NOTE FROM IAIN: The Predictor League for Leicester City on Sunday is ready to enter HERE . The deadline for entries is 10am on Sunday morning.
Blast from the past
Back in 1967/68, West Ham United visited Leicester City on the 30th December 1967, beating the Foxes 4-2 at Filbert Street in front of 24,589. This away victory came just four days after a Boxing Day win by the same scoreline at Upton Park. Harold Wilson was Prime Minister, The Beatles were number one with ‘Hello, Goodbye’ and Half A Sixpence was in UK cinemas.
The Hammers took the lead when Martin Peters found Trevor Brooking who struck left-footed beyond 18-year-old future England goalkeeper Peter Shilton. The Foxes would turn the game on its head by half-time though, with Bobby Svarc and the late Frank Large scoring for the hosts.
24-year-old Brian Dear (pictured) followed up his hat-trick in the Boxing Day fixture against the same opposition by scoring twice in the second half – his first, the equaliser, was a header from a right-wing Geoff Hurst cross. Johnny Sissons gave the Irons the lead for the second time, scoring direct from a left-wing corner to embarrass Shilton. Dear’s second was a thumping left-foot strike with three minutes to go which sealed the points and moved the Hammers into 14th place. The goals from this match can be seen in the video below.
By the end of the 1967/68 season, Manchester United had recorded their first European Cup triumph, Manchester City won the First Division title, West Brom won the FA Cup and West Ham United claimed 12th place in the top flight. Bobby Moore was voted Hammer of the Year, with Brooking runner-up. Hurst was the Irons’ top goalscorer with 25 goals from 44 matches.
Leicester City: Peter Shilton, Peter Rodrigues, John Sjoberg, David Nish, Willie Bell, Alan Tewley, Bobby Roberts, Len Glover, Bobby Svarc, Frank Large, Davie Gibson (Alan Woollett).
West Ham United: Bobby Ferguson, Billy Bonds, Bobby Moore, John Cushley, Frank Lampard, Ronnie Boyce, Martin Peters, Trevor Brooking, Johnny Sissons, Geoff Hurst, Brian Dear.
Club Connections
Players who have represented both the Hammers and the Foxes include:
Goalkeepers: George Hebden, Colin Mackleworth.
Defenders: Gary Charles, Chris Powell, Dickie Pudan, Rufus Brevett, Paul Konchesky, Dai Jones, Matthew Upson, Clive Clarke, Billy Oakes, Fred Milnes, John Paintsil.
Midfielders: Andy Impey, Shaun Newton, Nolberto Solano, Franz Carr, Sid Bishop.
Strikers: David Connolly, Mike Newell, Brian Deane, Keith Robson, Paul Kitson, David Speedie, Bertie Lyon, Norman Proctor, Les Ferdinand, David Kelly, Tony Cottee, Jimmy Quinn.
Martin Allen, Frank O’Farrell and Jimmy Bloomfield have played for the Hammers and managed the Foxes.
Today’s focus is on an inside-forward who represented Leicester Fosse before later playing for Thames Ironworks. Albert Carnelly was born in Nottingham on 29th December 1870. He played locally for junior clubs Beeston St John’s in 1887, Westminster Amateurs (Nottingham) in 1888 and Mapperley in 1889. He joined Notts County in July 1890 before turning professional with Loughborough in December of that year. Carnelly joined Nottingham Forest in May 1894, playing two seasons in the First Division, before dropping into Division Two in May 1896 for a season with Leicester Fosse (now known as Leicester City).
Fosse supporters were already aware of Carnelly after the inside-forward had scored a hat-trick against them in a Midland League game whilst playing for Loughborough. Carnelly made his debut for Henry Jackson’s Leicester in a 4-1 home win over Darwen on 5th September 1896. He scored his first goal for the club in a 2-1 home win over Blackpool on 3rd October that year and went on to score ten goals in 31 appearances in all competitions, including bagging two doubles – in a 4-2 home win over Walsall on 28th November 1896 and in a 6-3 home win against Arsenal on 13th February 1897. Carnelly scored his last goal for Leicester Fosse in a 3-3 home draw with Manchester City on 12th April 1897, and made his final appearance for the club in a goalless home draw with Gainsborough Trinity a week later.
Carnelly moved south in July 1897 to play in the Southern League at Bristol City for two years. The 29-year-old Carnelly (pictured) signed for Thames Ironworks in the summer of 1899, ahead of the Irons’ final season before reforming as West Ham United. A consistent scorer who missed only one Southern League match and one FA Cup tie in his solitary season with the club, Carnelly made his Irons debut in a 1-0 Southern League defeat at Reading on 16th September 1899 and scored his first goals for the club on his home debut two days later, becoming an instant hit with the Memorial Grounds crowd by notching a brace in a 4-0 win over Chatham. This started an impressive run of seven goals in five games, five of which came in the FA Cup – one in a 4-0 win at Grays, two in a 4-2 home win over Sheppey and another double in a 7-0 win at Dartford on 28th October as the Irons won through to the competition’s fourth qualifying round. His next goal came in that next round, in a 2-0 home replay win over New Brompton (the club now known as Gillingham) on 23rd November 1899 – the Irons would be knocked out by arch-rivals Millwall in the fifth qualifying round.
Carnelly had to wait until the New Year (and the 20th century) for his next goal though, scoring in a 3-1 defeat at Chatham on 6th January 1900. He embarked on another goalscoring spree, notching three goals in as many matches in January/February; he scored in a 3-0 win at Sheppey United on 20th January 1900 and was also on target in a 2-1 defeat at Gravesend United four days later. His third goal in three games came in a 3-1 defeat at Bedminster on 10th February 1900. Carnelly’s last strikes for the club came when he scored both the Irons’ goals in a 2-1 home win over Gravesend United on 24th March 1900. Thames Ironworks finished in 14th place and would be required to play a Test Match against Fulham to maintain their senior divisional standing; the 5-1 victory in this match on 30th April 1900, which preserved the club’s Southern League First Division status, would be Carnelly’s final appearance for the club. Just over a month later, the club was reformed as West Ham United.
After scoring 14 goals in 34 appearances for Thames Ironworks, the much-travelled Carnelly joined Millwall; after a season with the Lions, he moved to Ilkeston Town in 1901. After regaining amateur status in 1903, he finished his playing career with Nottingham Corporation Tramways. Albert Carnelly passed away on 18th August 1920 in Nottingham, at the age of 49.
Referee
Sunday’s referee will be 37-year-old West Yorkshire-based Andrew Madley, who will take on his second Hammers appointment. Madley, the older brother of Bobby Madley, has refereed four matches so far in 2020/21 – two in the Championship, one in Europa League qualifying and one in the League Cup. He has dished out 12 yellow cards and one red in those four games, as well as awarding three penalties.
Madley’s only match in charge of the Hammers to date was for our 2-0 win at Gillingham in the FA Cup third round in January this year.
Possible line-ups
Leicester City should have Jonny Evans, Cengiz Under, Demarai Gray and Jamie Vardy available but Ricardo Pereira, Filip Benkovic and Wilfred Ndidi will miss out. Dennis Praet is a doubt. Leicester are vying to win their opening four league games for the first time in their history.
For West Ham United, Ryan Fredericks is definitely out but Issa Diop and Josh Cullen are available. West Ham’s solitary victory in the past 11 Premier League meetings against the Foxes, home or away, was a 2-0 triumph at the King Power Stadium in May 2018 – the Irons have drawn four and lost six of the remaining ten. Michail Antonio could become the first Hammers player to score in five consecutive top-flight away matches since Mike Small in 1991.
Possible Leicester City XI: Schmeichel; Castagne, Soyuncu, Evans, Amartey, Justin; Praet, Mendy, Tielemans, Barnes; Vardy.
Possible West Ham United XI: Fabianski; Coufal, Diop, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Masuaku; Bowen, Rice, Soucek, Fornals; Antonio.
Enjoy the game – Up The Hammers!