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 17
The seventeenth door opened with the crackle of a newspaper stand. Steve found himself on a London street in 1968, the smell of ink and paper drifting from the kiosks and boys clutching copies of the London Evening News, their excitement not for the headlines but for the black-and-white football cards tucked inside.
That season, the paper issued ‘Stars in Action’ a series of 18 black-and-white postcards. Distributed free with the newspaper they captured players in dynamic poses and were instantly collectible. Among them was a young Trevor Brooking, his image captured at the dawn of a career that would soon make him a West Ham legend.
But Brooking’s likeness wasn’t confined to the Evening News. In East London, the Newham Recorder also issued player portraits, celebrating local heroes and giving supporters a tangible connection to their idols. Brooking’s portrait appeared there too – a reminder that his rise was not only a story for the terraces but one proudly chronicled in the community’s own newspaper.
For the supporters who pulled the Brooking cards from the folded pages, they were more than just giveaways. They offered a glimpse of the future – a rising star whose elegance and vision would carry West Ham into the 1970s and beyond. Graceful on the ball, intelligent in his movement, and already admired for his composure, he embodied Ron Greenwood’s philosophy of football played with thought and artistry.
Though still at the start of his journey, Brooking’s inclusion marked him out as one to watch. For fans, it was a thrill to see his face among the established names, a sign that the Hammers’ next great chapter was already being written. And indeed, that chapter unfolded magnificently.
Click this picture Link
to be transported back to 1968-69 memorabilia
Over the next seventeen years, Brooking became the club’s beating heart, amassing 643 appearances and 102 goals. He was five times voted Hammer of the Year, his consistency and elegance unmatched and his influence stretched beyond Upton Park. Brooking earned 47 caps for England, representing his country at the 1982 World Cup, though injury limited his role. Still, his reputation as a player of intelligence and grace was secure, admired far beyond East London. Even after hanging up his boots in 1984, he remained loyal to West Ham, returning briefly as caretaker manager in 2003 and later serving the wider game as Director of Football Development at the FA, championing youth and grassroots football.
Today, both cards remain treasured relics of a time when newspapers carried not just stories, but heroes. For West Ham supporters, his cards are a reminder of the moment when a young midfielder first stepped into the spotlight. And as the calendar’s pages turned, Brooking’s journey felt like the perfect gift: a career unwrapped slowly across the years, each season another ribbon untied, until the whole of West Ham could marvel at the treasure within.
The vision slipped into legend, its glow eternal in claret and blue, and Steve found himself back in the boardroom. Seventeen doors opened, seventeen treasures revealed – each one a spark of history, glowing like newspaper portraits tucked into scrapbooks of memory.
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