NOTE FROM IAIN: The Predictor League for the Arsenal match is now open HERE. Because people have had difficulties in submitting their entries I’m extending the deadline until 6pm this evening. The problem (entirely of my own making, so sorry about that, has been fixed. But please check your entry is there and if it isn’t add it again. If you haven’t signed up for the new site yet, please do so HERE.
Blast from the past
30th April 1994 – Striking Distance topped the UK box office and Austrian Formula One driver Roland Ratzenberger died in a crash during qualifying for the San Marino Grand Prix. Ayrton Senna died the following day at the same event. Elsewhere, The Artist Formerly Known As Prince was number one with ‘The Most Beautiful Girl In The World’ and The Midfielder Universally Known As Mad Dog was scoring one of the most beautiful goals of the season in sealing a 2-0 victory for Billy Bonds’ West Ham United over this weekend’s opponents Arsenal in front of 33,700 at Highbury.
George Graham named a slightly weakened side for the hosts with the European Cup Winners’ Cup Final against Parma taking place just four days after the visit of the Hammers. The game was goalless until the 77th minute when Andy Linighan played a backpass to Alan Miller that fell short, Trevor Morley (pictured below) nipping in to touch the ball past the stranded ‘keeper and slot home into the unguarded net. Morley would be the Irons’ top goalscorer in 1993/94, netting 16 times in 49 appearances; he would also be voted Hammer of the Year at the end of the campaign, with Steve Potts runner-up and Matt Holmes finishing in third place..
’Mad Dog’ Martin Allen wrapped up the three points for the visitors with just two minutes left on the clock – Academy graduate Danny Williamson, who had been sent on for his West Ham debut just a minute earlier, found Allen who produced a stepover to make space before firing an unstoppable bullet of a shot from distance beyond Miller and into the far corner of the net. The action from this match can be viewed in my video below.
The Gunners would finish fourth in 1993/94 and go on to win the European Cup Winners’ Cup, while the Hammers would end their first Premier League campaign in 13th. Manchester United won a league and FA Cup Double.
Arsenal: Alan Miller, Eddie McGoldrick (Steve Morrow), Steve Bould, Andy Linighan, Nigel Winterburn, Ray Parlour, Paul Davis, Ian Selley, Paul Merson (Paul Dickov), Kevin Campbell, Ian Wright.
West Ham United: Ludek Miklosko, Tim Breacker, Steve Potts, Tony Gale, David Burrows (Danny Williamson), Matthew Rush, Kenny Brown, Martin Allen, Ian Bishop, Mike Marsh, Trevor Morley.
Club Connections
A large group of players have turned out for West Ham United and Arsenal. Lukasz Fabianski and Jack Wilshere return to their former club. Other players to have represented both clubs include:
Goalkeepers: Richard Wright, Charles Ambler, Manuel Almunia, Jim Standen.
Defenders: Matthew Upson, James Jackson, Nigel Winterburn, Steve Walford, Bob Stevenson, Carl Jenkinson.
Midfielders: Stewart Robson, Liam Brady, Yossi Benayoun, Archie Macauley, Luis Boa Morte, David Bentley, Samir Nasri, James Bigden, Roddy McEachrane, Alex Song, Henri Lansbury, Freddie Ljungberg.
Strikers: Lucas Perez, Harry Lewis, Bobby Gould, Jeremie Aliadiere, Dick Burgess, John Blackwood, Fergie Hunt, Dr Jimmy Marshall, Kaba Diawara, Jimmy Bloomfield, Charlie Satterthwaite, Marouane Chamakh, Billy Linward, Lee Chapman, Tommy Lee, Ian Wright, Peter Kyle, John Hartson, Stan Earle, John Radford, Davor Suker.
Ron Greenwood was also assistant manager at Arsenal before becoming manager of West Ham.
Today’s focus though falls on a player who represented Woolwich Arsenal before later playing for West Ham. Fred Kemp was born in 1887 in Tottenham – he played for his school team in north London but his family moved to Barking where he played for Ethelburgas and Barking St Andrews. He spent one season with Newportonians before moving on to the Barking Victoria Club.
Kemp joined First Division Woolwich Arsenal as an 18-year-old in 1905 from Barking. A left winger, he made his senior debut in a 2-1 defeat at Birmingham on 28th October 1905 and went on to feature just once more in the league for the Gunners under Phil Kelso – his second and final match was another 2-1 loss, this time at home against Everton on 4th November 1905. Kemp struggled to maintain the form he showed at reserves level and was kept out of the Arsenal first team by the form of David Neave and Bobby Templeton.
Kemp transferred to Southern League First Division West Ham the following summer. The 19-year-old made his Hammers debut in a 3-1 win over Brentford at Upton Park on 6th October 1906 and made eight appearances in the rest of the 1906/07 season as the Irons finished fifth. He played in two matches in 1907/08, with his final match for the club being a 1-0 defeat at Bristol Rovers on 9th November 1907.
Kemp had made ten appearances for West Ham United in total, without scoring. Very little is known of what happened to Kemp after he left the Hammers, and his date of death is unknown.
Referee
The referee on Saturday will be Michael Oliver. He has refereed 25 of our matches, officiating in five wins for the Hammers, seven draws and 13 defeats. Oliver refereed the Irons six times last season, in our 2-1 home defeat to Crystal Palace last October (when he awarded the visitors a match-levelling penalty); for our 3-2 home defeat to Tottenham in November; for our 1-0 defeat at Sheffield United in January; for our 3-3 home draw with Brighton in February; for our 1-0 home defeat to Burnley in July; and, most recently, in our 1-1 draw with Aston Villa on the final day of last season.
Oliver also refereed our 1-1 draw at Leicester in October 2018, when he sent off Mark Noble. His only previous red card issued to a West Ham player came seven seasons ago, when he sent off Kevin Nolan in our 4-1 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield in December 2013. Oliver also refereed our 3-1 home win over Manchester United in 2018/19.
Possible line-ups
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta will be without the injured Pablo Mari, Calum Chambers, Shkodran Mustafi, Emile Smith Rowe and Gabriel Martinelli, while Sokratis is a doubt. David Luiz and Granit Xhaka should be passed fit. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta scored 27 goals in 174 Premier League appearances for Everton, all under current Hammers boss David Moyes.
West Ham United have doubts over Jack Wilshere and Mark Noble. Five of West Ham’s eight Premier League wins over Arsenal have been in north London. The Hammers ended the 2019/20 season unbeaten in three away league matches, with Michail Antonio scoring six of the club’s seven goals during that run.
Possible Arsenal XI: Leno; Holding, Gabriel, Tierney; Bellerin, Xhaka, Elneny, Maitland-Niles; Willian, Lacazette, Aubameyang.
Possible West Ham United XI: Fabianski; Fredericks, Diop, Ogbonna, Cresswell; Soucek, Rice, Snodgrass; Bowen, Haller, Antonio.
Enjoy the game – Up The Hammers!