When Great Britain declared war on Germany on 4th August 1914, it had a negative effect on association football; in some countries competitions were suspended and players signed up to fight. However, the Football League continued with the 1914-15 season. Most football players were professionals and were tied to clubs through one-year renewable contracts. Players could only join the armed forces if the clubs agreed to cancel their contracts.

On 6 September 1914, author Arthur Conan Doyle made a direct appeal for footballers to volunteer for service. Many players heeded the calls, and a special Football Battalion was formed, as part of the Middlesex Regiment. The regiment was led by Frank Buckley, who later estimated that over 500 of the battalion's original 600 men had died. There were over 5,000 men playing professional football in Great Britain in 1914, and of those, 2,000 had joined the military services.

‘theyflysohigh’ highlights the plight of eight players associated with the Hammers who gave their lives while serving their country.

FRANK COSTELLO, WILLIAM KENNEDY, FRANK CANNON, WILLIAM KIRBY, SYDNEY HAMMOND, ARTHUR STALLARD, FREDERICK GRIFFITHS and  WILLIAM JONES.