Blast from the past
West Ham United have met Everton in the third round of the FA Cup on one previous occasion, at the Boleyn Ground in front of 24,431 on the 2nd January 1982. The Hammers emerged victorious from the all-First Division encounter with a 2-1 win, captain Billy Bonds scoring in the 9th minute and David Cross notching what proved to be the winner in the 57th minute. Peter Eastoe was on target for the Toffees. Howard Kendall, who had become the competition’s youngest-ever Wembley finalist playing for Preston against West Ham in 1964, made what turned out to be his final appearance as a player in this 1982 match. Kendall, by now, was also manager of the Blues.
The Hammers progressed to the fourth round, only to be knocked out by Second Division Watford in a 2-0 defeat at Vicarage Road.
West Ham United: Phil Parkes, Ray Stewart, Billy Bonds, Alvin Martin, Frank Lampard, Jimmy Neighbour, Geoff Pike, Trevor Brooking, Alan Devonshire, David Cross, Paul Goddard (Stuart Pearson).
Everton: Neville Southall, Gary Stevens, Mark Higgins, Mick Lyons, Kevin Ratcliffe, Kevin Richardson, Paul Lodge, Howard Kendall, Trevor Ross (Eamonn O’Keefe), Peter Eastoe, Graeme Sharp.
Aside from this third round victory in 1982, West Ham’s remaining FA Cup record against Everton is as follows:
1907 – West Ham 1-2 Everton (2nd round)
1933 – Everton 2-1 West Ham (Semi-Final, Molineux)
1950 – West Ham 1-2 Everton (4th round)
1957 – Everton 2-1 West Ham (4th round)
1963 – West Ham 1-0 Everton (5th round)
1980 – Everton 1-1 West Ham (Semi-Final, Villa Park)
1980 – Everton 1-2 West Ham (Semi-Final Replay, Elland Road)
1991 – West Ham 2-1 Everton (Quarter-Final)
Club Connections
Considering they have spent the majority of their respective histories at a reasonably similar level, West Ham United and Everton have shared relatively few players. Those who have appeared for both clubs include: Joe Blythe, Don Hutchison, David Burrows, Mark Ward, William Wildman, George Eccles, George Kitchen, Thomas Hitzlsperger, David Unsworth, Ray Atteveld, Danny Williamson, Richard Wright, Tony Cottee, Mike Newell, Ian Bishop, Lars Jacobsen, Lucas Neill and Slaven Bilic.
Today’s focus though is on a Swedish international who joined the Hammers on a brief loan spell from Everton in 2003. Niclas Alexandersson began his career with local club Vessigebro BK before moving to Halmstads in 1988 as a teenager. He joined IFK Goteborg in 1995, winning the Swedish title and playing in the Champions League before being signed by Ron Atkinson at Sheffield Wednesday in 1997. The Owls were relegated in 2000 (although Alexandersson was voted Player of the Year by the supporters) and Everton manager Walter Smith swooped to sign the winger for a fee of £2.2m. He scored 5 goals in 66 appearances in all competitions for the Toffees before falling out of favour with new manager David Moyes.
Trevor Brooking signed Alexandersson on a short-term loan for First Division West Ham during his second stint as caretaker manager in the early part of 2003/04. Alexandersson made five starts for the Hammers, recording two wins, two draws and one defeat. His final game, a 2-2 home draw with Burnley, also proved to be the end of Brooking’s tenure with newly-appointed Alan Pardew waiting in the wings to take over. Pardew was keen to extend the loan but Alexandersson decided to return to Merseyside for personal reasons. He couldn’t force his way back into the first team at Goodison Park however and he returned to IFK Goteborg on a free transfer in January 2004. He retired in 2008 but made a brief return for the same club in 2009.
Alexandersson also received 109 caps for Sweden, scoring 7 goals. He was a member of the Swedish squad at Euro 2000 and Euro 2008, as well as at two World Cups in 2002 and 2006. He opened his nation’s account in the 2002 World Cup, scoring the equaliser for the Swedes in their 1-1 draw with England in Saitama. Now 43, Alexandersson has worked on a project which combines education and football in Gothenburg.
Referee
Tuesday’s referee will be Anthony Taylor. The Cheshire-based official was the referee who had not one, but two red cards rescinded from the same game after he had ridiculously sent off Carlton Cole and Darron Gibson in the Hammers’ 2-1 home defeat to, ironically, Everton in December 2012. He was also in charge when awarding Liverpool a controversial, and ultimately match-winning penalty, against the Irons in April last year. There was also controversy surrounding Guy Demel’s equaliser for West Ham in that game. Taylor has officiated in one match involving the Hammers this season, that being the 2-0 home win over QPR.
Possible line-ups
Antolin Alcaraz is suspended for Everton after being sent off in their defeat at Hull on New Year’s Day. The Toffees are also expected to be without the injured Kevin Mirallas, Leon Osman, Darron Gibson, James McCarthy, John Stones, Tony Hibbert, Steven Pienaar and Tim Howard. Midfielder Gareth Barry has come under increasing pressure in Everton’s recent poor run and could be omitted from the starting line-up while Samuel Eto’o, who caused West Ham plenty of problems in an excellent cameo appearance in the league game at Goodison Park in November, could partner Romelu Lukaku up front.
It is to be hoped that Sam Allardyce will put out a strong side considering the tough opposition. The Hammers’ healthy league position and the extra three days’ rest afforded by not playing the tie on Saturday will hopefully encourage Big Sam to name his strongest available XI. Diafra Sakho is injured, Cheikhou Kouyate is on African Cup of Nations duty with Senegal and, in his post-match press conference on New Year’s Day, Allardyce also ruled out Alex Song from this Cup tie as the midfielder continues discussions with the Cameroon manager regarding his own potential role at the ACON. Mark Noble and Kevin Nolan are the likely replacements for Kouyate and Song, while Enner Valencia should come in for Sakho. James Tomkins is available again after suspension.
The draw for the fourth round takes place live on BBC One prior to the Wimbledon-Liverpool tie on Monday evening. The Hammers and Everton will be number 25 in the draw which will be conducted by Wimbledon’s 1988 Cup final goalscorer Lawrie Sanchez and Kingstonian Women’s Under-18s head coach Stef Loucaides.
Possible Everton XI: Robles; Coleman, Jagielka, Distin, Baines; Naismith, Besic, Barkley, Oviedo; Eto’o, Lukaku.
Possible West Ham United XI: Adrian; Jenkinson, Collins, Reid, Cresswell; Noble, Amalfitano, Nolan; Downing; Carroll, Valencia.
Enjoy the game – Come On You Irons!