The London Club With a 120,000 Capacity Stadium … and Nobody to Fill It

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In December 1930, Thames A.F.C. played a Football League match in front of just 469 fans inside a 120,000-seat stadium. The lowest Saturday attendance in Football League history, and a record that still stands today ... Kinda.

This is the forgotten story of Thames Association Football Club, founded in 1928 to fill the vast West Ham Stadium in East London. Backed by businessmen, designed by famed stadium architect Archibald Leitch, and with ambitions to rival Wembley… Thames AFC lasted just two seasons in the Football League before disappearing completely.

The problem? East London was already packed with established clubs. West Ham United, Millwall, Charlton Athletic, and Clapton Orient (now Leyton Orient) had loyal fanbases of their own. Afterall how could they compete with a day out at The Den?

This is the tale of the East London club with no fans, and the stadium that became football’s greatest echo chamber.

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