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In football, the shirt means and does a lot more than just act as a part of the uniform. In fact, it carries a lot of responsibility, bearing the club’s history and legacy.

While it represents pride and identity, it is also real estate for sponsors to leave their mark and shape the club’s image. But let’s face it—not everyone’s a fan of having a corporate logo plastered across the shirt. It’s been so contentious at times that a single team’s shirt has been a magnet for argument and debate.




Love or hate the logos, shirt sponsorships are part of the reason why your favourite club can sign top players and stay competitive in the top leagues. And over West Ham United’s long, 130-year-plus history, the club’s shirt has reflected the team’s evolution, going from local brands to multinational betting companies.


The First Sponsors (1980s–1990s)

Despite the team coming into its own in the late 1890s and early 1900s, shirt sponsorships weren’t commonplace until the late 1970s. It was only then, when clubs were struggling financially and football became more commercialised, that this method was seen as a viable way to increase exposure and meet the growing costs of competition.

West Ham was one of the early adopters of shirt sponsorship during a time when commercial partnerships were still a new concept in football. AVCO Trust, a financial investment company, made the very first sponsorship appearance on the club’s shirts in 1983. AVCO was already a prominent company, which meant West Ham could take full advantage of the financial boost and increased visibility. That partnership set the precedent until BAC Windows took over in 1989.

Instead of the high-profile image of the financial investment brand, the club’s shirts were now plastered with the bright and bold home improvement logo. It wasn’t the most appealing, in either appearance or prestige, so it drew mixed reactions from fans. But soon enough, its reign ended too, and Dagenham Motors took over the club shirt. The car manufacturing plant uniquely represented a much more local connection, which brought a sense of neighbourhood pride.

Unlike how multinational brands are perceived today, early sponsors were seen as harmless—the most harm done being the visual clash with the club’s shirt design and colours. These logos weren’t seen as corporate intrusions but as extensions of community support. With shirt sponsorship still new to the game, fans were still adjusting to the idea of seeing commercial branding on kits.




The Big Brand Era (2000s)

But as football grew into a global spectacle, West Ham couldn’t simply rely on community-based income anymore—and neither could top teams in any major league. Clubs across England needed to attract foreign and national brands, and thanks to the Premier League, this was a real possibility. West Ham United began partnering with international companies spanning multiple sectors, signalling a change in the purpose and meaning of sponsorship. Most importantly,

West Ham’s first major sponsor was Dr. Martens, a British apparel and footwear brand best known for its distinct lace-up boots. It was a collaboration that boasted brand synergy, alluding to the club’s connection to the East London working-class culture. The partnership was so lucrative and well-known that the West Stand of the Boleyn Ground was renamed the Dr. Martens Stand.

Between 2007 and 2008, XL Holidays, a travel company, was the shirt sponsor. The partnership was meant to be a three-year deal, but things went awry when the volatile economy left employees uncertain and travellers abandoned. To prevent reputational fallout, West Ham terminated the agreement early. It was clear that the club was growing commercially and had new ambitions to reach new audiences, actively looking to diversify its sponsorship options. When they were successful, these partnerships brought much-needed revenue, helping the club compete in a league increasingly powered by global broadcasting deals.


The SBOBET Years (2008–2013)

When West Ham was out of a sponsor, SBOBET came to the rescue. SBOBET is an Asian online bookmaker with operations licensed by the Isle of Man, which allows it to operate as an international gambling company. As digital gambling and betting certainly weren’t as widespread and regulated as they are now, the SBOBET era showed that West Ham was ahead of the curve. And on the company’s side, the deal with a Premier League team meant it could reach a massive international television audience.

Because West Ham was dealing with such turbulent times, the revenue from the SBOBET sponsorship was a lifesaver. It provided much-needed stability and helped offset financial struggles, yet not everything that came with the partnership was positive. People began to debate the ethics of betting logos on kits, and that debate extended into the present day—as we’ll see later on.

This era of international brands marked a turning point for West Ham’s commercial identity. The SBOBET shirts were eventually associated with their relegation in 2011, the end of the Gianfranco Zola era and Sam Allardyce’s rebuild that helped the team return to top-flight football.


Betting Sponsorships Take Over (2013–Present)

By the mid-2010s, the football shirt and the betting industry walked hand in hand. SBOBET was simply an early adopter, but as the years went on, the Premier League and many other worldwide football leagues were well acquainted with the prominence of gambling brands. English football had immense global reach, so it was only a matter of time before these brands realized the level of exposure they could achieve.

West Ham never shied away from these opportunities, embracing this new frontier with no hesitation. After SBOBET, the club dipped back into financial investment company Alpari for two years, before going back to the betting sector and partnering with online betting giant Betway in 2015. Betway has been a staple in the UK gaming scene, alongside other leading operators such as Bet365 and 888. If these names are new to you, this review of 888 Casino on CasinoHawks will provide context.

For over 10 years now, the club has enjoyed unparalleled financial security, thanks in part to the sheer popularity of online gambling and betting. Betting companies often pay premium rates for shirt space, which allows the club to invest more in wages, infrastructure and transfers. But with the saturation of betting logos on club shirts came serious discussions: Was putting gambling companies front and centre ethical? Did it normalize the activity? And was this bad news for younger fans?

With the public and governmental pressure to reduce the amount of gambling advertising came the eventual ban on front-of-shirt gambling sponsors in the Premier League. That ban is ready to come into effect right before the 2026–2027 season. Since the ban was announced, Premier League clubs seem to be making the most of their remaining opportunities, maximising revenue from betting sponsors.


What’s Next for the Shirt

Figures show that sponsorship deals involving gambling companies in the 2024–2025 season alone tallied up to £101.1 million, which means teams will have to look elsewhere to replace that substantial revenue. So where will these clubs look next? And will there be a new industry that will dominate the front of the shirt just as gambling brands have? We’re entering a new reality in which technology firms and consumer brands outside the gambling space will likely fight to secure those prime sponsorship spots.

Meanwhile, West Ham faces the ongoing task of balancing the search for a lucrative sponsorship with preserving the tradition associated with the shirt. A look back at the club’s sponsorship timeline shows that it has already gone through many transformations. Each era has reflected both the financial realities and the changing culture of football, and that should give fans real confidence that West Ham knows exactly how to proceed.

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