West Ham United are affectionately known as ‘The Hammers’ due to their deep roots in the industrial past of London, and mascot ‘Hammerhead’ epitomises that.
The club was founded in 1895 under a different name, Thames Ironworks FC, by workers from the Thames Ironworks shipbuilding company, which was based in Canning Town.
They referred to themselves as the Hammers because of the hammers used in forging ship parts.
Since then, the symbol of a hammer has been used as a representation of West Ham United’s identity and has also found itself on the crest.
Hammerhead became the West Ham United mascot in 2011
Hammerhead’s introduction was certainly a nod to West Ham’s shipbuilding origins.
This mascot blended marketing flair with mythology, giving fans something more to cherish on matchdays at the London Stadium.
The club unveiled Hammerhead as the official mascot on December 17, 2011, via a press conference and an announcement on the official website.
It was also done in time for the FA Cup third-round replay against Barnsley on December 19.
The announcement read: “When a bolt of lightning hit the Iron Works, a mighty warrior of iron was born – Hammerhead.”
“As strong as iron, as fast as Billy Bonds and blessed with the goalscoring prowess of Vic Watson, some say Hammerhead was once a shipbuilder at the Thames Iron Works, while others say he is a knight from the historic Boleyn Castle.”
The Hammerhead is an anthropomorphic character with a hammer for a head, which is angled and metallic, while his body is covered with a West Ham kit..
Hammerhead ascended to cult hero status at West Ham
Come 2019, Hammerhead had already made 100 pre-game appearances and that elevated his status among the fans.
He even featured on BBC’s The One Show and in 2025, became a Guinness World Record holder.
In May, on the Premier League’s ‘Welcome to the Weekend’ show, he became the record holder of the most consecutive football touches by a mascot, completing 36 to beat the previous record of 16.
Apart from this, Hammerhead has played an important role in interacting with the fans, especially kids, making them feel just as much of a part of the game as the players.
He also led the UEFA Europa Conference League parade and has been an enduring embodiment of the club’s spirit since his inception.
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