beginning a history of the team appointing from within. Thames Ironworks lost their first fixture in the Southern League Division One 1–0 away at Reading on 16 September 1899, but managed their biggest league win of the season only two days later with 4–0 home win against Chatham Town. Thames Ironworks recorded their biggest win of the season, in the fourth qualifying round of the FA Cup on 28 October, trouncing Dartford away 7–0. However, The Irons good form soon ended on 4 November when in a league game they lost 7–0 at White Hart Lane to Tottenham Hotspur. Thames Ironworks managed to steady the ship with a 0–0 home draw against New Brompton on 11 November. Only a week later, the teams met again in the next qualifying round of the FA Cup, and after another 0–0 draw, a replay went Thames Ironworks' way 2–0. The win set up a tie against arch rivals Millwall. The clearly ailing Tom Bradshaw, whose health had steadily been deteriorating for some time, was rested for the next two games, in preparation for the tie against Millwall. The Irons' 9 December FA Cup game at home to Millwall attracted their biggest attendance of the season with 13,000 Londoners making the tie. Tom Bradshaw, got the only goal in a 1–2 defeat that would be his last game for the club. On 25 December, after lengthy illness, Bradshaw died. His cause of death was recorded as consumption. The disillusioned Thames Ironworks team would record seven successive defeats but a further five wins and four draws would be enough for them to avoid bottom place. "The Irons" won the last three games of the season, including a 4–1 victory over Southern League Division One Champions and FA Cup Finalists Southampton, with Bill Joyce's second hat-trick of the season making the difference. The last game of the season arrived on 28 April when The Irons beat Millwall away 1–0. Thames Ironworks finished 14 out of 15 in the Southern League Division One and would be required to play a Test Match to preserve their divisional status. Only two days later at a game held at Tottenham Hotspur's White Hart Lane Ground, The Irons faced a Fulham team featuring former centre-forward David Lloyd. Thames Ironworks won 5–1, with Bill Joyce claiming his third hat-trick of the season at his former stomping ground. Thames Ironworks had survived their