WEST HAM UNITED - AWAY SHIRT 2010/2011
West Ham United are a historic English football club founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC, taking on their current name in 1900. Based in East London and known to supporters as the Hammers (or the Irons), the club's traditional home was the Boleyn Ground at Upton Park - an atmospheric 35,000-capacity stadium that hosted West Ham for 112 years before the move to the London Stadium in 2016. The honours cabinet includes three FA Cups, the 1965 European Cup Winners' Cup, and a unique place in football history as the "Academy of Football" that supplied Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst, and Martin Peters to England's World Cup-winning 1966 side.
The 2010/2011 campaign - during which this striking away shirt was worn - was one of the most painful in the club's modern history. Under new Israeli manager Avram Grant, who had replaced Gianfranco Zola in the summer, the Hammers struggled badly in the Premier League from the off, finishing rock bottom in 20th place on 33 points and dropping into the Championship for the first time since 2005. Despite the trauma, captain Scott Parker still managed to be voted FWA Footballer of the Year for his herculean midfield efforts - a remarkable accolade for the standout player in a relegated side.
There was glory along the way in the form of a memorable Carling Cup run that swept the Hammers all the way to the semi-finals. The quarter-final at Upton Park produced one of the great East London nights, West Ham dispatching Manchester United 4-0 - Jonathan Spector and Carlton Cole each grabbing braces, with Nigerian loanee Victor Obinna heavily involved in all four goals. The Hammers' adventure ended 4-3 on aggregate to eventual cup winners Birmingham City in the last four.
Senegalese striker Demba Ba arrived in the January window from Hoffenheim and scored seven Premier League goals in half a season, while loan signing Robbie Keane chipped in from Tottenham. Their goals - and a season-long midfield masterclass from Parker - ultimately couldn't paper over the cracks in a campaign that ended with the Hammers heading back to the second tier.
Follow the club on X: @WestHam
