGDEN
James Bigden made his claret-and-blue debut in the 2-0 success over Bristol Rovers at Eastville on the 7 September 1901. A product of local football, Bigden made the majority of his near 100 Southern League and FA appearances at wing-half, although he sometimes played at inside-forward. Awarded a Championship winners medal for the Hammers as they competed in the newly formed London Football League Premier Division in season 1901-02. By 1906 James had moved across London to serve Woolwich Arsenal, then playing at the Manor Ground, Plumstead and with the assistance of two other ex-Hammers in McEachrance and Satterwaite, helped the Gunners to oust his former club from that year's FA Cup in the first round.
Born: 25 February 1880, Poplar, London, England
Southern Lge apps: 91 (gls 3) Cup: 5 (gls 0)
James Bigden
London Football League Premier Division
HARRY STAPLEY
Harry Stapley played his early football with Manor Park Albion, Bromley and Norwich CEYMS. Throughout his amateur career Stapley also worked as a teacher which took him to various parts of the country. He later joined Reading playing for their reserve and amateur sides. His teaching career took him from Reading Collegiate School to Woodford College in Essex where he joined Woodford Town, and later went on to become their captain. Stapley accepted an invitation to play for Southern League West Ham United, and although he was small, slight and had no Southern League experience, Stapley signed for the Hammers on 28 September 1905 although the amateur player he still continued to play for Woodford Town after his signing. At 22-years of age he made his West Ham United debut against Portsmouth on 23 December 1905 and scored the only goal of the game. Incidentally, this was on the same day as William Grassam had returned to the club from Leyton for a second spell, and he made his second debut in the Pompey game. Stapley's arrival meant that George Hilsdon had to make way, although the new man's availability was governed by his teaching duties. The centre-forward shunned the physical aspect of the game and instead relied on skill and guile. He spent three seasons at Upton Park and was the Hammers' top scorer in all three, even though his job as a schoolteacher prevented him from travelling to certain midweek away games. Stapley won 15 England Amateur caps, five as a Hammer; in one international he scored five goals against the Netherlands in 1907. After playing in 75 games and scoring 41 goals, ending each of his season’s at Upton Park as leading scorer he left to join Second Division Glossop in 1908. He continued his goalscoring feat by ending as the club's top-scorer for seven consecutive seasons. He was certainly one of the best amateur forwards of his era and in his time at Glossop he made 201 appearances and scored 94 goals. Stapley died on his 54th birthday in April 1937.
Born: 29 April 1883, Southborough, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England
Southern Lge apps: 71 (gls 39) Cup: 4 (gls 2)
London League (Premier Division)
Harry Stapley
Western League (Division One)
HARRY STAPLEY
1908 Olympic Gold Medal (Football)
The 1908 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the IV Olympiad, were held in 1908 in London, United Kingdom from 27 April to 31 October 1908. These games were originally scheduled to be held in Rome, Italian authorities were preparing to hold the games when Mount Vesuvius erupted on 7 April 1906, devastating the city of Naples. Funds were diverted to the reconstruction of Naples, so a new venue was required. London was selected for the first time to hold the Games which were held at White City alongside the Franco-British Exhibition, at the time the more noteworthy event.
The football tournament between national representative selections was contested for the first time. Football at the two previous games had been played between club teams. Harry Stapley was a member of the Great Britain team that defeated Sweden 12-1 in the Quarter-Final with him scoring twice, The Netherlands 4-0 in the Semi-Final, Stapley got all four goals and Denmark 2-0 at the White City Stadium on 24 October 1908 to win a gold medal.
Gold medal image courtesy of Harry Stapley's grandson John Stapley
Olympic Games London 1908
UNKNOWN RECIPIENT
London League (Premier Division)
Runners-up
London League (Premier Division)
1909-10
London League (Premier Division)
Runners-up
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Extract from the minutes of the "Directors meeting held at the Boleyn Tavern 23rd May 1910"
The 11 players and Charlie Paynter listed in the minutes would have each received a medal.
West Ham United finished the season in runners-up position behind Fulham. Both clubs finished with identical results;
12 wins, 2 draws and 2 defeats. However, the west Londoners had a better goal difference over the Hammers with
46 scored and 12 conceded, opposed to West Ham with 41 scored and 20 conceded.
London League (Premier Division) Runners-up
1909-10
FREDERICK SHREEVE
London Professional Football Charity Fund (1910)
Right-back Fred had the unusual distinction of scoring on his Hammers' debut from that position, although as a known penalty-taker, his goal which helped to secure a 2-1 win over Northampton Town at Upton Park on the 24th October 1908. Formerly with Millwall, he went on to form a regular full-back partnership with Bill Taylor that season, ending up with 19 Southern League appearances to his credit. The following term saw him with a new partner in Bob Fairman, and he missed only one match to complete his most successful season at Upton Park. Began his career at Burton United and joined Doncaster Rovers for 1911-12.
Southern Lge apps: 65 (gls 4) Cup: 10 (gls 0).
Kitchen, Shreeve, Fairman, Whiteman, Piercy, Randall, Ashton, Shea, Haynes, Blackburn, Caldwell
London Professional Football Charity Fund
Dan Woodards
Danny Shea