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Club Crest

The West Ham United Football Club name and logo (Club Crest) are Registered Trademarks of West Ham United plc. The club have granted me permission to use their trading name and crest for information and decorative purposes only and as such are not used or intended to be used for any commercial gain within in this website. Please see Copyright notice for further information.

Two main features of the present day West Ham United crest are a pair of crossed hammers and a castle. The hammers were symbolic of the tools used in shipbuilding and the castle a representation of the tower that stood adjacent to the Boleyn Ground. But that was not always the case when the Thames Ironworks club was formed in 1895 the players wore a 'Union Jack' with the initials T.I.W. as depicted in this 1895-96 team group below.

There is no official evidence as to when the crossed hammers was adopted, the Thames Ironworks was wound up as a works team in 1900 and later re-born as a professional club under the name West Ham United. The earliest known publication portraying the crossed hammers motif is the official match day programmes from the 1911-12 season.

 

Thames Ironworks Union Jack

Thames Ironworks players with T.I.W. above the Union Jack

Crossed Hammers

Cover from the Official programme 1911-12

Irons
1900
1920 crest

A castle was added to the official match day programmes from the start of the 1921-22 season. The castle was traditionally believed to be connected with Henry Vlll's second Queen, Anne Boleyn. However, this was not founded on fact, as the " castle " was indeed a building known as Green Street House.

 

The House was built in 1544, eight years after the execution of Anne Boleyn. A couple of turrets were added two years later "to enhance the beauty of the grounds," and one remained on the Green Street frontage until well after World War II. The turret can often be seen in the background to team group photographs before the war years and a drawing of the turret featured on the cover of the club programme.

1940 Blazier Vn1
1940 Blazier Vn2

Turrets are a prominent feature on the

Players Blazer Badge's (circa. early 1950's)

1950 Blazier Badge

Players Blazer Badge's (circa. late 1950's)

Up until West Ham United gained promotion to the First Division at the end of the 1957-58 season, both the castle and crossed hammers were seen as separate elements. The players promotion souvenir handbook issued in 1958 was the first time that both the 'Crossed Hammers' and 'Castle' was seen as one combined image. ...

1968 Badge
1958 Handbook

Turrets were added to the club badge and this classic design was first introduced on the cover of the West Ham Players Promotion Souvenir Handbook : Season 1958-59

1960 Blazier
1960 Blazier 2

Players Blazier Badge's

      (circa. 1960's)

1980 Gold

(Circa 1980's)

1980 Badge 03
1980 Badge 02
1980 Badge 05 Black
1980 Badge 04
Centenary

Centenary Crest 1995

2000

The crest was redesigned and updated by London design agency Springett Associates in the late 1990s, featuring a wider yellow castle with fewer cruciform "windows" along with the peaked roofs being removed the tops of the towers. The designer also altered the shape of the hammer heads, border and other small changes in order to give a more substantial feel to the iconography.

WEST HAM UNITED

LONDON

2016 Crossed Hammers Blue

Prior to their departure from the Boleyn Ground, West Ham United launched an online poll to seek supporter feeling on the Club's proposed design of an updated crest, which would be used from the 2016/17 season, their first at the London Stadium in Stratford.

 

To view the video please click the crest above

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