In a marketing move straight out of the 'Field of Dreams' handbook, the founders of Thames AFC had built the West Ham Stadium (no relation to West Ham United) in the hope they could use it for professional football on the weekends. West Ham Stadium was a colossal stadium, with the ability to hold 120,000 spectators, so when Thames were founded in 1928 it was with grand expectations. The problem was that the club played near the London/Essex border, an area which already housed many clubs, so by the time the new boys joined the Football League in the 1930-31 season most football supporters in the area already had teams to support. For the two seasons they enjoyed in the League, Thames AFC played in one of the largest stadiums in the country in front of some of the most miniscule crowds professional football has ever seen. This included the lowest ever recorded attendance at a Football League game, a game against Luton Town in December 1930 which was viewed by 469 fans, 0.39% of the stadiums capacity. After finishing 20th in the Third Division South in 1930-31, Thames finished bottom the following season. Noting their lack of success both on the field and in attracting fans, the club folded, four years after having been founded. The club left no lasting legacy and in 1972 the stadium, which had continued hosting speedway and greyhound racing in the following years was demolished.
