West Ham 8-1 Newcastle, 21st April 1986
April 1986 surely goes down as one of the most relentlessly exciting months in West Ham United’s history. Beginning with a 2-1 defeat at Nottingham Forest, the Hammers reinvigorated their title charge by winning eight of their next nine matches. The most outstanding and amazing game in this unforgettable run has to be the incredible 8-1 victory over Newcastle United.
It was Monday the 21st of April 1986 – 34 years ago exactly. George Michael was number one with ‘A Different Corner’, Jossy’s Giants made its TV debut two days later and Fright Night topped the UK box office. Newcastle’s very own ‘Fright Night’ began to unfold after just three minutes when Alan Devonshire’s floated free-kick from the left was prodded home by an unmarked Alvin Martin for his first on what would turn out to be a remarkable personal night for ‘Stretch’. It was 2-0 after 11 minutes as Mark Ward found Ray Stewart overlapping on the right wing – Tonka’s cross-cum-shot was fumbled over his goalline by the Newcastle goalkeeper Martin Thomas, who had been suffering from injury before the game. On 36 minutes Devonshire played a short pass to Neil Orr who hit a rasping 30-yarder which deceived Thomas in mid-air and found the net for the Hammers’ third. Shortly before half-time, Stewart’s long throw sparked a spot of head tennis in the Newcastle penalty area, which culminated in future West Ham manager Glenn Roeder flicking the ball off his heel and into his own net to give the Irons an ultimately unassailable 4-0 half-time lead.
Thomas’ race was run and he was substituted at half-time with outfield player Chris Hedworth taking the goalkeeper’s jersey in his stead. Hedworth himself was soon injured in a collision with Tony Cottee but stayed between the sticks to see Martin (pictured above) notch his second of the game, and the Hammers’ fifth, after Tony Gale had flicked a cross into the path of his central defensive partner’s run. Hedworth succumbed to injury, with Newcastle consequently being reduced to ten men and Peter Beardsley becoming their third custodian of the evening. Hedworth never played for Newcastle again. Billy Whitehurst fired a consolation for the Magpies but the Hammers were soon back on the attack and grabbing a sixth. Devonshire and George Parris combined down the left, with Devonshire’s dinked cross to the far post being nodded in by the onrushing substitute Paul Goddard (who would go on to sign for Newcastle six months later). Goddard then released Cottee down the left and his cross was headed in by Frank McAvennie to make it seven. McAvennie would top the Hammers scoring charts with 28 goals from 51 matches in 1985/86.
There was still time for an eighth. Ward’s cross found Cottee in the area, the PFA Young Player of the Year-in-waiting being bundled to the ground by Roeder. With the majority of a buoyant Boleyn crowd of 24,735 chanting ‘Alvin, Alvin’, penalty king Stewart passed on responsibilities to his captain and the man of the moment… who didn’t disappoint, Martin completing a very unique hat-trick not just because it came from a defender, but because each strike was registered against a different goalkeeper. Cottee, who must have been desperate to add his own name to the scoresheet, hit the bar with a header late on, with the Hammers having to settle for just the eight goals. Cottee would be voted Hammer of the Year, with strike partner McAvennie runner-up. The action from this match can be viewed in my video below.
West Ham won their next four matches, keeping their title hopes alive until Liverpool clinched the championship with a win at Chelsea. In the final-game decider for the runners-up position, Everton beat the Hammers 3-1 at Goodison Park to leave the Irons in third place, still our highest ever League position. Unfortunately there was no prize of a European place in 1986/87 following the Heysel ban on English clubs in Europe. Liverpool would complete the Double by winning the FA Cup.
West Ham United: Phil Parkes, Ray Stewart, Alvin Martin, Tony Gale, George Parris, Mark Ward, Neil Orr, Alan Dickens (Paul Goddard), Alan Devonshire, Frank McAvennie, Tony Cottee.
Newcastle United: Martin Thomas (Ian Stewart), Neil McDonald, Glenn Roeder, John Anderson, John Bailey, Paul Stephenson, David McCreery, Chris Hedworth, Tony Cunningham, Peter Beardsley, Billy Whitehurst.
West Ham 1-0 Middlesbrough, 21st April 2003
The other two matches today were both single-goal home victories with the Hammers entrenched in relegation danger. The first features a 1-0 victory at Upton Park against Middlesbrough exactly 17 years ago, on the 21st of April 2003 in front of 35,019 spectators.
Room 5 & Oliver Cheatham were number one with ‘Make Luv’ and Johnny English topped the UK box office as the Hammers laboured to victory against the Teessiders. The visitors had future Hammer Robbie Stockdale in their matchday squad, and the right-back entered the fray as a substitute in the second half. The hosts, struggling desperately against the dreaded drop, were in trouble in the first minute when embarrassingly lax defending by Tomas Repka allowed Malcolm Christie in but Rufus Brevett was alert to intercept his cut-back for Massimo Maccarone. Joe Cole, Trevor Sinclair, Steve Lomas and Jermain Defoe were all denied by smart stops from Mark Schwarzer before Repka’s grotesque attempt at a clearance was turned over his own crossbar by David James. Cole then ran almost the entire length of the pitch only to shoot wide. Repka’s needless foul on Christie presented Juninho with a free-kick in a dangerous position which forced James into a double save before Ian Pearce cleared off the line from Maccarone.
The second half saw Les Ferdinand’s header comfortably dealt with by Schwarzer before a deflected effort at the other end whistled past James’ upright; Lomas then hit the inside of the post with a volley on the turn inside the six-yard box. With thirteen minutes remaining, a nervy Upton Park finally breathed a huge sigh of relief – Edouard Cisse’s pass down the right flank found Glen Johnson who skipped away from his man and had the presence of mind to cut the ball back to Trevor Sinclair who fired low and into the far corner of the net. The goal from this match can be viewed on the WHTID social media pages. Manager Glenn Roeder collapsed shortly after the final whistle. The Hammers had three games remaining, of which they won two (against Manchester City and Chelsea) and drew one (at Birmingham).
The Hammers ended the 2002/03 season 18th in the Premier League and were relegated. Defoe finished the season as the club’s top scorer with 11 goals in 42 appearances – he was also runner-up to Cole in the Hammer of the Year voting. Middlesbrough were to finish 11th, Manchester United won the league and Arsenal won the FA Cup.
West Ham United: David James, Glen Johnson, Tomas Repka, Ian Pearce, Rufus Brevett, Joe Cole, Edouard Cisse, Steve Lomas, Trevor Sinclair, Les Ferdinand, Jermain Defoe.
Middlesbrough: Mark Schwarzer, Luke Wilkshire, Gareth Southgate, Colin Cooper, Ugo Ehiogu, Franck Queudrue (Robbie Stockdale), Juninho (Joseph-Desire Job), George Boateng, Jonathan Greening, Massimo Maccarone, Malcolm Christie (Michael Ricketts).
West Ham 1-0 Everton, 21st April 2007
21st April 2007: West Ham met Everton at the Boleyn Ground, Beyonce featuring Shakira was number one with ‘Beautiful Liar’ and Wild Hogs topped the UK box office.
The Hammers started brightly against David Moyes’ Toffees in front of a crowd of 34,945, with Nigel Reo-Coker firing wide early on. Bobby Zamora (pictured below) scored the only goal of the game on 13 minutes – the striker kept the ball in play himself on the right touchline, nodding the ball back to Lucas Neill. The Australian played a one-two with Yossi Benayoun before finding Zamora again, who returned the ball to the impish Israeli. Benayoun then rolled the ball back into the path of Zamora who took one touch before thumping an unstoppable left-foot drive into the top corner of Tim Howard’s net. Zamora would end the campaign as the Irons’ top goalscorer with 11 goals from 37 appearances. This goal can be viewed on the WHTID social media pages.
Neill later fired an effort just past the post and Zamora lashed a shot over in the second half. Mikel Arteta shot wide for the visitors before blazing a shot over the bar when well placed. As with another featured match above against Middlesbrough, the Hammers had three games left and, this time, did enough to survive, winning all three against Wigan, Bolton and Manchester United.
Alan Curbishley’s Hammers went on to finish the 2006/07 season in 15th place, while Moyes’ Everton ended up sixth. Carlos Tevez was voted Hammer of the Year with Zamora runner-up. Manchester United won the First Division title and Chelsea won the FA Cup.
West Ham United: Robert Green, Lucas Neill, Anton Ferdinand, James Collins, George McCartney, Yossi Benayoun, Nigel Reo-Coker, Mark Noble, Matthew Etherington (Luis Boa Morte), Carlos Tevez, Bobby Zamora (Carlton Cole).
Everton: Tim Howard, Tony Hibbert, Joseph Yobo, Alan Stubbs, Joleon Lescott, Phil Neville (Manuel Fernandes), Leon Osman, Mikel Arteta, Lee Carsley, Andrew Johnson (James McFadden), James Beattie.