West Ham United Football Club

In 1895, a football club was formed by Arnold Hills, the owner of the Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company, and a foreman named Dave Taylor. Initially known as Thames Ironworks F.C., the team was created for the company's workers. In 1900, the club was reformed as West Ham United and moved to the Boleyn Ground in 1904, which would remain its home for over a century. The club operated for many years as a 'family-owned' entity, with the Cearns family having a long-standing association that started with founding member J.W.Y. Cearns. This changed in 2006 with the acquisition by an Icelandic consortium led by Eggert Magnússon and Björgólfur Guðmundsson. However, the 2008 financial crisis led to another change in ownership. In 2010, David Sullivan and David Gold acquired a 50% stake in the club, valuing it at £105 million and taking operational control. This marked a significant new chapter. A major milestone in their tenure was the club's move from the Boleyn Ground to the London Stadium, the former Olympic Stadium, in 2016. More recently, in 2021, Czech businessman Daniel Křetínský purchased a 27% stake, signaling a new phase of investment.