Blast from the past
In today’s preview, we travel back to 11th April 1990; Margaret Thatcher was in her final months as Prime Minister, Madonna’s ‘Vogue’ topped the charts, John Travolta and Kirstie Alley were in UK cinemas in Look Who’s Talking and, at a time of Poll Tax Riots and the Strangeways Prison Riots, West Ham United ran riot as Bournemouth, competing at the opposite end of the Second Division, visited east London.
Billy Bonds’ Hammers ran out 4-1 winners in this Wednesday night encounter in front of 20,202 spectators at the Boleyn Ground. Jimmy Quinn’s strike was deflected in for an own goal by ex-Tottenham defender Paul Miller before Ian Bishop struck a beauty into the top corner from distance against his old club after 23 minutes. David Coleman, who had celebrated his 23rd birthday just three days previously, pulled one back before half-time for Harry Redknapp’s Bournemouth, lifting the ball over Ludek Miklosko after Luther Blissett had outmuscled Colin Foster. Coleman tragically died in 1997.
In the second half, Quinn won a penalty which was dispatched with the usual aplomb by Julian Dicks, who would be voted Hammer of the Year a month later (the first of four occasions that he would win the prestigious prize). Dicks would also finish as top scorer with 14 goals from 52 matches. Northern Ireland striker Quinn was again involved for the fourth goal, heading Stuart Slater’s cross back across goal for ‘Mad Dog’ Martin Allen (pictured above) to nod home from close range. My video below shows the goals from this game.
The Hammers would end the 1989/90 campaign in seventh place in the Second Division, two points adrift of the play-offs despite finishing as the division’s joint highest scorers with 80 goals, while Bournemouth would finish 22nd out of 24 teams and were relegated. Leeds won the Second Division, Liverpool won the First Division title and Manchester United won the FA Cup.
West Ham United: Ludek Miklosko, George Parris (Steve Potts), Tony Gale, Colin Foster, Julian Dicks, Kevin Keen, Ian Bishop, Martin Allen, Stuart Slater, Jimmy Quinn, Trevor Morley (Frank McAvennie).
Club Connections
A decent number of players have turned out for both West Ham United and Bournemouth. Jermain Defoe and Hammers Academy product Junior Stanislas are currently on Bournemouth’s books while Carl Fletcher played for both clubs and is currently youth team manager with the Cherries. Ex-Bournemouth midfielder Paul Mitchell, who made one league appearance for the Hammers in 1994, is back with the Cherries as a correspondent for Opta Sports. Other players to have appeared for both clubs include:
Goalkeepers: David James, Stephen Henderson and Marek Stech.
Defenders: Everald La Ronde, Bill Kitchener, Rio Ferdinand, Phil Brignull, Reg Parker, Keith Rowland, Elliott Ward, Bobby Howe and Horace Glover.
Midfielders: Ian Bishop, Trevor Hartley, Bobby Barnes, Tommy Southren, Jimmy Neighbour, Emmanuel Omoyinmi, Tony Scott, Anthony Edgar, Scott Mean, Matty Holmes, Dale Gordon, Jack Collison and Patsy Holland.
Strikers: Nicky Morgan, John Arnott, Mark Watson, Zavon Hines, Steve Jones and Ted MacDougall.
Harry Redknapp played for and managed both clubs. Former Hammers player John Bond went on to manage Bournemouth, while Jimmy Quinn played for both clubs and also managed the Cherries.
Today’s preview focuses on a wing-half who experienced limited playing time at West Ham United before enjoying a lengthy career with Bournemouth. Keith Miller (pictured) was born in Lewisham on 26th January 1948. He joined the Hammers from Walthamstow Avenue and made his debut at the age of 20 as a substitute in a 2-2 draw against Ipswich at Portman Road on 23rd November 1968. He did not appear for the senior side again in 1968/69 but did appear once more from the bench early the following season, in a 1-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest on 30th August 1969. Miller’s only start for the Irons came in a 2-2 draw with Leeds at the Boleyn Ground on 2nd April 1970.
After three appearances for West Ham United, the 22-year-old Miller moved to John Bond’s Fourth Division Bournemouth in the summer of 1970 for a fee of £10,000. He played 103 consecutive games after arriving and won promotion to the Third Division in his first season with the Cherries under the management duo of former Hammers Bond and Ken Brown, playing alongside fellow ex-Irons Trevor Hartley, Tony Scott and Pat Holland (on loan). He almost won successive promotions the following season as Bournemouth finished third in the Third Division. Miller went on to captain the club and played 383 matches for Bournemouth, scoring 19 goals – he stands fifth in the Cherries’ all-time appearance charts, behind Steve Fletcher (628), Neil Young (430), Sean O’Driscoll (423) and Ray Bumstead (415). He was rewarded with a testimonial against Tottenham in 1980.
Miller, who turns 70 next Friday, settled in Dorset after retiring from playing and was interviewed at half-time in last season’s match between Bournemouth and West Ham on the south coast.
Referee
The referee on Saturday will be Martin Atkinson, who most recently refereed our 1-1 home draw with Leicester in November. He was also in charge of our 3-0 home defeat to Brighton in October and our 4-0 opening weekend defeat at Manchester United on 13th August. 2017/18 is Atkinson’s 13th as a Premier League referee. Since West Ham United achieved promotion back to the top flight in 2012 Atkinson has refereed 19 of our league matches, officiating in nine wins for the Hammers, two draws and eight defeats.
Atkinson is pictured above refereeing our 3-1 win at Bournemouth in January 2016. He also refereed the Hammers’ FA Cup quarter-final at Old Trafford in March 2016, when he turned down appeals for a penalty after Marcos Rojo appeared to have tripped Dimitri Payet and failed to spot Bastian Schweinstieger’s block on Darren Randolph as Man Utd equalised late on. He refereed last September’s 4-2 home defeat to Watford and October’s 1-0 win at Crystal Palace, when he controversially sent off Aaron Cresswell for two very harsh yellow cards in quick succession. His other Hammers appointments last season were our 3-1 win at Middlesbrough in January and our 3-0 defeat to Arsenal in April.
Possible line-ups
The Hammers are without Jose Fonte, Edimilson Fernandes, Michail Antonio, Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho, while Winston Reid is a major doubt. Cheikhou Kouyate and Chicharito could return.
Bournemouth are set to be without the injured Tyrone Mings and Jermain Defoe. Junior Stanislas and Josh King could return from thigh injuries.
Possible West Ham United XI: Adrian; Zabaleta, Collins, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Masuaku; Kouyate, Noble, Obiang; Lanzini, Arnautovic.
Possible Bournemouth XI: Begovic; Smith, Francis, Ake, Steve Cook, Daniels; Lewis Cook, Gosling; Fraser, Ibe; Wilson.
Enjoy the game – Come On You Irons!
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