Special thanks to John Powles and his excellent book "IRON IN THE BLOOD : Thames Ironworks FC The club that became West Ham United" for allowing extracts to compile this feature and John Northcutt for his attention to statistical accuracy..

On 21st June 1898, the 6,000 ton warship Albion became the first ship to be launched by a member of the royal family at the Thames Iron Works and Shipbuilding Company. The Duke of York, the future George V, and his wife, arrived for the launching ceremony in the early afternoon. Around 30,000 local people also competed to get a good view of this historic event. Over 200 people stood on a workmen's slipway alongside the uncompleted warship. At 2.50 pm the Duchess of York broke a bottle of champagne over the hull of the Albion. The ship entered the water faster than intended. This caused a massive backlash of water like a tidal wave that knocked people standing on the workmen's slipway into Bow Creek. A total of 38 people died in the accident. This included a brother and sister, Ernest and Kittie Hopkins. Probably the saddest case was of Isabel White. When her body was recovered, her children, Lottie 5, and Queenie 2, were still clinging to her frock. Arnold Hills was devastated by the accident he arranged to pay all the bereaved families' funeral expenses and personality visited the homes of the victims. It was hoped that the new 1898-1899 season would help take the workers' minds off these terrible events. That season Hills reluctantly accepted the proposal of Francis Payne that the club should recruit some professional players. Although a strong supporter of amateur football he argued it was "necessary to introduce a little ferment of professional experience to leaven the heavy lump". Payne's main argument was that better players would attract larger crowds. With attendances averaging 2,000, the club was being run at a loss and Hills was constantly being asked to subsidize the venture.

SOUTHERN LEAGUE DEBUT

On Saturday September 10, 1898 Thames Ironworks began their professional career with a 3-0 away victory over Shepherd's Bush in the Southern League Second Division. The crowd was around 3,000. Nine days previously, the Ironworks played their first fixture in the Thames and Medway Combination and lost 1-0 to Sheppey United.

SHEPHERD'S BUSH : Southern League Division Two

Away 3 - 0 (Atkinson 2, Adams) 10 September 1898 Att: 1,500

Moore, Tranter, Marjoram, Chisholm, Dove, McEachrane, Hird, Brett, Atkinson, Adams, Foss

BRENTFORD : Southern League Division Two

Memorial Grounds 3 - 1 (Hay 2, Dove) 24 September 1898 Att: 1,200

Moore, Tranter, Lloyd, Chisholm, Hitch, McEachrane, Hird, Hay, Atkinson, Gresham, Dove

ROYAL ENGINEERS TRAINING BATTALION : FA Cup (First Qualifying Round)

Memorial Grounds 2 - 0 (Gresham, McEachrane) 1 October 1898 Att: 1,000

Moore, Tranter, Lloyd, Chisholm, Neil, McEachrane, Hird, Hay, Gresham, Adams, Cobb

UXBRIDGE : Southern League Division Two

Memorial Grounds 1 - 2 (Gresham 8 October 1898 Att: 2,000

Moore, Llyod, Dove, Chisholm, Hitch, McEachrane, Hird, Hay, Adams, Gresham, Cobb

BRIGHTON UNITED : FA Cup (Second Qualifying Round)

Away 0 - 0 15 October 1898 Att: 2,000

Moore, Dove, Tranter, Chisholm, Hitch, McEachrane, Lloyd, Hird, Adams, Gresham, Cobb

BRIGHTON UNITED : FA Cup (Second Qualifying Round Replay)

Memorial Grounds 1 - 4 (Hird) 19 October 1898 Att: 2,000

Moore, Dove, Tranter, Chisholm, Hitch, McEachrane, Lloyd, Hird, Adams, Gresham, Cobb

WYCOMBE WANDERERS : Southern League Division Two

Away 1 - 4 (Reid) 29 October 1898 Att: 1,000

Moore, Tranter, Dove, Chisholm, Hitch, McEachrane, Hird, Reid J., Hay, Gresham, Buller

SHEPHERD'S BUSH : Southern League Division Two

Memorial Grounds 1 - 0 (Wenham) 5 November 1898 Att; 1,000

Moore, Tranter, Marjoram, Dove, McEwan, McEachrane, Reynolds, Reid J., Wenham, Gresham, Cobb

ST. ALBANS : Southern League Division Two

Away 4 - 1 (Llyod 3, Reid) 12 November 1898 Att: 800

Moore, Tranter, Marjoram, Neil, McEwan, Chisholm, Hird, Reid, Lloyd, Gresham, McEachrane

WATFORD : Southern League Division Two

Away 0 - 0 26 November 1898 Att: 1,000

Moore, Tranter, Marjoram, Chisholm, McEwan, McEachrane, Hird, Reid J., Hay, Gresham, Reynolds

FULHAM : Southern League Division Two

Memorial Grounds 2 - 1 (Graham, Reynolds) 3 December 1898 Att: 2,000

Moore, Tranter, Marjoram, Dove, McEwan, Chisholm, Hird, Reynolds, Hay, Gresham, McEachrane

WATFORD : Southern League Division Two

Memorial Grounds 2 - 1 (Lloyd 2) 17 December 1898 Att: 1,500

Moore, Tranter, Marjoram, Chisholm, McEwan, Hay, Reynolds, Hird, Lloyd, Gresham, McEachrane

CHESHAM : Southern League Division Two

Away 3 - 0 (Hird 2, Hounsell) 24 December 1898 Att: 1,000

Moore, Tranter, Marjoram, Dove, McEwan, McEachrane, Hird, Reynolds, Lloyd, Hounsell, Gresham

MAIDENHEAD : Southern League Division Two

York Road

4 - 0 (Hird, McEwan [pen], Reid, Reynolds)

31 December 1898

Dove

Margeram

Neil

McEwan

Hird

McEachrane

Reynolds

Hounsell

Lloyd

Reid

Gresham

WYCOMBE WANDERERS : Southern League Division Two

Memorial Grounds 4 - 1 (Lloyd 2, McEwan, Keen [og]) 14 January 1899 Att: 1,000

Moore, Tranter, Dunn, Hird, McEwan, McEachrane, Reynolds, Reid J., Lloyd, Gresham, Leonard

WOLVERTON : Southern League Division Two

Away 4 - 3 (Leonard 2, Chisholm, Dove) 21 January 1899 Att: 200

Moore, Tranter, Dunn, Dove, Chisholm, McEachrane, Reynolds, Hird, Lloyd, Gresham, Leonard

CHESHAM : Southern League Division Two

Memorial Grounds 8 - 1 (Gresham 2, Reynolds 2, Dove, Lloyd, McEachrane, Reid) 28 January 1899 Att: 2,000

Moore, Dunn, Tranter, Dove, McEachrane, Hird, Leonard, Gresham, Lloyd, Reid J., Reynolds

BRENTFORD : Southern League Division Two

Away 2 - 0 (Leonard, Reynolds) 11 February 1899 Att: 2,000

Moore, Tranter, Dunn, Dove, Chisholm, McEachrane, Reynolds, Reid J., Reid G., Henderson, Leonard

UXBRIDGE : Southern League Division Two

Memorial Grounds 4 - 0 (Henderson 4) 18 February 1899 Att: 1,500

Moore, Tranter, Dunn, Hird, Dove, McEachrane, Reynolds, Reid J., Reid G., Henderson, Leonard

SOUTHALL : Southern League Division Two

Away 2 - 0 (Henderson 2) 4 March 1899 Att: 4,000

Moore, Tranter, Dunn, Chisholm, Dove, McEachrane, Reynolds, Reid J., Henderson, Reid G., Leonard

ST. ALBANS : Southern League Division Two

Memorial Grounds 1 - 0 (Reid J.) 11 March 1899 Att: 2,000

Moore, Tranter, Dunn, Chisholm, McManus, McEachrane, Hird, Reid J., Henderson, Reid G., Leonard

WOLVERTON : Southern League Division Two

Memorial Grounds 2 -1 (Reid J. 2) 18 March 1899 Att: 1,000

Moore, Tranter, Dunn, Chisholm, McManus, McEachrane, Hird, Reid J., Henderson, Reid G., Leonard

SOUTHALL : Southern League Division Two

Memorial Grounds 2 - 0 (Gilmore, Reid G.) 25 March 1899 Att: 3,000

Moore, Tranter, Dunn, Dove, McManus, McEachrane, Hird, Bird, Henderson, Reid G., Gilmore

FULHAM : Southern League Division Two

Away 1 - 0 (Lloyd) 8 April 1899 Att: 3,000

Moore, Tranter, Dunn, Chisholm, McManus, McEachrane, Hird, Lloyd, Henderson, Gresham, Leonard

MAIDENHEAD : Southern League Division Two

Memorial Grounds

10 - 0 (Leonard 4, Lloyd 3, Reid 2, Henderson)

15 April 1899

Moore

Tranter

Dunn

Chisholm

McManus

McEachrane

Hird

Lloyd

Henderson

Reid J.

Leonard

Report from the Maidenhead Advertiser 19 April 1899

Courtesy of Mark Smith

David Lloyd scored a hat-trick

COWES : Southern League Championship Decider

Away 3 - 1 (Henderson, Leonard, Lloyd) 22 April 1899 Att: 1,000

Moore, Tranter, Dunn, Chisholm, Dove, McEachrane, Reynolds, Lloyd, Henderson, Reid J., Leonard

SHEPPEY UNITED : Test Match

Away 1 - 1 (Lloyd) 29 April 1899 Att: 2,000

Moore, Tranter, Dunn, Chisholm, McManus, McEachrane, Reynolds, Lloyd, Henderson, Gresham, Leonard

The Poaching of English Players

The Nottinghamshire Guardian

13 May 1899

The Dundee Courier

20 April 1899

Season 1897-98 Season 1899-00