West Ham: 30 Memoriable Matches

Author: Philip Stevens

West Ham: 30 Memoriable Matches

The 30 matches described here recreate the special moments of a club with some of the most devoted and proud supporters in football. The matches included reflect the triumphs and disasters in the long history of West Ham United FC. Some recall thumping victories, where individual players rose gloriously to the occasion, and others remind us of the brittle fragility of West Ham’s commitment to attacking football. Football matches are memorable for goals, goalmouth incidents and end-to-end free-flowing football, or are simply special occasions, like the White Horse Cup Final of 1923. The primary aim of this book is to bring to life key matches in the history of one of Britain’s most cherished football clubs. Players such as Moore, Hurst and Peters, the Liverpool Cup Final of 2006 – said to be the greatest of the modern era – Ron Greenwood’s football academy and the white-hot atmosphere of European nights at Upton Park are all treasured memories of the West Ham faithful. The strong family tradition, a reputation for surging attacking football and hair-tingling moments when the excitement at Upton Park mounts to an almost unbearable level, are all part of being a Hammers supporter, as are the high and lows of promotion and relegation. Every season has produced memorable moments. The stories surrounding these games have been compiled through research from old newspapers, from talking to former players and older supporters, and by delving into some of the many books written about the club and its history. The author has his own recollections of supporting the Hammers, which go back to the early 1960s, but the club dates from the late 19th century, and the book begins with a couple of matches involving the original Irons pioneers. We hope all West Ham fans and football lovers in general will enjoy reading of the elation, despair, celebration.