Can You Help ?

[Researcher]

I'm Grant Hole MSc BSc (Hons) I'm a historical researcher.

I'm currently researching what colours were worn by West Ham United in the years 1900, 1901, and 1902. It is thought to be light blue shirt and white shorts (in 1902 shirt with a single claret band) but this isn't known for certain and other colours have been suggested.

I'm looking for a proof positive source that dates from those years and a football programme or club handbook would be ideal.

Does any body have a football programme from those years from a game in which West Ham played ?

If so could they confirm to me the colours worn by the teams in that game.

This is an important historical fact that just isn't known for certain and it would be good to nail it down.

Many thanks Grant Hole.

[Auchinleckian]

Have never seen or heard of any West Ham publications that old, albeit I did have a couple of works magazines from Thames Ironworks from the 1890's who later became West Ham. There was no mention of club colours in there.
I think your best bet, in the first instance, might be to try the online Association of Football Statisticians. If they can't sort you out they'll certainly be able to point you in the right direction.
I assume you've contacted the author of the Breedon Complete Record on West Ham?

[tcno10]

this might help but not 100% certain,

http://www.historicalkits.co.uk/West_Ham_United/West_Ham_United.htm

[Researcher]

Auchinleckian wrote:

Have never seen or heard of any West Ham publications that old, albeit I did have a couple of works magazines from Thames Ironworks from the 1890's who later became West Ham. There was no mention of club colours in there. I think your best bet, in the first instance, might be to try the online Association of Football Statisticians. If they can't sort you out they'll certainly be able to point you in the right direction. I assume you've contacted the author of the Breedon Complete Record on West Ham?

Many thanks for that. I have even been in touch with the official West Ham United historian who is only able to give an opinion and not an original source, this is something that isn't absolutely known.

I will look into the suggestions that you've made. Thanks once again.

[Researcher]

tcno10 wrote:

this might help but not 100% certain, http://www.historicalkits.co.uk/West_Ham_United/West_Ham_United.htm

Thanks for that, if you look you'll see that I'm the source for the 1897/ 98 / 99 kit, I provided newspaper articles in which the colours were mentioned for each year plus the historical background of where the pale blue white and scarlet came from....

However, the 1900/01/02 kits are there on the opinion of the official WHU historian only, there is no hard and fast evidence from the times such as I supplied for the earlier kit.

Surprisingly the later kit is proving to be a far harder nut to crack.

[Researcher]

Auchinleckian wrote:

I assume you've contacted the author of the Breedon Complete Record on West Ham?

Just looked it up and yes I have. Thanks once again......

[Researcher]

More info...

Between 1900 and 1903 West Ham were in the Southern League Div 1.

Other teams were: Southampton, Bristol C, Portsmouth, Millwall, Spurs, Bristol R, QPR, Reading, Luton, Watford, Swindon, Northampton, Brentford....

Programmes from any of these teams Vs West Ham may contain team colours.