The 2022/23 Europa League Winners. West Ham United have finally ended their trophy drought of 43 years and in the process winning just their second European trophy.
Either way, West Ham do have their own rich set of history and meaning, with their famous crest appearing on multiple marketing assets. The golden hammer and shield on the crest have been the trademark of West Ham, but how much do you really know about their nickname and its logo?
West Ham’s logo, over the years has gone through various changes and it comes as little surprise when you consider the fact that The Hammers have been around for more than 120 years. Speaking of the hammers, not many know how they got this nickname.
Founded in 1895 as an outlet for local workers who formed a team at Thames Ironworks. The team’s company was a well-known shipbuilding yard that had their owner Arnold Hills as a sponsor.
With so much rich history linked with the London-based club, fans are often confused as to where the nickname ‘Hammers’ originated from.
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Why West Ham are called Hammers?
With the club starting because of a company called Thames Ironworks, they named it ‘Thames Ironworks FC’ or ‘The Irons’ after their initial origination in 1895. This name was later changed to West Ham United in 1900.
Officially the nickname ‘The Hammers’ was derived from the club’s badge which has two rivet hammers in a crossed fashion.
During the club’s early days, West Ham were given the chance to play in the Southern League and felt the need to sign professional football players to compete in the league. This did not go well with Arnold Hills and decided to disown the club.
Due to this, The Irons(that is what they were called back then), became a Limited Liability Company and formed West Ham United, and simultaneously became a member of the Football League in 1919.
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Even the club long stopped having any association with the old industry, the names Hammers and Irons that did go as Thames Ironworks have stuck with the fanbase ever since. To remove any misapprehension, the Hammer’s nickname is purely coincidental in that it is linked with West Ham.
Official nickname – Irons or Hammers?
Both Irons and Hammers have been part of the clubs’ rich history. It also stretches way back into the old days of the club. The Irons though came into existence a little bit earlier though than the Hammers.
The club prefer to call themselves as ‘The Hammers’ in the official website’s history section. So the answer is – The Hammers is what West Ham are popularly known as.
*This article is sponsored by Khelo India, a flagship program to inculcate a sporting culture in the country.
