Guest post by Ennate
For most fans, the seasons to remember are probably the trophy-winning seasons – 1964, 1965, 1975 and 1980, or the time when we were one weekend away from winning the title in 1986. In my favourite season we did win a trophy, and though it was only the Second Division Championship, in 1980-81 we won it with style and with 66 points, the record number under the old system of two points for a win, just before it was replaced the following season.
We won 28 of our 42 league games, drew 10 and lost 4, in the process scoring 79 goals and conceding 29. Compare that to the most recent promotion season where we played 46, won 24, drew 14 and lost 8, scoring 81 and conceding 48 (this would have been 62 points under the old system, with 4 extra games played). The win rate was 67%, compared to 52% in the more recent promotion season. We also got to the League Cup Final, losing to Liverpool on a replay.
But the statistics don’t tell the full story. There was fluent, attractive football, and this is the season I think of when someone talks about the “West Ham way”. And the optimism which you felt before the match was not often let down by the result. The names on the team sheet contain several players who can be classed as entertainers and the defence was solid, keeping 22 clean sheets in the league and 7 in cup competitions. Wouldn’t we love to have some of this quality in the team today – Parkes, Stewart, Bonds, Martin, Lampard, Holland, Pike, Brooking, Devonshire, Goddard, Cross with contributions by Neighbour, Brush, and Morgan?
There were some downsides to the season – our exit from the FA Cup to Wrexham on a second replay, and having to play our home leg against Castilla in a near-empty stadium because of the behaviour of some fans at the away game. Perhaps too, we forgot that we were playing in the second tier and thought we were invincible until Dinamo Tbilisi came to Upton Park and gave us a lesson in football, but that match remains one of the most entertaining I have seen at Upton Park. Dynamo were a wonderful team to watch.
There are other seasons I have enjoyed – I loved the European nights in 1975-76 but our league form dipped badly and we ended up in 18th place. And I know it’s better to be in the top league, but 1980-81 was a season to enjoy.
NOTE FROM IAIN: If you’d like to write a guest post about your favourite West Ham season, feel free to send it to me via the Contact Box at the top of the page