At 13.30 today on ITV4+1 (Sky 180) they are showing West Ham v Newcastle from 1979. It’s already running on ITV4 (Sky 120). Brian Moore commentating on the Big Match…
Tune in!
Hattip Tevezgate for the tip off
At 13.30 today on ITV4+1 (Sky 180) they are showing West Ham v Newcastle from 1979. It’s already running on ITV4 (Sky 120). Brian Moore commentating on the Big Match…
Tune in!
Hattip Tevezgate for the tip off
Iain, just tried ITV4 on Virgin and the game is not on there!!!
IT4+1
Just watched it on ITV player on the computer – brilliant stuff – if only we could find another Devonshire!!
That’s fanastic, you sometimes forget just what great players they were. Pop Robson deadly in front of goal, a young Alvin Martin dominant in defence, the midfield legends that were Trevor Brooking & Alan Devonshire and the skill, leadership & power play of Billy Bonds!
Their goal difference in March was plus 31, yet they were only fifth in the league! I remember that first season after the 1977/78 relegation, it was very disaapointing that they failed to get up, somehow or other???? And they fell just short in the league the following season as well, although the FA Cup Final victory sweetened the pill.
Altogether a better and more honest age. I am sure that is a rose tinted view on my part, but …..
The quality of football in the old second division! It underlines, if it is even necessary, that West Ham played sexy football before a certain GF Zola was ever heard of! He is just getting us back to our roots, our traditions as a football club. And all strength to him I say!
We were +31 goals SJ but in fifth place because we had four games in hand over the leaders! Just goes to show that in March it’s better to have points in the bag every time…
That was really fun to watch, and worth pointing out that it is available on the ITV player for 28 days.
That was the team I used to to watch as a teenager. It really was a golden era. I don’t think it is a rose tinted view at all SJ.
Iain – perhaps we can feed the youngsters on here some more footage of the late 70′s mid 80′s players they might alter some of their “best” ever ratings?
Tevezgate=TIG?
Back to the future now… It seems that our Junior has been putting Chelsea to the sword. Sure it will be on our site soon but you can read it here http://www.chelseafc.com/page/LatestNews/0,,10268~1604934,00.html
That was a fantastic team, everyone talks about the 2002/03, but how did we get relegated in 1977/78 with Bonds, Brooking, Devonshire, Robson and Cross in the side? They were not just young kids like Cole, Carrick and Defoe were at the time, they were mature professionals. Same old story I suppose, a lack of ambition and criminal failure to strengthen after the 1976/77 version of the ‘great escape.’
When I said ‘rose tinted’ view, I was not referring to West Ham specifically, but pre-Hillsborough/pre-PL football in general. Players of the ability of Bonds, Brooking and Devonshire stayed with us through a relegation and two failed promotion campaigns! Contrast that with Defoe and Joey Cole’s responses after 2002/03! Phil Parkes even dropped down a divison to join us! How mad does that seem today?
The players then were wealthy, but they were far more real to us. In the early 1980s I used to see the West London based contingent of Parkes, Devonshire and Goddard on the District Line, travelling to training/Upton Park! Armour plated limos are more the order of the day now!
Then players were more honest and kept on their feet and played the game. Today, cheating and play acting are incorporated in to team’s tactics. How many consciously play for free kicks in and around the box as a tactic, particularly top teams like Man U and Chelski!
Then, a club could put a side together and have half a chance of winning the league. Now the top 4/5 of the PL is like a closed, monopolistic members club. Then, every team had its stars, now the top 4/5 use other PL teams as nurseries, strengthen themselves and at the same time ensure their continued hegemony.
I know we had crap stadium, at least in terms of facilities, football hooliganism, few overseas superstars, etc. Its just that watching that match reminded of how fresh and exciting football used to be. Rose tinted or an actual view of football now and then? I will let you decide!
He just loves playing Chelsea doesn’t he Kim? Didn’t he have a great game for Southend against them at Stamford Bridge after bagging a brace in the previous round?
No. Football belonged to the people then, SJ and not the Corporates.
For the 1979 season, I think it cost about a £1 to get in. Factor in inflation and I think you’ll find it was a good deal cheaper to follow the club in those days.
The players were also closer to the supporters as their wages, although very good, were not the ridiculous sums that are earned now.
I’m pleased to have been old enough to remember the some of the best years of the club.
I suppose the 50+ fellas are the luckiest as they will also remember the 60′s side and the World Cup final!
Apologies to younger contributors (and the young at heart) for playing the grumpy old man on this! To balance it a bit, the football was great, but the politics have that era was an absolute nightmare! (Sorry Iain!). lol.
Kim – just read that link.
Nothing on our website, did Dyer get through 90 minutes OK?
DevoDevo – I hope Dyer was ok. It was such scrappy reporting that it didn’t even tell us who scored the other two goals. Really strange that it isn’t on our site – especially as we won!!
Devo, yes… clocky?
I just watched the game. Absolutely loved every second of it. “WE ALL AGREE – WEST HAM UNITED ARE MAGIC!” Well – at least the football was good even if the chants were a bit naff.
On reflection I’m reminded of why Alan Devonshire is still my all time favorite player. Silky skills, good turn of pace, a deft touch, fantastic vision and an amazing passer of the ball. What a tradgedy he got the medial ligament damage just as he’d broken in to the England team. I reckon he’d have been viewed as a National treasure, and not just a West Ham one, if that hadn’t have happened.
Ah the Big Match…….
It was a West Ham game v Manchester United one cloudy Sunday afternoon, 90 minutes later i was a West Ham United Fan for life (i think i supported Southampton at the time, like most kids i was a big Keegan fan).
They say you don’t choose West Ham it chooses you, well that afternoon i was chosen. Needless to say it was a great game, West Ham battled hard all game having gone down a goal early on. They got a deserved equaliser then i’ll never forget the moment they scored, Brian Moores EXACT words have stuck in my head since ‘And look at the joy on the terraces..’ as the camera panned to a jubilant bouncing packed Chicken Run. I fell in love with West Ham that afternoon and have been ever since.
COYI………
Tevezgate……..Gubbed
Shame Hammers (like me) fans abroad miss out again!
5-0 i’d have any of these players today.
Stanislas scores hatrick in reserve match v Chelski !!!! 4 – 2 to the cockney boys !!
Chelski team full of first teamers and dyer got a good run out.
Time for a first team start I think with svio and cole up front.
COYI !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Savio and cole up front Sorry ?
Excellent game, good result. Shame about Brookings injury, hope he isn’t out for too long.
Player ratings: They all get a 10 from me.
1979.
Better players technically then, they could pass a ball at least.
Shirts tucked in for whole 90 minutes.
Shocking pitch, yet silky football.
Majority of crowd were kids (myself included). That was the third game that season where we scored 5,(first game of season against Notts County was a 5-2 win and also my very first live game by the way).
Cross (18)and Robson (26) scored 44 goals that season.
Devonshire, for the only time in his career was Hammer of the year, Robson was runner up (his last season at Upton Park).
Claret&bluepoo
I remember that game well. 1986 v Man U. I was stood on the chicken run as a 16 year old. Bryan Robson (the crappy injured one as opposed to the legend Pop) put them ahead in the first half. Wardy equalised with a superb angled shot from outside the box and TC poached the winner after a mix up in their defence…leading, as you say, to Brian Moore’s “look at the joy!” comment as the camera panned to the North Bank going nuts! Have still got that on video and have watched it many times. An absolutely superb match spoilt only by Pleat’s co-commentary and the fact that none of the ITV lot gave us any credit. It was all about how Man U lost it…sound familiar?! Nothing changes.
But, oh what a team!
Carlton Cole is injured. Iain i believe that deserves a new thread, as he is the most crucial part to our game currently.
This is why I didn’t want any of our players near that flippin Team!!!!!
We might as well build a flippin hospital on green st!
Bloody friendy, pointless just like international football!!!!
YES DEVO ITS A NEGATIVE!!!!!!!
well Carlton hadn’t completely ruined out playing on wednesday (though he isnt confident at all), but i suppose Saturday is a few more days away then wednesday, so we’ll just have to wait and see.
Sorry if my above post seemed a bit demanding, i was just curious to see what people would do if Carlton was out against Sunderland (and if he is out for that game, let us hope that’s the only one !).
I wouldn’t do it but I have a horrible feeling that Zola will start with Di Michele and Tristan again if Carlton is not fit.
I’d go with DDM (no alternative, unfortunately) with Dyer playing off him if he is fit and Tristan sweeping the car park.
chris if cole had scored or just played well we would have been praising the fact that in a friendly he boosted confidence. i hate it when people say friendlies are needless at international level, because how can you expect them to perform together if they dont have matches.
also related to that how is it players are so frequently injured!? there is rarely an injury in the football i play, ever. sure its less intense, but we are much less fit! i think they try and protect themselves to much nowadays.
stanislas, quality showing through with a hatrick aginst chelski, he is sure to be a top, top player. could get a proper chance this term i think. good shout roymondo, if there was an alternative DDM would be sweeping the car park with tristan, but unfortunately there isnt.
crucial game v sunderland, must win in my opinion.
Rob sorry mate international football is complete tosh!!! most dont really care,no one bothers to give 100% so seeing how people gel,you cant!!
Your other comment about Stanislas,agreed boys class.
Not to worry maybe, just maybe the youngster’s will get a chance.
Green
Neil
Tomkins/ collins
Upson
Illunga
Dyer(IF Fit ) or Noble
Kovac or noble
Parker
Stanislas
savio
DDM
Should cause a few problems for the macums IMHO
Must agree with you Rob this is a must win game and fingers crossed the yids loose before we play em.
That line-up is basically exactly the same as mine im quite sure, although i just don’t see Zola playing Stanislas and Savio at the same time. i believe they will be subtituted for each other. I hope i’m wrong though.
Simon from Gravesend
Any chance you could make a copy of that game available or just the moment TC grabbed the winner?
It would be sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo appreciated, its such a special memory.
well i hust watched westham on itv player, and it was a credit to see such a great match. this was when westham were being run as a football club first, and not as a busisness. great to see brooking and devonshire. somthing we dont have at the moment.