Following West Ham United’s awful start to the recentPremier League 2010/11 season, I thought it best to look back at the formerglory days of the London club who are so famous for their football traditions,and where it has all gone wrong, and where the future could lie for the Londonoutfit, good or bad.
The club’s glory days all started with the appointment ofRon Greenwood as manager in the early 1960s with the likes of Bobby Moore,Martin Peters and Geoff Hurst in the playing squads, of course as we all know,those three players were part of England’s only success in the most famous andprestigious competition within the game itself. Greenwood’s competitionsuccesses included the FA Cup in ’64 and the European Cup Winners Cup thefollowing year, in ’65. This is somewhat looked upon as the clubs biggestachievements to date, having not really recuperated since that date. This isillustrated in the fact that, the club will now appear in their firstSemi-Final of the League Cup, what used to be the Worthington Cup, for 21years. The only other Cup Final appearance of recent times, is the 2005 FA Cup,the last played at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, of which they narrowly lostto Liverpool, after being dubbed the most “entertaining” final for years.
From recent years, back to the late 70s, where there weretears of disappointment, but cheers of jubilation simultaneously. John Lyall waspromoted to manager after Greenwood moved to a more supervisory role as GeneralManager in ‘75. Lyall then guided the team to a European Cup Winners Cup finalin 1976, however lost to Belgium side Anderlecht 4-2.Lyall’s success continued in 1980, after theteam we’re relegated to the old Division Two, they triumphed to a FA Cup successover London rivals Arsenal, and to this day they remain the only team outsideof the top division to win the prestigious cup competition.
Results and final positions were a bit indifferent followingthese successes, with the team promoted to Division 1 in 1981, and finishing inthe top 10 for three consecutive seasons, for them to then finish in theirhighest ever position in league standings within their 115 year history as afootball club. Lyall was consequently sacked after West Ham’s second relegationunder the tenure of John Lyall, and a string of managers proceeded, in thelikes of Lou Macari and former player, Billy Bonds and Harry Redknapp.
Harry Redknapp had an instant impact, as they we’re guidedto fifth in the Premier League, missing out on European qualification, andinstead having to go down the route of the Intertoto Cup, of which they won.Redknapp’s reign shone, after the club had many academy players climb from theranks of the youth team and reserves to become household names on the world’sbiggest stage, this included the likes of Frank Lampard, Joe Cole, MichaelCarrick and Jermaine Defoe. However, following a dispute about contracts andwages, Redknapp fell out with then chairman, Terrance Brown, which led to hissacking. Perhaps, in my view, one of the clubs biggest mistakes of recenttimes, well, along with allowing Icelandic investors a takeover of the club in2006.
League standings then became anissue for the rich traditions of the London club, after they were relegated inthe 02/03 season, in which Glen Roder, then manager was sacked only three gamesinto the Championship season, the newly named 1st Division. It tookthem two play-off finals and one success in those finals to again, gainpromotion to the Premier League following Alan Pardew’s appointment.
Controversy surrounded the clubin 2006 after they managed to pull off what some might say a coup, as they hadcaptured Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano from third party company MSI. Thefollowing season, the club were dragged into a transfer saga, after the clubwere investigated by The FA and the Premier League, about transfer details ofthe two Argentinean superstars. They were spared a points deduction, but werefined a Premier League record of £5.5million, much to the annoyance ofSheffield United who were ultimately relegated due to the suspension of apoints deduction.
Two managers later, in AlanCurbishley, and Gianfranco Zola, both from rivals of the club, Charlton andChelsea respectively, came current manager Avram Grant. Under new owners, therewas much expectation from a man who has guided his two previous teams to cupfinals, though may I add, never winning a completion. When in charge ofChelsea, he managed to secure the clubs first Champions League Finalappearance, yet lost out to bitter league rivals, Manchester United. His tenureas Portsmouth manager was also judged to be almost as successful, who despitethe entire club’s on and off field problems, including administration andrelegation, still managed to guide a talented team to an FA Cup Final againsthis old employers, Chelsea.
So the question remains to beanswered, will Avram Grant become known as a Cup Final magic man, and guide theteam to a League Cup Final appearance, after they secured a place with a 4-0win against league contenders Manchester United or will they endure a toughtough season, and be relegated to the N-Power Championship, only time and moneywill tell.