In September 1976 West Ham made one of the best signings in the clubs history. Plucked from non-league Southall for a mere 5,000 pounds, little did we know then what a gem we had bought. Fourteen seasons and over 400 games later Alan Devonshire finally moved on and finished his career with 25 games at Watford. What is astonishing is that he only gained 8 caps for England? One of the most talented players ever to wear the Claret and Blue, his silky and graceful skills were a joy to watch. He struck up a telepathic relationship in midfield with Trevor Brooking that blessed the glory years that included the FA Cup final win in 1980, the League Cup final defeat a year later and our 3rd placing in the top flight in 1986 – our highest finish in the clubs history. His mazy runs down the left flank will be engraved in fans memories, especially the ones against Arsenal in the Cup Final that led to the only goal of the game and the one that led to his goal against Everton in the preceding semi final.
Results did not go our way immediately when Devo was brought into the side in October 1976. In his first 10 games we only won once, 5-3 at home to Spurs. But things would get better for a player who became a true legend of our club. His ability to glide past defenders was a joy to watch but also ensured in an era where the tackle from behind was fair game, that injuries would blight his career. Indeed he missed the whole of the 1984/5 season. Devo was also a player who suffered extreme nerves before games. He was encouraged to try and sleep on the physios bench before games and quite often had to be woken up just before the teams went out to play. Whilst the stats show he only scored 32 goals for West Ham a calculator would be needed to count the goals and chances he made for others.
Alan Devonshire is one past player that I have no doubt would have excelled in todays Premier League. The protection he would get from the law changes in the game together with the pristine playing surfaces would have him right up there with the superstars of the game. Nowadays, at the ripe old age of 57 he is managing Braintree Town after a successful stint at Hampton and Richmond Borough. On a recent podcast Devo gave tribute to both Trevor Brooking and Billy Bonds for being inspirational in his career. Trevor for being the super player he was and Billy for being a great leader and always looking out for him. He also agreed with some of my own philosophies on todays game – mainly that the sideways/ backwards passes between defenders is harming the game as a spectacle. Coming from amateur football initially, meant that he worked a normal job for 18 months before the Hammers signed him. Therefore, he was always one player that had a true appreciation of how lucky he was to earn a living playing football. He loved playing for West Ham and especially the electric atmosphere filled evening games at Upton Park. One thing is for sure, when you went to watch Alan Devonshire you got entertainment and witnessed courage.
I was going to attach a video clip of one of Devo’s best goals (against Chelsea), but true to my nostalgia series of “remembering” West Ham’s legends, I found the goal amongst a collection of West Ham legend goals, enjoy a trip down memory lane