The Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company originated from the Ditchburn and Mare Shipbuilding Company, in 1837. They were a large shipyard and ironworks, situated on both sides of Bow Creek.
In March 1895, the Old Castle Swifts Football Club, the first professional football club in Essex, went bankrupt. They had been formed in 1892 by Donald Currie, a Scottish shipowner.
Following the collapse of the Old Castle Swifts Football Club, the Chairman of Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company, Arnold Hills, saw an opportunity to start his own works team and provided the money to take over the tenancy of the now vacant football ground on Hermit Road, Canning Town.
Meanwhile, the company's foreman, Dave Taylor, who was also a local football referee, placed an advert in the company's newspaper, 'The Thames Iron Works Gazette', asking for players to form a works football team. Fifty ironworkers answered the advert and so was born Thames Ironworks Football Club.
Each player paid half-a-crown for one year's membership, while Dave Taylor set about arranging fixtures for Thames Ironworks F.C. and their reserves.
Arnold Hills was a philanthropist, advocate for temperance and vegetarianism, and an outstanding sportsman. He also believed that a happy workforce was a more productive workforce. So, in addition to the football team, he introduced a cricket team, an operatic society and the Thames Ironworks band.
Arnold Hills was a former student and football Blue of Oxford University, so he chose dark blue as the colours of the team for their debut season.
The following season they changed to a sky blue top, white shorts and claret socks.
