Thames Ironworks, and West Ham United would continue to use their previous favoured colours of white, sky blue or navy for their away kit.

[1] To bolster the squad for their first season in Southern League Division One, Arnold Hills supplied a transfer fund of £1,000[nb 1] to club secretary Francis Payne, who chose to build the team by buying players already familiar with each other.

Payne also raided Tottenham for three forward players, bringing in inside-right Kenny McKay, centre-forward Bill Joyce, who was described as having a "few fancy thrills" and left-winger Tom Bradshaw, who was appointed captain of the team.

Players to leave in the club in the summer included the man Bradshaw had replaced in the team, Patrick Leonard, who returned to Manchester City.

[3] The Irons kept up their form for the FA Cup beating the amateur side, Royal Engineers at home 6–0 on 23 September, with a hat-trick from Bill Joyce, and a goal each from McKay, Roddy McEachrane and Jimmy Reid.

[4] A week later, Thames Ironworks featured in the next qualifying round of the FA Cup, this time beating Grays United 4–0 away, with goals from Joyce, McKay, Carnelly and centre-half Peter McManus.

[5] During the third league match of season on 7 October, Tom Bradshaw sustained an injury in The Irons 1–0 home win over Bedminster that would begin a series of events that would see the condition of his health spiral downwards.

Thames Ironworks would see their good form continue in the third qualifying round of the FA Cup on 14 October, finally claiming the scalp of Sheppey United with a 4–2 home win that included two goals from Carnelly and two from Joyce.

On 23 November Thames Ironworks managed to break New Brompton's resolve, winning 2–0 with goals from Carnelly and McKay, setting up a next round tie against arch rivals Millwall Athletic.

The Irons' 9 December FA Cup game at home to Millwall attracted their biggest attendance of the season with 13,000 spectators making the fifth qualifying round tie.

His passing was remembered by future West Ham manager Syd King, in his brief history of the club: The disillusioned Thames Ironworks team would record seven successive defeats until 15 January 1900, when they drew away at Bristol Rovers 1–1, with Kenny McKay getting the all important goal.

A further four wins and three draws were just enough for Thames ironworks to avoid bottom place, and much of the credit for that should go to their forwards McKay, Carnelly and Joyce, who between them scored 90% of The Irons' goals.

Only two days later at a game held at Tottenham's White Hart Lane Ground, The Irons faced a Fulham team featuring former centre-forward David Lloyd.

Tom Bradshaw's close friends Bill Joyce and Kenny McKay left for Portsmouth and Fulham respectively, while Albert Carnelly joined arch-rivals Millwall.