In my short time writing mainly nostalgia pieces for this site, we have looked back on some wonderfully sunny days in the Hammers history. It would not be the West Ham way if we did not remember one evening that was filled with gloom and despair. In fact it was two evenings really as we look back at the League Cup semi-finals against Stoke in the 1971-72 season.
It was an exhausting time for the players and fans as West Ham’s League Cup run started with a draw at home to Cardiff before winning the replay 2-1 in Wales. Next up was Don Revie’s mighty Leeds. Again a draw at home followed by a totally unexpected 1-0 win in the replay at Elland Road after extra time! Two games down and both had gone to replays with one going to extra time. Just to ensure things did not get easier our next game was to be against Liverpool at home. More than 40,000 packed Upton Park that night as Pop Robson scored a late winner in a 2-1 victory. So to the quarter final and Pop scored a hat trick in a 5-0 win against Sheffield United to ensure a two legged semi-final against Stoke City.
The first leg was at Stoke and we came home with a 2-1 win and the Hammers were just 90 minutes away from Wembley. The second leg at Upton Park saw Stoke take the lead in the 73rd minute after a Tommy Taylor and John McDowell mix up. In the final minutes there came a memory I have never forgotten. I was right behind the North Bank goal to witness Harry Redknapp brought down in the box and Geoff Hurst stepped up to take the penalty that would have sent us to Wembley. Well, history tells that Gordon Banks was to save Geoff’s spot kick and take us to extra time yet again but with no change to the 2-2 aggregate score. So a third game was necessary and was played at Hillsborough where the kick off was to be delayed by traffic congestion. Yet again it went to extra time but with no score it was to go to a fourth match to finally decide our fate. Ron Greenwood had lost the toss after the match for choice of venue and then found out that the team coach had been sabotaged. During the game someone had taken the petrol cap off and filled the tank with sand!
So on to the 26th January, nearly two months after the two teams first met, we trudged off to Old Trafford on the wettest and windiest night you could imagine. The stadium was under renovation at the time and Hammers fans that were there that night would remember there was no shelter for us against the elements. The match was packed with incident, starting with Stokes Terry Conroy kicking our keeper Bobby Ferguson “accidentally” in the head. Ferguson had to go off and Bobby Moore volunteered to go in goal. There was not the luxury of three subs back in those days and Ron Greenwood was hoping Ferguson would come good with a small spell off the pitch before considering our only substitute, Peter Eustace. Within minutes Stoke had a penalty and incredibly Bobby Moore saved Mike Bernard’s shot only for the rebound to be drilled back for the opening goal. Still playing with ten men and with Moore in goal, Billy Bonds fired us level and back in with a chance. A sublime Trevor Brooking volley put us 2-1 ahead, and dreaming again, before Dobing made it 2-2. Ferguson was to return in the second half but Stoke were to try and take every opportunity to exploit Ferguson’s now dodgy vision and Conroy struck the winner as we continually back pedalled to try and provide cover for him.
It was finally all over! That Cup run saw us play ten games with three going to extra time and the four matches against Stoke saw 420 minutes played in front of a total attendance exceeding 170,000. In days of muddy pitches and no penalty shoot outs, this tie will never be forgotten by fans who witnessed this incredible marathon that just about had it all – except for a Hammers Wembley dream of course.