Guest Post by Philip Stevens
As Slaven Bilic settles into his new job he might take a few minutes to reflect. While sorting out his desk in the manager’s office at Chadwell Heath he should fine time in his hectic schedule to spare a thought for those two great architects of the West Ham way, Ron Greenwood and John Lyall.
As an ex-Hammer Bilic will certainly be aware for the club’s famous past and the achievements of the Hammers’ most successful managers. Of course, the new manager will not be blessed like Greenwood with the glorious talents of Moore, Hurst and Peters, or like Lyall with Bonds, Brooking and Devonshire. But if Bilic is to be successful he needs to find some magic from somewhere.
If he can find that magic he might yet ignite the fire under a club which has lay smouldering since that great day in May 1980 when Billy Bonds lifted the FA Cup – the Hammers’ last trophy and yes, its 35 years ago. As Bilic plans his European campaign and the new Premier League season, the last at the old Boleyn ground, the fans will be expectant and desperate for success.
At the home game against Newcastle last season, I signed copies of my new book on the life of John Lyall * at that lovely old bookshop just around the corner from the Boleyn in the Barking Road. The mood that day was upbeat, a good win and a promising start to the season. Strolling along Green Street that afternoon took me back over 40 years to the days when Bobby Moore led the Hammers to glory. It is Bilic’s job to recapture the mood of those days – a few early wins will help. All Hammers’ fans will wish him well.
John Lyall was of a different time. As the Hammers’ manager he ran every aspect of the club. He knew every person on the turnstiles and how much money they took, all the backroom staff, and was even on first name terms with the Boleyn postman. He bought and sold players, set their wages, and got them out of trouble when they strayed beyond the law. Lyall was in charge and everybody knew it. Today, with players’ agents, interfering owners and constant press attention, Bilic will have nothing like the power at Upton Park that John Lyall enjoyed. It is almost certain that the new manager will have his own agent – I wonder what his predecessor would have thought of that?
Following Greenwood, John Lyall was a member of the London Association of Football Coaches (LAFC), a group which included, Bill Nicholson, Bertie Mee, and the ex-Hammers, Jimmy Andrews and John Cartwright. Lyall regularly took guest sessions for aspiring coaches, as did Cartwright and that Boleyn legend, Patsy Holland. Both Cartwright and Holland were disciples of Lyall and heavily influenced by his methods. All these great coaches had one thing in common. They were in love with football.
I recently spoke at length with Ken Goldman, Secretary of the LAFC, and someone who sat in on Lyall’s memorable post-match sessions in the manager’s office at Upton Park. At these informal gatherings, which included great football journalists like Bernard Joy, Victor Railton, aspiring young coaches, and several invited guests, Lyall and his staff demonstrated their great love and passion for the game. Ken Goldman believes that today’s coaches and players no longer show the dedication and desire for the game in the way that Greenwood and Lyall did in their time. Both are no longer with us, but the history they should not be squandered.
I don’t know Sam Allardyce, but he never appeared to show the love and passion for the game like his predecessors at Upton Park. Slaven Bilic seem different. He was a passionate player and shows an affection for the West Ham and football in general which Big Sam lacked. All Hammers fans will wish Bilic well and fervently hope that he has the coaching talents of Ron Greenwood and John Lyall to go with his undoubted love for the game. It is high time we had our club back.
John Lyall: A life in Football by Philip Stevens is published by Apex Publishing