West Ham United F.C.
Hall of Fame or Failure!!!
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West Ham United F.C.Hall of Fame or Failure!!! |
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My personal choice of West Ham players, people
and comments that can only be described as my own.
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Bobby Moore - Born
locally in Barking, Essex, 'Mooro' has to be first choice for me, not only for
West Ham but for English football itself where he was often first choice as
captain from the national youth team onwards. Not a naturally speedy player but
didn't need to be, so talented he could 'read' a situation with an uncanny skill
that approached clairvoyance. Moved on to Fulham where he extended his game
total to over 900. 1964 PFA Player of the Year & an OBE in 1967. Bobby died
of cancer in 1993 and thousands of tributes were placed outside the entrance to
Upton Park from all over the world. Always a 'captain' and defensively - the
'best'. |
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Geoff Hurst - Born
Lancashire 8th December 1941. Big bustling striker, the only man ever to score a
'hat-trick' in a World Cup Final. Along with Martin Peters & Bobby Moore, he
was one of West Ham's '66' trio that 'won the cup' for England. Scored 6 goals
in one match vs Sunderland in 1964, 4 goals twice and at least 6 hat-tricks. Now
Sir Geoffrey. |
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Brooking - Born in Barking, 2nd October 1948. Elegant mid-fielder,
one club player with immense on-the-ball skill and silky smooth balance. Another
England favourite whose national team partnership with Kevin Keegan was always a
source for anticipation. Scored hat-trick vs Newcastle in 1968. Knighted in 2004
- Sir Trevor Brooking. career WHU (1967 - 1984) 627 app, 102 goals. England 47 caps. |
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Martin Peters - Born locally in
Plaistow 8th November 1943. Midfield partner to Hurst and prolific goal poacher
for both club and country. Wily and hard to defend against when on song. Scored
hat-trick vs WBA in 1968. Tranferred to Spurs for a English record fee of £200,000
(Jimmy Greaves moved the opposite way at the same time). |
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Billy Bonds - 'Bonzo', born in
Woolwich 17th September 1946. Tireless, crusading defender and long-time
captain, who drove Hammers to many heights during his era with the club.
Hammer's manager for a short period. |
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Harry Redknapp - Much
loved winger, who's darting runs down the right wing could both thrill or
frustrate supporters according to the outcome. Became a successful Hammer's
manager in 90's. |
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Ronnie Boyce -
Born in East Ham, 16th January 1943. Midfield stalwart with the nickname
'Ticker' because of his tireless & non-stop effort on the field during the
60's and early 70's. |
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Ken Brown -
Reliable defender that was part of the early 60's cup-winning team, club
captain and joker that later becoming an intregal part of Hammers background
staff. |
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Phil Parkes -
Goalkeeper, born West Midlands 8th August 1950, a 'gentle giant' , reliable and
safe hands. Bought from QPR for a, then, world-record fee for a goalie - £565,000.
Voted West Ham's all-time best goalie by fans in 2001. |
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Ray Stewart - Born
Perthshire 7th September 1959. 'Tonka'. Scottish, stylish and hard-tackling
defender and West Ham's long-time penalty taker scoring 13 goals all from the
spot in the 1981/82 season. |
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Julian Dicks -
Born 8th August 1968, Hard, tough, uncompromising cult-hero left back that
Hammers fans adored but opponents feared. Bristol born 'Jules' ventured forward
often and scored many memorable goals. Bought from Birmingham for £300,000
he had a short spell with Liverpool (for £1.5 million) then returned to
Hammers (for £1 million). Career shortened by injury. |
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Frank Lampard (Sr)-
Native east-Londoner born in East Ham 20th September 1948, and a hard
tackling full back winning England youth caps. a virtual ever-present at the
back of the West Ham first team, he spent a season with Southend Utd at the end
of his career, returning later as Assistant Manager at the Hammers. |
| The Year
- 1991. The Place - Villa Park. The Opponents - Notts Forest. The Match - The FA Cup Semi-Final |
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The
Moment - When every Hammers fan started years of hating a referee - Keith Hackett - as he sent off defender Tony Gale for an absolutely fair tackle in the early stages of the match. Ruining both the game and any chance of West Ham fulfilling another dream. |
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Bryan 'Pop' Robson-
Diminutive but prolific striker transfered from Newcastle Utd for £120,000.
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Alvin Martin -
Born in Merseyside 29th July 1958, joined West Ham as a teenager from school and
was playing first class games for the club aged 36, one of the clubs best
centre-halves - ever. |
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Johnny Byrne - Forward, Born in Surrey,
13th May 1939. 'Budgie' was transfered from Crystal Palace for £65,000 in
March 1962 then a record fee for a deal between two English clubs. |
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Ludek Miklosko -
'Ludo', Big, well loved, Czechoslovakian International goalkeeper, later became
club's goalkeeping coach under Glenn Roeder. |
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Bobby Ferguson -
Scottish International goalkeeper |
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Clyde Best - Late
60's & 70's, big Bermudan striker that came through the youth team to first
team success. Managed the Trinidad & Tobago national team during 90s.
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Steve Potts- Pacy
all round defence utility player best at a central defender role, US born
'Pottsy' is as cockney as they come and represented England 11 times at youth
level, Joined Hammers in 1983 as an apprentice. |
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Tony Cottee -
'TC', Born in West Ham, 11th July 1965, a natural-born striker who has delighted
the fans of several clubs apart from his native team. PFA Young Player of the
Year in 1986. Moves include: to Everton for a club record fee of £2,000,000,
brought back for £2.200,000 in 1994. | |||
| The Year
- 2000. The Place - Upton Park. The Opponents - Wimbledon. The Match - Premiership |
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The
Moment - When every watching football fan saw brilliance in action, as Paulo Di Canio volleyed a cross from Trevor Sinclaire in mid-air to score the 'Goal Of The Season'. Several feet off the ground, Di Canio had adjusted his feet to meet the ball with deadly accuracy and it bulleted past the Wimbledon keeper. |
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Alan Devonshire-
Born Park Royal, London, 13th April 1956. Stylish and elegant midfielder in the
mould of Trevor Brooking but with his own attributes. Moved on to Watford |
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Paulo Di Canio -
Born in Italy, a naturally temperamental ball player that surprised and
delighted the Hammers fans, after joining the club under a cloud from Sheffield
Wednesday following a 'famous' brush with a referee then problems with the
Sheffield management was making his career look at an end. Fan's favourite and
often team captain. Winner of FIFA's 2001 'Fair Play' award for stopping play
when in a goal-scoring position with the opposing goalkeeper injured.
Joined Charlton Athletic. | |||
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Joe Cole- Speedy
and evasive midfielder recognised very early on as one of the best young
prospects in English football at the start of the 21st century. Joined
Chelsea. |
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