This is the second part of a three part series looking into the names, faces and background of West ham chairman in our 114 year history. The first part covering 1900-1935 can be found HERE
This second installment will cover the ‘Cearns family era’ between 1935 and 1992 with the final installment covering the modern day era of Terry Brown in 1992 up until Mr Sullivan and Mr Gold in 2010.
William James Cearns 1935 – 1950
Will Cearns was born in 1882 in West Ham, Essex. The oldest boy of James William Youngs Cearns who was one of the original ten founders of the club that signed the article of association on the 5th July 1900. His father JWY Cearns occupied the West Ham chairman seat for one short week in 1901 and worked as a stock taker at the Thames ironworks in Canning town. His brother Frank Cearns was also at the club after world war two working as the club secretary between 1946 and 1956.
Will set up his own construction company called W.J Cearns Ltd based at 278, Carpenters Road, Stratford very close to the Olympic Stadium. The works have recently been redeveloped but still retain the family name called the ‘Cearns units’. His company was formed in 1913 initially making iron buildings of every kind from churches to cottages. It became a major building contractor and steel fabricator. As well as building the first underground car park in the country was also responsible for the building of the original Boleyn ground.
The company was involved in the construction of many of other early football, greyhound and speedway stands & stadiums including Enfield, Ilford, Dagenham Town, Arsenal (Highbury) ,Chelsea (Stamford Bridge), the Hive Stadium in Ongar Road, Brentwood and Leicester City. He also built and owned Wimbledon Greyhound Stadium close to another of his works yards.
Billy or Will as he was also known was also a director of International Speedway Limited and is credited as one of the founding father of Speedway in the UK. He was managing the Speedway track in High Beach, Essex on behalf of ISL in 1931. He remained a promoter of Speedway until 1935 when he took over as West ham chairman.
He lived in a mansion called St Mary’s Croft in St Mary’s Avenue, Wanstead and his company built a swimming pool for the local school.
He died on the 19th February 1950 while still living in Wanstead. He was known as the ‘Cockney Millionaire’ by the press yet his estate in 1950 was worth just over £60,000 in his will.
Clarence Reginald H Pratt 1950 – 1979
Clarence known as Reg was born in West ham in September 1905 and was brought up in Upton Park just the other side of the railway line to Queens Road, he was the owner of a wood-yard in Wanstead and a good friend and business associate of the Cearns family before he joined the West Ham United board in 1941 succeeding his father Frank Reginald Pratt who served as a West Ham director 1924-1941. He became the Chairman in 1950 on the death of Will Cearns.
He oversaw the set-up of the youth teams and training methods which led to The Academy of Football and the establishment of training facilities at Chadwell Heath, It is claimed that after witnessing the players training over at Wanstead flats while driving past he instigated the start of better training facilities.
In May 1959 negotiated the purchase of the freehold of the Boleyn Ground from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Westminster for £30,000.
It was his recommendation that Ted Fenton joined the coaching staff with the retirement of Charlie Paynter looming. He also appointed Ron Greenwood. In an interview in 1980 also said the signing of Phil Parkes was one of his proudest achievements as the board was split so his vote was the deciding. Remember at the time it was a World record fee for a keeper. Reg retired as chairman in 1979 handing over to Len Cearns, he became Club president. He died in Essex in 1984 aged 79 ending the Pratt’s family reign as directors of the club that had lasted over 60 years.
Leonard Crittendon Cearns 1979 – 1990
Len Cearns was born in 1914 in the district of Romford, He was a rugby player, who played for Leytonstone and Wanstead rugby club. His grandfather WJY Cearns and father had both being directors of West ham United so it was no surprise that he himself joined the board in 1948 and chairman in 1979 when Reg Pratt was made Club president. He was brought up in Ilford living in The Drive. Len’s brothers William and Brian also served time as directors on the board.
His contracting company responsible for designing and building the East stand in 1969 which is the remaining legacy of the Cearns construction.He stood down in 1990 with his son Martin continuing the legacy. He died three years later in 1993 aged 79. The strange middle name was in fact his mother’s Maiden name.
Martin William Cearns 1990 – 1992
Martin was born in 1945 and attended Felsted School in Felstead, Essex. He was a bank manager with Barclays Bank and also worked for the University of East London after leaving the banking industry. Martin became a board member with West Ham in 1978 taking over the chairmanship in 1990 from his father Len. He was an advocate of the Hammers Bond scheme. He held the chairmanship position until 1992 when it was taken over by Terry Brown. Although he was no longer chairman, Cearns remained on the board until 1st December 2006 when he resigned from the club after it was sold to the Icelandic’s for £85m. As part of the takeover the Cearns family received £7.76m from the sale of their 1,844,000 shares in West Ham. In 2006 the then Vice chairman was presented with a Football League award in recognition of his long service to the Club. Martin completed 29 years of service, including 17 years as Chairman or Vice-Chairman. The Rt Hon the Lord Brian Mawhinney KT, presented the long-service medal on behalf of the Football League before West Ham’s game against Chelsea on January 2nd 2006. Now age 69 he lives in Loughton, Essex and is a director of Woodford Rugby Ground Limited for whom he once played rugby for. He remains an avid fan of West Ham retaining two season tickets in the West Stand Upper which he pays for and regular watches every home game.
Thanks to Nigel Kahn of www.mywhufc.net and Steve Marsh of theyflysohigh.co.uk for providing research for this article.
I would also like to thank former West Ham Chairman Martin Cearns who gave up his time to speak to me about this article and helped me correct some inaccuracies and fill in a couple of blanks. Martin has recently published a book called ‘The Love of a Brother; From Plaistow to Passchendaele’ about his ancestors experience in the first world war. The book can be purchased from HERE All net sale proceeds from the book go to Help for Heroes.
Video of Chairman Reg Pratt on the terraces of the Boleyn Ground in 1960
JWY Cearns Signature
Will Cearns Signature