Editing West Ham United F.C. (section)

==Colours==
{{Commons|West Ham United F.C. kits}}
The original colours of the team were dark blue, due to [[Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company|Thames Ironworks]] chairman [[Arnold Hills]] being a former student of Oxford University (see [[Oxford Blue (colour)|Oxford blue]]). However, the team used a variety of kits including the claret and sky blue house colours of Thames Ironworks, as well as sky blue or white kit.<ref>{{Cite web |last=kitclassics.co.uk |title=West Ham kits since inception I |url=http://www.kitclassics.co.uk/kits/westham.gif |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080625144306/http://www.kitclassics.co.uk/kits/westham.gif |archive-date=25 June 2008 |access-date=15 August 2009 |publisher=Various sources, image of kits}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Dave Moor |title=West Ham kits since inception II |url=http://www.historicalkits.co.uk/West_Ham_United/West_Ham_United.htm |access-date=15 August 2009 |publisher=Various sources, images of kits}}</ref>

The Irons permanently adopted claret and blue for home colours in 1903.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Marsh |first=Steve |title=Playing Kit: West Ham United 1900 to 1999 |url=http://theyflysohigh.co.uk/playing-kit-1900-1999/4547927422 |access-date=22 January 2018 |website=theyflysohigh.co.uk}}</ref>

One story suggests that [[Thames Ironworks F.C.|Thames Ironworks]] right-half [[Charlie Dove]] received the [[Aston Villa F.C.|Aston Villa]] kit from William Belton, who was a professional sprinter of national repute, as well as being involved with the coaching at Thames Ironworks. Belton had been at a fair in [[Birmingham]], close to [[Villa Park]], the home ground of Aston Villa and was challenged to a race against four Villa players, who wagered money that one of them would win. Belton defeated them and, when they were unable to pay the bet, one of the Villa players who was responsible for washing the team's kit offered a complete team's "football kits" to Belton in payment. The Aston Villa player subsequently reported to his club that the kit was "missing".{{sfn|Belton|2006|pages=2–4}} This, however, is often disputed.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Marsh |first=Steve |title=Myths and Legends |url=http://theyflysohigh.co.uk/myths-and-legends/4593203735 |access-date=16 December 2018 |website=theyflysohigh.co.uk}}</ref>

Thames Ironworks, and later West Ham United, retained the claret yoke/blue sleeves design, but also continued to use their previously favoured colours for their away kits.