The 2016 year started really well with a 2-0 victory over Liverpool. Despite Payet being on the bench, Antonio and Carroll both scored with headers as we did the double over the Scousers for the first time since I got caned at Primary school. Two months later and we played Tottenham for what was to be the last time against them at Upton Park. Just to make it a bit more special it was under the famous lights too. Another Antonio header proved pivotal and our dreams of a top four finish were becoming distinctly possible. This season, our first under Slaven Bilic, was turning out to be quite a revelation. We were doing all sorts of things never before imagined. Winning at Arsenal, City and Liverpool may have been in the 2015 calendar year, but those results were setting us up nicely for what was to be one of our best seasons in history.
After beating Spurs 1-0 we travelled to Everton, a team that has consistently won games against us against the run of play. The term bogie team has hung around their necks ever since I first started to go to West Ham. On the 13th December 1969 they won 1-0 at Upton Park in what, still to me this day, is the most one sided game of football I have seen us dominate, only to lose. Anyway, 2016 went some way to putting matters right as we went 2-0 down at Goodison and it should have been three as they squandered a penalty with 20 minutes to play. The fact that we played against ten men for 56 minutes should not hide the fact that I have often felt that with their luck (against us), they could turn up with their five a side team and still beat us. The last 12 minutes were heaven as we scored three times to nick the points in what was almost like a dream. Slav was ticking a lot of boxes here.
Four successive score draws followed and strong arguments could be made we should have won all of them. A 2-2 draw at Chelsea where a last minute wrongly awarded penalty to the home side denied us a deserved win. We were cruising at home to Palace until Kouyate got sent off and the game changed on its head. We again drew 2-2. The fact that the card was to be rescinded did nothing to change the fact another two points had dribbled down the proverbial gurgler. Despite trailing 2-0 at home to Arsenal in the next game, an eight minute Andy Carroll hat trick gave us a 3-2 lead only to see the Gunners grab an equaliser and force another stalemate. Next up was the eventual Champions, Leicester City at the King Power Stadium. The home side led 1-0 with ten minutes to go in a game where Vardy rightly got his marching orders trying to dive his way to another penalty. Two goals in the last ten minutes with a Carroll penalty and a Cresswell shot saw us look likely to break the run of draws. However, referee Johnathon Moss decided that due to the stick he was getting from the home crowd for rightly sending Vardy off and giving the away side a penalty, it was only right to even things up a bit by rewarding the home side with what was probably the softest penalty awarded against us all season. So, another 2-2 draw.
Three weeks later and we were playing our last ever game at our famous old ground. Moan United at home. You couldn’t write the script. Well, you could actually as our owners had asked the powers that write the football fixtures to ensure our farewell was to be against Swansea. Low profile was needed for such an event – huh? Anyway, the true football Gods devised a cunning plan that ensured a congested fixture list for the Moaners and the game we had in hand with them had to be rescheduled for after the Swansea match. If ever there was a game I wished I could attend, but couldn’t, this was it. What a night. The noise, the atmosphere, the beating up of their bus – it had everything! A blistering start by the Hammers, which should have trebled Sakho’s lone strike, was to be thwarted as the Moaning ones struck back twice. Was the party over? Again the football Gods were just toying with our emotions. Two goals from Antonio and Reid ensured the roof was raised for one last time. And how. The football Gods then decided that we have had enough fun thanks, and we lost 2-1 away to Stoke in a game where even the commentators said we should have won by seven! A finishing spot of 7th and despite what could of been, should have been, it had been a season to be proud of.
The second half of the year saw what was to probably be the biggest change for the club in its history. The move to the Olympic Stadium. Sorry, I still can’t call it the London Stadium and I am sure that name will change in due course anyway. By the time we played our 3rd game of the Premier League season our Euro dreams had again be snuffed out by Astra Giurgiu. Our summer transfer window had concentrated on bringing in quantity rather than quality as we prepared for a long season of Thursday and Sunday fixtures. So much for that then! Our first Premier League home game was against Bournemouth and another Antonio header secured a 1-0 win in a match devoid of any quality. This was followed by four successive defeats where we conceded 14 goals and the alarm bells were ringing. A win apiece against Sunderland and Palace, and a draw at home to Boro settled the ship somewhat before we reverted to type by losing at Everton. A few weeks later and a heartbreaking loss at Spurs where we conceded a 2-1 lead with minutes to play was to put in me in the sulks for nearly a week. My poor wife. Talking of whom. Over the Xmas period some grubby sod stole my credit cards. I have decided not to report the incident however. The thief spends less money than she does.
Since then draws at the Theatre of Moans and Liverpool and a 4-1 win at Swansea can’t hide the fact how rubbish we were at home to Arsenal, Burnley and Hull. However, points have come our way and at least any thoughts of relegation have been tempered. It has to be said that the second half of 2016 has been a far cry from the first half. The football has not flowed and the move to our new ground is not to everyone’s taste. However, at the end of 2015 if you offered me a final position in the PL of 7th, followed by 13th six months later, I would have snapped your hand off.
Perhaps we used a lot of our luck up in that 1-0 win against Hull, but we were due some after the way we lost at Spurs. I thought the way we played against Leicester on the weekend, our last game of the year, was quite encouraging. We deserved at least a point and probably more from the game. Hopefully the football Gods noticed?
Happy New Year to you all. Since writing this article the 2017 home game has been played against the Moaning ones. Obviously the football Gods are not in contact with Mike Dean!