This book tells the fascinating story of West Ham United Football Club during the First World War, charting the relationship between war and football by following the pursuits of West Ham from 1913/14 to 1918/19. In many ways, it was their success in wartime competitions that led to them being accepted into the Football League in 1919, paving the way for subsequent FA Cup and League success. As well as a football story, this book is about the impact of the war on Britain. It documents the social implications of war on Londoners and the social and political influence of football, the armed forces and civilians alike. Looking closely at the 13th Service Battalion, also known as the 'West Ham Pals', the book includes such players as George Kay, Ted Hufton, and their manager and coach, Syd King and Charlie Paynter respectively.

This is a biography of one of West Ham United's greatest ever players, and the history of the club during his time in claret and blue. During those dozen years, Len Goulden had a glittering career, and became an England star. He scored the final goal in the defeat of Germany in May 1938; the game being made infamous by the England players being obliged to give the Hitler salute prior to the kick-off. West Ham goal-keeping legend Ernie Gregory, who watched Goulden from the stands of Upton Park before signing for the club in 1936 claimed that: "We've had some great forwards over the years at West Ham but Len was the greatest-the daddy of them all. He was the one I paid my money to see...I can still see Len now-controlling the ball, he killed it instantly...Len was the tops." 'Golden Len Goulden' plucks from history a player who ranks with the best ever to wear the hammers over his heart.

From the earliest days of West Ham United the club sought out competition from outside the British Isles. Building on this, the Hammers, led by England captain Bobby Moore, won their way into top class competition in Europe to become the first side made up entirely of English players to win a major international trophy: the European Cup Winners Cup in 1965 at Wembley. Although this was to be the zenith of the team's performance on the international stage, there were to be further exciting and intriguing campaigns and games-great goals, magnificent victories, and defeats fought to the finish. However, this is more a story about places, people, and times, as West Ham went about breaking ground and hearts on their rampage across the continent. The boys from London's East End were learning, teaching, and developing a pedigree of football that was to be replicated, but never entirely reproduced. No-one else had the pioneering magic that the Irons engendered; they nearly reached the sky, while others just followed. This is the story of that glory.

In 1938 Arthur George Wilkinson became the first West Ham speedway rider to win the World Championship, and he remains one of the great names of the sport today. 'Bluey', as the diminutive Australian was universally known, carved his name into the annals of speedway history with a mixture of will, concentration, boldness and power that has rarely been matched by other riders. Wilkinson's story is set in the 1930s, the early days of oval motorcycle racing in Australia and Britain. This was West Ham's golden era, culminating in their Championship year of 1937, and the period in which the 'Custom House Comet' became a legend. Brian Belton is an East End native, whose family have supported West Ham speedway from the very beginning. In this book he brings to life that Claret and Bluey decade which is now part of the history and folklore of London's Docklands.

Considered to be one of the greatest of Scotland's medieval kings, David I--the youngest son of King Malcolm III and St. Margaret--was never expected to succeed to the throne. During the reigns of his elder brothers, David carved out a career for himself as an Anglo-Norman nobleman at the court of his brother-in-law, Henry I of England. With Henry's backing and the support of his elder sister, Queen Matilda, David secured a good marriage and a rich inheritance, with estates spread from Normandy to northern England, as well as a principality of his own in southern Scotland. On succeeding to the Scottish throne in 1124, he faced a long and bitter struggle against rivals for his crown, but ruthlessly imposed his authority on the kingdom and won the respect of his Gaelic lords. As king, David began the modernization of his kingdom along European lines. Many of the greatest families of medieval Scotland-- such as the Bruces, Comyns, and Stewarts--were brought in as colonists by David, and monastic communities--such as Dunfermline, Kelso, Melrose, and Holyrood--were founded by him. Reform at home was coupled by aggressive expansion abroad, with David extending his power across the whole of mainland Scotland, into the Western Isles, and finally into northern England. Skillfully playing off Stephen and Matilda--the two rivals for the English throne after 1135--David secured control of Northumberland, Cumbria, and even large parts of Yorkshire and Lancaster, tipping the balance of power in Britain firmly in favor of the Scots. It was a rich legacy to pass on to his heirs, but stripped of David's leadership, Scotland's dominant position swiftly crumbled away.

This is the tale of West Ham United's two 1960's cup winning teams made up entirely of English players. The last time this feat was achieved. It is a compelling book about a unique time in English football. This is primarily for fans of West Ham United, but will also appeal to those who love football history, especially those World Cup winning heroes, Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters who all feature in the teams. It includes a foreword by Martin Peters MBE. The young men who played in West Ham's FA Cup Final victory over Preston North End in 1964 were all born and raised in England. In each tie from the third round, only English players had worn the Hammers over their hearts. This feat has not been repeated since and is unlikely to be replicated in the future. A year later West Ham fielded another all-English team to win the European Cup-Winners' Cup, something no other English club has ever done. Thus, the West Ham players of 1964 and 1965 were The First And Last Englishmen, and this is their story. It is a tale told partly from the point of view of Irons striker Alan Sealey, who was right in the middle of the action, and his team-mates. But the voice of the supporters is just as important in this epic. West Ham's rise to European glory is portrayed through the memories of those who played and of those who watched. It is a compelling book about a unique time in English football.

Johnny 'Budgie' Byrne played for Crystal Palace, Fulham and England, as well as several clubs in South Africa, but he is most associated with West Ham, where he delighted the fans as he made goals, scored goals and put in fearless tackles. In the heady days of the 1960s he was on a par with the greats: Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst, Martin Peters and Johnny Sissons. But Budgie was left out of the squad for the 1962 World Cup in Chile, so in some ways he never completely fulfilled his enormous potential. It was during Johnny Byrne's time at West Ham that the club really built its reputation for quality football. Loved by the fans, hated by the opposition, he is widely thought to be one of the finest players ever to have pulled on a claret and blue West Ham shirt. In this fascinating new biography Brian Belton tells the story of Budgie's life and career, focussing on the football and resisting the temptation to cast Johnny as a 'loveable rogue' in the manner that others have written about such famous subjects as Alex Higgins and George Best.There was much more to Budgie than his life off the pitch, and this is a book about a football hero who played like a demon and was adored by the fans.

This book presents a look at one of the first major railway disasters in Britain, the fall of the Dee bridge in May 1847, which occurred just outside Chester with the loss of five lives. The main line from Holyhead to Chester had only been opened six months before, and the chief engineer Robert Stephenson was slated nationally (almost being accused of manslaughter) as his cast-iron bridge had failed so catastrophically. Luckily, only a local train was passing and so few lives were lost. Full of detailed technical insight and illustrated with a wealth of contemporary material, this informative book will be of great use for engineering students and historians, as the Dee bridge is an often cited case study of bridge failure along with the Tay and Tacoma Narrows bridges. It will also appeal to interested locals, and railway enthusiasts.

The genesis of West Ham United Football Club is probably the most fascinating of any professional side. The team that would become the pride of East London and pioneers of the modern game first came into the world as Thames Ironworks. Its players were the tough hammer-men who burnt and beat rivets into some of the greatest ships ever built, including the mighty HMS Warrior, a seagoing war-machine, which was, like the company that built it and its football club, ahead of its time. This is a tale of how philanthropy, religious beliefs, Corinthian ethics, entrepeneurial enterprise and the enthusiasm of working people for a game made a sporting institution that would come to embody the culture and history of the Docklands.

Tells the story of West Ham United Football Club during the First World War. This title is about the impact of the war on Britain, and Londoners in particular. It is intended for football historians and social historians as well as lovers of West Ham United Football Club.

The 1967 World Club Championship decider between Celtic and Racing Club of Buenos Aires was one of the most violent and controversial matches of all time. Three Celtic players and two from Racing Club were sent off in total. The game descended into farce, with the Uruguayan police forced to take to the pitch with batons to separate brawling players. Pictures released of the match met with shock worldwide, but while an embarrassed Jock Stein fined his players, those from Racing Club were rewarded with a new car each! This book tells the story of a real clash of two very different footballing cultures.