1995-2005
Anyway, below I have listed the most outstanding Hammers' victories and humiliating defeats in the last decade. Enjoy
BRILLIANT!!!
3-0 away to Bolton Wanderers:
Hammers' biggest win of the season. Danny Williamson scored a spectacular solo goal, running through their entire defence before slotting home.
4-2 at home to Manchester City:
Hammers turned on the style at home to City (who were relegated that season) in an entertaining game. Despite being pegged back to 1-1, after taking the lead, Julian Dicks' wonderstrike and two other goals put the Hammers 4-1 up, before City grabbed a consolation.
2-0 at home to Newcastle United:
a superb win against the Geordies which buggered up their title hopes in the process (unfortunately the arrogant shites I know as Man United won the title instead).
1-0 away to Tottenham Hotspur:
Any win against Spurs is pleasing, but even better they didn't beat us in the league that season; the game at Upton Park finished 1-1.
2-1 away to Chelsea:
Just as pleasing as beating Spurs, Hammers turned this game on its head after going 1-0 down to an early Chelsea goal.
SHOCKINGLY POOR...
0-3 away to Grimsby:
To make this even worse, this was a FA Cup 4th Round REPLAY, yes, Division 1 Grimsby held the Hammers to a 1-1 draw at Upton Park, then comprehensively defeated us in the replay. Had we progressed, we would have met Chelsea at home....
0-3 away to Queens Park Rangers:
This is a game I actually went to! And although it wasn't vitally important to the Hammers, QPR needed this win to help them in their quest to stay up and avoid the drop. 0-0 at half time, but the Hammers were awful in the 2nd half. One thing that made me smile though was the fact that QPR were actually relegated on the day!!! And in their final Premiership game of 95/96 they were beaten 3-0 at Nottingham Forest.....
1-4 at home to Aston Villa:
Hammers were outclassed by a Villa side who finished 4th that season; Savo Milosevic netted a hat-trick in this game.
0-3 away to Everton:
We are always easily beaten when we come to the shithole that is Everton FC, anyway Ludo (our keeper) was sent-off, making life extremely difficult for the Hammers, who caved in under the pressure.
0-3 away to Newcastle United:
The Geordies got their revenge by defeating Hammers 3-0, Faustino Asprilla (remember him?) scored for the home side.
2-4 away to Middlesbrough:
Newly-promoted Boro were already 3-0 up by half-time before Tony Cottee and Julian Dicks netted for the Hammers.
2-4 away to Blackburn:
Alan Shearer had a hat-trick to his name by half-time, before Rovers added another. Hammers' made the score slightly more respectable by replying with two of their own.
1-3 at home to Chelsea:
Hammers were easily beaten at Upton Park on a monday night, which continued our poor start to 95/96. Ruud Gullit was the star man for Chelsea that night - how times change!
BRILLIANT!!!
5-1 at home to Sheffield Wednesday:
Hammers' biggest win of the season. An important win which pulled us away from the relegation candidates. Paul Kitson and John Hartson (brought in by Harry Redknapp in early 1997) scored 13 goals in 14 games to keep us in the Premiership. Kitson netted a hat-trick in this one, Hartson scored a brace.
3-1 away to Coventry City:
Another crucial win which pulled us away from the drop zone. Coventry took an early lead, but Rio Ferdinand (of all people) equalised and two goals from Hartson sealed the points.
4-3 at home to Tottenham Hotspur:
What a game this was! Sheringham gave Spurs the lead in 7th minute, but Hammers took a 2-1 lead only for Spurs to equalise again, before the home side regained the lead: 3-2 at half-time! Again, Spurs pulled level, but a Julian Dicks penalty gave the Hammers the 3 points in a memorable game.
3-2 at home to Chelsea:
Another exciting topsy-turvy London derby. Chelsea took the lead but Hammers levelled things before half-time. A Julian Dicks penalty made the score 2-1; Mark Hughes headed a late equaliser, but as the game was destined to end 2-2, Hammers stole it in the very last minute! Brilliant memories!
2-2 at home to Manchester United:
Hammers showed the fighting spirit in them, as the Mancs went into a 2-0 lead, with two strikes early in the 2nd half, but two late goals sealed a remarkable comeback and a very welcome point.
SHOCKINGLY POOR...
1-4 away to Middlesbrough:
For the second successive season, Hammers conceded 4 goals to a Boro side, which this time out were relegated, despite fielding players like Ravenelli and Juninho.
1-2 away to Stockport County:
Yes, the name says it all really... Stockport defeated us in this League Cup replay - that's right, they held us to a 1-1 at Upton Park - and Iain Dowie headed into his own net to give County the win, after falling behind.
0-1 at home to Wrexham:
Another Division 2 team to dump us out of the cup, this time an FA Cup 3rd Round Replay (yes it was that bad), a late goal knocked the Hammers out, while Wrexham progressed to the quarter-finals, beaten by Chesterfield who were unlucky not to beat Middlesbrough in the semi-final.
0-1 at home to Nottingham Forest:
New Year's Day, 1997. And we lost to a dreadful Forest side in deep shit in the relegation zone, which dragged ourselves back into the mess.
2-2 at home to Everton:
2-2? That's not a really poor result.... well it wasn't great considering that we were walking all over them in the first half: 2-0 up, and Paul Kitson has the chance to seal his hat-trick with a penalty. But Everton keeper Neville Southall pulls off a great save, which turns the game around for them, as they level affairs. Hammers nearly stole it when Everton defender Dave Watson headed against his own post, but the fact is Everton should have been given an almighty spanking, and they were let off the hook....
BRILLIANT!!!
6-0 at home to Barnsley:
Hammers' biggest win since 1992/93. Five different goalscorers netted for the Hammers and poor Barnsley suffered another trouncing in their only Premier League season.
4-1 at home to Crystal Palace:
We were rather fortunate with this one! This Premier League game was originally abandoned first time round, with the score at 2-2 in the second half. Palace, with an impressive away record, had gone into a 2-0 lead, but as Frank Lampard levelled the scores, the lights went out, forcing the game to be rescheduled. 2nd time around, Hammers crushed Palace with a great display.
3-0 at home to Leeds:
Its always great to beat this horrible nasty club, and on a monday night in 1998, we recorded our only home Premiership win against them with another classy home performance.
3-0 at home to Aston Villa:
Hammers gave this lot, who eventually knicked our UEFA Cup place, a thoroughly overdue thumping in the League Cup with a couple of goals for John Hartson.
2-1 at home to Liverpool:
Always nice to beat the Scousers, Hammers did just that to preserve our excellent home record.
1-1 away at Blackburn Rovers:
It doesn't seem anything special just from the scoreline, but this was a FA Cup 5th Round Replay (after the game finished 2-2 at Upton Park, in a game which swung the way of one team then the other) and after 90 minutes, the game was locked at 0-0. Hammers drew first blood in extra time, before Rovers equalised, forcing the game to penalties. Two missed spot-kicks proved costly for Blackburn, as West Ham progressed into the quarter finals, winning 5-4 in sudden death. Great game!
SHOCKINGLY POOR...
0-5 away to Liverpool:
Hammers fell to their heaviest defeat of the season, pretty much summing up our dreadful away record in the league.
0-4 away to Arsenal:
Another wretched away performance. Gooners were 4-0 up by half-time. Needless to say there was no way back for the Hammers.
2-4 at home to Southampton:
This was a bit of a shock for the Hammers, who until now had only been defeated once at Upton Park in the League, but with the scores level 1-1 at half-time, Saints took control in the 2nd half, cruising into a 3-1 lead, and although Hammers got one back, the visitors sealed the win with their 4th goal late on. Just as bad was the fact that this lot had beaten us 3-0 at The Dell earlier on in the season.
0-1 at home to Newcastle United:
The only other time Hammers were beaten at home in the league all season, and again it was against an average team well below us in the league table. John Barnes' (yes that John Barnes) header gave the Geordies the 3 points.
1-1 at home to Arsenal:
This wasn't a poor result, it was just the fact that the Gooners had dumped us out of the League Cup 2-1 (at fortress Upton Park as well), in which free-scoring John Hartson missed a penalty, and now this FA Cup quarter-final replay went to penalties. The tie at Highbury finished 1-1, and that was the same score after extra time here, too. Unfortunately, Hammers failed on penalties this time, losing 3-4 on spot kicks.
2-1 at home to Emley:
Who? Exactly. This should have been a routine FA Cup 3rd Round tie for the Hammers, who went infront in the 4th minute. However, Emley of the Unibond league (which is about 5 divisions below the Premiership), equalised, only for John Hartson's header to ruin their party.
BRILLIANT!!!
5-1 at home to Derby County:
Finally, Hammers recorded a victory over the awkward Rams, also triumphing 2-0 at Pride Park earlier on in the season.
4-0 at home to Middlesbrough:
This was a perfect way to round off what was the Hammers' best Premiership season so far. This win on the final day of 98/99 confirmed Hammers' highest Premiership position of 5th, their highest finish since coming 3rd in 1985/86.
3-0 away to Newcastle United:
A fantastic victory at one of the hardest grounds to win at in the Premiership, Ian Wright scored for the unstoppable Hammers.
2-1 at home to Liverpool:
Another victory against the Scousers! Hammers also earned a point in a 2-2 draw at Anfield.
2-1 at home to Tottenham Hotspur:
Not only did we beat the scum, but it propelled us to 2nd in the table! Even better we were ahead of Manchester United, but behind Aston Villa (who we actually finished ahead of, as the second half of their season went spectacularly wrong). We also beat Spurs 2-1 at their place, too!
1-0 away at Chelsea:
Chelsea only lost 3 league games during 1998/99, but Hammers defeated them with a scrappy Paul Kitson goal in an excellent 1-0 victory at Stamford Bridge.
SHOCKINGLY POOR...
0-6 away to Everton:
Yet again we play against a very ordinary Everton side and end up getting absolutely thrashed - I really don't know why. Kevin Campbell notched a hat-trick for the hosts, who were 3-0 up by half-time.
1-5 at home to Leeds:
Hammers ended this game with 8 men and the result meant Leeds sealed their UEFA Cup spot in the process. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink had given the visitors the lead in the first minute, and the lead was doubled on half-time. Despite a goal back for the Hammers, Leeds added 3 more in the second half.
0-4 away to Leeds:
Yes, as if being beaten 5-1 at home to the Yorkshire scum wasn't bad enough, they thumped us at Elland Road in the previous League encounter in October. And again, Leeds scored 3 in the 2nd half...
0-4 at home to Sheffield Wednesday:
To be fair, this result is even worse than the Leeds game. Hammers were on a poor run, and this result didn't help.
0-4 at home to Arsenal:
Yes, we were beaten by 4 goals at home 3 times... unbelievable for a team finishing 5th, but that's West Ham for you...
1-4 away to Manchester United:
Another heavy defeat for the Hammers. Frank Lampard scored our consolation goal, after we had been 0-4 down.
0-3 away to Blackburn Rovers:
Another 3-0 loss at Ewood Park, this was the same scoreline when we played there the previous season. And Rovers finished 19th...
2-4 away to Charlton Athletic:
Newly-promoted Charlton had already made an impression in the Premiership by beating Southampton 5-0 in their first-ever home game, and took the lead against Hammers in the first half. West Ham turned the game on its head with a couple of goals to lead 2-1, before we collapsed under pressure (not for the first time) and let them score 3 easy goals. Ironically, the Addicks went on a long winless streak after this - ultimately leading to relegation - but they still managed to steal the points in the reverse fixture at Upton Park, 1-0.
0-2 away to Northampton Town:
An embarrassing defeat to Division 2 outfit Northampton in the 2nd Round First Leg of the League Cup. Hammers were knocked out 2-1 on aggregate after only beating them 1-0 in the home leg (although we were disallowed a perfectly good goal for "offside").
3-4 at home to Wimbledon:
This was only our 4th game of 98/99, and Hammers had scored 1, conceded none. That was about to change dramatically. Hammers dominated the first half, and were cruising at 3-0. The Dons pulled one back before half-time, and then took control of the second half and completed a dramatic turnaround. As a Hammers fan, you're not guaranteed victory unless you're leading 5-0 at the break..... I felt sick after this game...
0-1 away to Swansea City:
Yet again we were knocked out of the FA Cup 3rd Round by a lower division team. This tie, against lowly Division 3 opposition, went to a replay after Julian Dicks equalised in the final minute of the game at Upton Park, which ended 1-1.
BRILLIANT!!!
5-0 at home to Coventry City:
Hammers got their revenge for their 1-0 defeat at Highfield Road in September with a resounding victory.
3-0 away to Bradford City:
A good win at newly-promoted Bradford continued the Hammers' unbeaten start to 99/00, and lifted them to 4th in the Premiership.
3-1 away to FC Metz:
The second leg of the final of the Intertoto Cup, and a massive task was required of the Hammers to progress after trailing 1-0 from the home leg (in which Frank Lampard missed a penalty). However, Hammers found themselves 2-0 up, and although the home side pulled one back, West Ham scored the clinical third goal which sealed their place in the UEFA Cup.
5-4 at home to Bradford City:
This incredible game was made hard work of by the Hammers, who went behind in the first half. However, two strikes (one from veteran John Moncur) gave the Hammers a 2-1 advantage, but no sooner had Moncur given the home side the lead, then Bradford were on level terms. 2-2 at the break. The visitors came out after the break and stunned the Hammers by racing into a 4-2 lead, but West Ham were not out of it. A Di Canio penalty made it 3-4 and Frank Lampard pulled things level again, before Hammers knicked it late on. This is what West Ham is all about - pure entertainment!
4-3 at home to Sheffield Wednesday:
If I'm being honest, this wasn't a great win, but it shows how determined (and stupid) West Ham can be. We took a first-half lead against a struggling Wednesday outfit, but found ourselves on level terms at the break. The Owls took the lead in the 2nd half, only for Hammers to make it 2-2. Wednesday scored again, but West Ham turned the game in their favour, eventually winning by the odd goal in seven.
2-1 at home to Arsenal:
This was Hammers' first Premiership home win against the Gooners, and a double Di Canio strike - including a superb solo effort for his second - gave the Hammers a 2-0 lead, before Arsenal got one back. The game ended on a controversial note, with 3 players sent off.
1-0 at home to Liverpool:
Trevor Sinclair scored the solitary goal which gave Hammers a third successive Premiership home victory over the Scousers.
SHOCKINGLY POOR...
1-7 away to Manchester United:
What can I say? This is not our favourite ground, and like any visiting team to Old Trafford we were victims of some harsh decisions. But despite that, Paulo Wanchope gave us an early lead. That was short-lived, though, as by half-time we were 1-3 down. And things didn't exactly get much better in the second half.....
0-4 at home to Everton:
What is it about playing Everton and getting thumped? This result was unbelievable, one of only 3 Hammers defeats at home in the Premiership during 99/00. Nick Barmby scored a hat-trick for the Toffees, who also wrecked our unbeaten start to the season, with a 1-0 in at Goodison Park in September.
2-4 at home to Manchester United:
Yes, it's these dickheads again. They set about destroying our unbeaten home form from the start, taking a 3-0 lead, before Paolo Di Canio got the Hammers back into the match: 1-3 at half-time. The Italian scored again in the 2nd half to give Hammers a lifeline, but wasted his chance of a hat-trick when shooting straight at Manc's keeper Van der Gouw. And wouldn't you just know it; United went straight up the other end and scored the 4th which settled the contest.
1-3 at home to Aston Villa:
It wasn't the scoreline which disgusted me, it was the fact that the FA made us replay this League Cup quarter-final again, when we won the original tie on penalties. That game was dramatic in itself, but Hammers substitute Manny Omoyimni was ineligible to play. He had no influence on the result of the tie, so why replay the game? That's the bloody useless shitty FA for you. Bastards. Typically, we lost the replay, despite Lampard's chip in the second half which gave us the lead. Villa got a late equaliser, and two goals in extra time saw them through.
1-3 away to Sheffield Wednesday:
Hammers' had a dreadful second half, after leading 1-0 at the break, to go down to a heavy defeat to the Premiership's 19th-placed side.
1-2 away to Arsenal:
There's no shame in losing to Arsenal 1-2 at Highbury, but yet again there was a controversial ending. Di Canio gave Hammers a 1-0 half-time lead, only for Overmars to draw the Gooners level. But in the very last minute, a blatantly obvious handball from Ray Parlour went unpunished, and he volleyed home, giving the Gooners the points. As result of the dreadful decision to allow the goal, a brawl followed, and Trevor Sinclair was red-carded.
0-1 away to Tranmere Rovers:
Another apalling defeat to a lower-division team in the FA Cup 3rd Round, this time 1st Division Tranmere knocked us out with a goal from Nick Henry just before half-time. Luckily, we were not the only Premiership side to lose against them in the cup competitions.
BRILLIANT!!!
5-0 at home to Charlton Athletic:
Hammers got their revenge for the two defeats suffered against Charlton in 98/99 with a superb Boxing Day performance.
4-1 at home to Manchester City:
Hammers began poorly against newly-promoted Manchester City, and were trailing 1-0 at half-time. However, a rejuvenated West Ham came out after the break and stunned City with 4 strikes in the second period.
3-0 away to Coventry City:
Finally, after a miserable start to 00/01 - which had seen no wins, 3 draws and 3 defeats - Hammers collected their first win of the season with an excellent win at Highfield Road.
1-0 away to Leeds United:
An excellent defensive display from the "usually-dodgy-at-the-back" Hammers sealed 3 very precious points in what is our only win at Elland Road in the Premiership.
1-0 away to Manchester United:
YES!! The moment I had been waiting for ever since I'd started following West Ham... a victory at Man United... and at their place too! This FA Cup 4th Round tie was always going to be difficult, seeing as we had just been routed 3-1 here about 4 weeks earlier in the league. However, Hammers ground out a result with another excellent defensive display, and (as I'm sure everyone remembers) Paolo di Canio stayed calm, despite Fabian Barthez's crap attempt to appeal for offside, and slotted the ball home past the bald twat into the net for the winner! And I watched it on TV too! Absolutely marvellous!
1-0 away to Sunderland:
Lucky us, this was our reward for knocking out the Mancs in Round 4 of the FA Cup - an awkward trip to Sunderland, who had moved up to 2nd place in the Premiership. They had already beaten us 2-0 at Upton Park in the league, with the other game a 1-1 draw at the Stadium of Light in September. But again the Hammers fought superbly and won the game with a 2nd-half strike.
2-2 at home to Manchester United:
An alarming start to the season for the Hammers saw them at the very foot of the Premier League table, with the only team to have lost both of their first two matches. So, the Mancs are not the ideal team to play in this situation. And sure enough, they went into a comfortable 2-0 lead with less than 20 minutes to play. But with under 5 minutes left, Hammers got themselves a penalty, which was dispatched by the trusty Di Canio, and in stoppage time, Davor Suker bundled home a dramatic equaliser - his first goal in claret and blue! United still found enough time to nearly ruin that hard work - David Beckham struck a post with seconds remaining, but the Hammers had earned their first point of 00/01.
SHOCKINGLY POOR...
0-3 away to Arsenal:
This game summed up our below-par season. Sylvain Wiltord grabbed a first-half hat-trick for the Gooners as they coasted to victory.
0-3 away to Liverpool:
Another poor performance in which Hammers were overwhelmed, one day after my birthday as well...
2-4 away to Chelsea:
Opening day of 00/01, and I was optomistic about the new season - Hammers had signed Davor Suker from Arsenal during the summer, and with Di Canio netting 16 goals last season, things were looking promising. It was Chelsea who took the lead, but Di Canio got us on level terms at half-time. The 2nd half went pear-shaped for Hammers, though, as Blues stormed into a 3-1 lead, and despite a goal back for West Ham, the home side put away their 4th just before full-time; a dreadful way to the start the new season.
1-3 away to Manchester United:
A great way to start the New Year. After just 3 minutes of this evening kick-off against United, we were already 0-1 down, and they dominated the whole game, restricting us to about 2 good chances on their goal, one of which was scored, but by that time the score was 0-3 and only about 15 minutes were left.
0-2 at home to Everton:
This bloody lot again, who finished below us again, but still managed to take an easy 3 points back to Merseyside.
0-2 at home to Chelsea:
Another bad home defeat, one of seven incredibly, against the Blues who completed the double over us.
2-3 at home to Tottenham Hotspur:
FA Cup Quarter-Final day at Upton Park, and Hammers had a realistic chance of progressing to the final. However, all our excellent work in winning at Walsall, Man United and Sunderland in the previous rounds was undone by bloody Tottenham of all teams. Our only home game in the FA Cup, and we fell behind in the first-half; the outstanding Stuart Pearce got us back on level terms at the break. Unfortunately for Hammers, Sergei Rebrov was influential in helping Spurs into a 3-1 lead, although we pulled it back to 2-3 with plenty of time left for an equaliser - it never came, and it was Spurs who got knocked out in the semis instead.
1-1 at home to Bradford City:
Hammers should have buried this lot before half-time, but had only Joe Cole's strike to show for their efforts. And as chance after chance was wasted by the home side, Bradford had a free-kick in the final minute... and typically, they scored, snatching an undeserved point...
BRILLIANT!!!
4-0 at home to Derby County:
Hammers produced another excellent Boxing Day performance, which lifted them into the top half of the Premiership table for the first time in 01/02, where we would remain for the rest of the season.
3-0 away to Macclesfield Town:
Yeh, ok, Division 3 side Macclesfield are not the strongest team, but this was a televised FA Cup 3rd Round game, and considering our proud record against lower-division teams in recent years, this was always going to be harder than it looked. However, Jermaine Defoe's double sent the Hammers safely through to Round 4.
3-0 at home to Newcastle United:
This was new boss Glenn Roeder's first victory, and what a magnificent win, too! Don Hutchison was superb throughout, and scored in the thumping of the Geordies, who should have been beaten by more. The win was especially important as Hammers had slipped to 20th in the table, with only 2 draws and 2 defeats from their first 4 games.
3-0 at home to Sunderland:
This win showed how much progress the Hammers team had made in the last 12 months or so, with Jole Cole influential in this crushing win against The Black Cats.
2-1 at home to Chelsea:
Hammers got off to a flyer in this London-derby, going into a 2-0 lead, before Hasselbaink pulled one back for the Blues, and when he netted there was still 75 minutes left in the game! A certain Frank Lampard was given a hard night by his former employers and the home fans...!
1-0 away to Manchester United:
Ha Ha!! Absolutely brilliant! Hammers won their second consecutive game at Old Trafford, this time in the Premiership, with Jermaine Defoe's header giving the Hammers a thoroughly-deserved 3 points, during a period in which Man United weren't having things all their own way, suffering poor form! Absolutely bloody brilliant!!
4-4 away to Charlton Athletic:
Strangely, this is the only competitive away game since I have been following the Hammers that we have scored four away from home... anyway, West Ham - who had been absolutely shocking in their previous away games - got off to the perfect start when Paul Kitson struck early, but then the cracks appeared in our pathetically weak defence, as Charlton went 2-1 up. Kitson bagged his second before half-time as the teams left the field at the break back on level terms. The Addicks regained the lead, but incredibly the Hammers responded with goals from Jermaine Defoe and Kitson - completing his hat-trick - to lead 4-3. But, this pulsating London-derby had another twist to it. In the dying seconds, Charlton grabbed the equaliser, when Hammers keeper Shaka Hislop was beaten by an overhead kick. What a game! Should have won, though...
SHOCKINGLY POOR...
1-7 away to Blackburn Rovers:
This is probably the most humiliating of the lot - I just laughed at the score it was that bad. We were absolutely and utterly crushed by Rovers, who had only just been promoted. The only positive thing to happen all afternoon was Michael Carrick's excellent individual goal, just before the half-time whistle. It did absolutely nothing to affect the outcome of the game, as Blackburn were already 3-0 ahead when Carrick scored. But 1-3 soon became 1-7; our afternoon was summed up perfectly when young Hammers defender Grant McCann sliced a harmless cross into his own net. This is never a good result, but when you've just been beaten 0-5 at Everton in the previous game, you know there's something going wrong...
0-5 away to Everton:
Ah, Everton again. It is inexplicable how we keep getting murdered by a very mediocre and dull team struggling at the wrong end of the table, but that's football. And this was another abject away display from the Hammers, who went in at half-time trailing by just the one goal, but - like in the following game at Ewood Park - the Hammers capitulated in the 2nd half conceding 4 goals, including an own goal from Don Hutchison. Funnily enough, on the very same day, Tottenham blew a 3-0 half-time lead against Man United, and lost 3-5...
1-5 away to Chelsea:
Another heavy away loss for the Hammers, this one came in January, with the score at 0-0 approaching half-time. Chelsea had just won a corner, and typically, they took the lead, so we went in after 45 minutes 0-1 down. And things just didn't get any better; Chelsea scored two quick goals after half-time, added a fourth, before Defoe gave us something to cheer about. The home side got their fifth and, just to bloody rub it in, Di Canio was sent off - not one of our finest moments.
0-3 away to Leeds United:
Another awful start to the New Year. Robbie Fowler and Mark Viduka scored the goals, meaning Hammers lost their first game of 2002.
3-5 at home to Manchester United:
When Steve Lomas' header gave the Hammers an early lead, there was a real possibility we could do the double over the Mancs. And despite conceding an equaliser, Hammers regained the lead, only for the scum to draw level again: 2-2 at half-time. Unfortunately, the second half was less even, as United sealed their victory with a David Beckham penalty.
0-2 at home to Fulham:
Newly-promoted Fulham took 3 points off the Hammers, in a rare poor home display.
2-3 at home to Chelsea:
Hammers had done well to earn a replay in a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge in this FA Cup 4th Round encounter, and twice took the lead before the Blues equalised then won it in the final seconds - a very disappointing end to an exciting tie.
0-1 at home to Tottenham Hotspur:
Another disappointing home defeat in a London-derby, Les Ferdinand scored the winner for Spurs, who twice hit the woodwork. In the return fixture at White-Hart Line, the result was destined to end the same way, until a fantastic 30-yard strike from Hammers defender Ian Pearce in the 89th minute gave West Ham a point.
0-0 away to Reading:
Once again, Hammers were defeated by a Division 2 side in the 2nd Round of the League Cup. The game ended 0-0 and went to penalties, where Hammers missed the final crucial spot-kick.
BRILLIANT!!!
2-0 at home to Tottenham Hotspur:
This was our biggest win of an awful, awful season. Les Ferdinand scored for the Hammers against his old club.
3-2 away to Chelsea:
Hammers had got off to the worst possible start to the season, losing 4 out of their first 6 games, with only a couple of draws against newly-promoted Manchester City in a dull stalemate and a 2-2 at home to Arsenal. So, at the very foot of the table, Hammers travelled to West London in what seemed to be another defeat, and when Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink put the home side ahead from the penalty spot, our luck didn't look like it was about to improve. However, Hammers battled hard and Jermaine Defoe got us back to 1-1 by half-time. Paolo Di Canio then scored his first of a double - an absolutely outstanding 30-yard volley past the diving Carlo Cudicini in the Blues goal - before the home side scored their second. But Hammers' hero Di Canio gave West Ham our first league win of the season, when he got his second in the final minute of the game. An absolutely brilliant and richly-deserved result, although we still remained at the bottom.
1-0 at home to Chelsea:
Hammers ground out another excellent win over our London neighbours in our second-last game of the season, with an emotional Di Canio netting the winner in the 2nd half. Sadly, it wasn't enough to keep us in the division, nor was it enough to destroy Chelsea's Champion's League prospects, as they defeated fellow-Champion's League chasers Liverpool 2-1 on the final day.
SHOCKINGLY POOR...
0-6 away to Manchester United:
Again, we were mauled at the bloody Mancs, with another worse-than-really-rubbish away performance. If there was anything positive to say about this, it was an FA Cup 4th Round tie, and not a league game... but with United 2-0 up at half-time there was no way back for the Hammers - especially as the referee was bloody biased towards United (as usual), as Defoe had a goal disallowed for offside, and Lee Bowyer was hacked down in their box in the second half. But our defence didn't help the cause, as immediately after half-time United scored two in a minute, most worringly of all was seeing Phillip Neville run through our entire defence without being tackled to score the home side's fourth goal on 48 minutes. And still 25 minutes remained when Solskjaer scored the 6th goal - a truly horrible day...
0-4 away to Newcastle United:
Sky had decided to move our first game of the season to a monday night for live television coverage. And West Ham more than held their own, going in half-time at 0-0. But the 2nd half was really bad, the Geordies sending us crashing to 20th position, after banging in 4 goals...
1-4 away to Aston Villa:
Our away record, whilst although quite respectable with 5 wins, 5 draws and 9 defeats, included some wretched displays. This was another one of those, with struggling and shot-shy Villa handing out another thumping to the Hammers.
0-3 at home to Liverpool:
A pathetic effort on my birthday, Hammers were 0-2 behind after less than 10 minutes, and never really threatened the Scousers, who added a third in the second half.
0-3 away to Manchester United:
This thrashing came before the 6-0 loss, but Hammers were awful in this league fixture, too.
2-4 away to Charlton Athletic:
In a rearranged fixture (originally scheduled for New Year's day), Hammers' woeful defence was at it's most useless, as the Addicks took an early lead. However, Hammers turned the game around and took a 2-1 lead, before the 98/99 fixture repeated itself with Charlton scoring on 3 further occasions. They had also convincingly beaten us 2-0 at Upton Park in August.
3-4 at home to Leeds United:
Terry Venable's Leeds outfit were also finding life in the Premiership hard, despite leading the table after two games, and this was a real relegation battle. Leeds dominated the first half, and despite a Hammers equaliser, the away side cruised into a 4-1 lead by half-time. Hammers were not finished yet though, as Paolo Di Canio's penalty made the score 3-4 with 15 minutes remaining, but it wasn't enough and Hammers suffered another home defeat.
1-2 at home to Birmingham City:
The next game after the brilliant 3-2 triumph at Chelsea, but Hammers were very poor once again, as newly-promoted Birmingham took the 3 points with a Stern John double strike. In the return game at St Andrew's on the final day of the season, Hammers were relegated after a 2-2 draw, whilst relegation rivals Bolton defeated Middlesbrough 2-1 at the Reebok Stadium, meaning they stayed up on 44 points and Hammers went down despite a record Premiership high points tally (for 38 games) of 42 - a figure which had seen us finish 14th in 96/97...
0-1 away to Bolton Wanderers:
This was the biggest game of our season, against relegation-threatened Wanderers, who were fighting the Hammers for their Premiership safety. And on the day, they deserved their win, Jay Jay Okocha scoring the winner. There was some trouble in the players' tunnel afterwards, as West Ham players took their anger out on the Bolton players(!).
0-1 at home to Oldham Athletic:
For the bloody millionth time, Hammers were defeated by a Division 2 side in the 3rd Round of the League Cup. Ex-Hammers hero Iain Dowie (now Oldham manager) and his Latics team progressed after scoring a 2nd-half winner.
0-1 at home to West Bromwich Albion:
Jason Roberts' strike gave newly-promoted Albion a 1-0 win, as Hammers slipped to their third defeat in four in a shocking performance. West Brom were also relegated, winning just 6 league games all season...
2-2 at home to Arsenal:
Hammers' first home game of the season, against Champions Arsenal (who were unbeaten for god-knows how long) was not the ideal game for a side recovering from a 0-4 loss at the Geordies in the previous game. Having said that, West Ham were excellent for most of the game, and stunned the Gooners, storming into a 2-0 advantage. Thierry Henry, pulled a goal back for the visitors with a superb solo effort, but Hammers had the chance to seal the win with a penalty. Frederic Kanoute stepped up and... his feeble penalty was comfortably saved by Gooners keeper David Seaman. And, so predictably, Arsenal salvaged a point in the very final minute of the game, when they should have been trounced.
1-1 away to Chesterfield:
How many times has this happened? A Division 2 side causes us problems in a League Cup 2nd Round tie - this game was level 1-1 after extra time. Fortunately, Hammers held their nerve to progress into Round 3, winning 5-4 on spot kicks.
BRILLIANT!!!
5-0 at home to Wimbledon:
Hammers got their biggest win of the season against a very poor Dons side (who of course went out of existence the following season - now known as Milton Keynes Dons). Player-of-the-season Matthew Etherington scored a hat-trick.
4-0 at home to Watford:
Hammers all but guaranteed their place in the Divisional play-offs with a resounding win against the Hornets..
4-0 at home to Wigan Athletic:
Finally, new Hammers boss Alan Pardew was able to celebrate a win after failing to triumph in any of his first 7 games in charge. The newly-promoted visitors, who were also challenging for promotion, had 2 men sent off.
3-0 away to Crewe Alexandra:
Biggest away win of the season for Hammers, who scored all 3 goals in quick succession in the first-half.
3-0 at home to Crystal Palace:
An excellent Hammers display saw on-loan Neil Mellor score twice, as Palace slipped even further down the table after they had been in top spot, winning their first 3 games.
4-2 at home to Crewe Alexandra:
Hammers turned out a brilliant first-half performance, leading the visitors 4-0 at the break, but Steve Jones notched a brace to make the score respectable for the visitors.
3-1 away to Wolverhampton Wanderers:
Although Wolves were finding life extremely difficult in their first-ever Premiership season, this FA Cup 4th Round game at Molineux presented a big task for the Hammers. However, a superb display saw them take a 2-0 lead, and despite an immediate response from Wolves, David Connolly sealed the win with a wonderstrike for the Hammers' third before half-time.
2-0 at home to Ipswich Town:
The Second leg of the Play-off semi-final against Town, and Hammers were trailing 0-1 from the game at Portman Road. But a gritty, determined performance from the Hammers saw them into the final with an excellent 2-0 victory.
3-2 away to Cardiff City:
Hammers found themselves 0-2 down at Ninian Park to Division 1 rivals Cardiff in Round 2 of the League Cup, but Jermaine Defoe bagged a hat-trick, his third goal coming in the final minute, in a great comeback.
3-2 at home to Sunderland:
Alan Pardew had still only recorded one win in ten games for his new club, and the Hammers' faithful were getting restless after the home side trailed 0-2 to promotion-rivals Sunderland at half-time. But a brilliant second-half turnaround saw the Hammers take the points in an exciting contest.
SHOCKINGLY POOR...
1-4 away to Millwall:
Typically, Hammers' heaviest defeat of the season came against our bitter nasty, thuggish rivals Millwall, who also missed a penalty in the demolition of us in March. The day started poorly for Hammers, who trailed to Christian Daily's own goal in the first half. The Lions increased their lead in the second half, and although Marlon Harewood's penalty brought Hammers back into the game, the home side increased their advantage .
0-3 at home to Fulham:
Hammers had done well to earn an FA Cup 5th Round replay against Fulham, and dominated much of the first half. However, failing to convert their chances proved costly for the home side, as 3 second-half strikes sealed the win for Fulham.
0-2 away to Gillingham:
This was caretaker-boss Trevor Brooking's first defeat, ending Hammers' run of four successive league wins. Good old Tomas Repka scored an own goal in the last minute.
0-2 away to Reading:
Sure enough, Alan Pardew recieved a frosty reception from the home fans on his first return to his former club. And it obviously got to the players as well, as 2 goals from Dave Kitson gave Reading 3 easy points. Funny that we always seem to lose when I really want us to beat the living shit out of the opposition...
3-4 at home to West Bromwich Albion:
For the second successive season we were defeated by the bloody Baggies, but this result was even more sickening than the crappy 0-1 loss last season. Pardew was still hunting for his first win, after 5 successive league draws, and things began brilliantly for the Hammers, who took the lead in the 1st minute, and were already 3-0 up by the 18th minute. But, as we all know, when the opposition score, they are right back in the game (especially when you're playing West Ham), and sure enough, Albion scored not once, but twice before the break, and if that wasn't proof enough that the game was slipping away from us, Jermaine Defoe was sent off as well. So 3-2 ahead, soon became 3-3... then 3-4... and we had let the buggers get away with 3 points when we should have destroyed them...
1-2 at home to Ipswich Town:
Jermaine Defoe put Hammers ahead in the second half, only for Town to fight back to win 2-1. Pablo Counago cheated to get them a penalty, then they scored a late, late winner. And, not for the 1st time that season, 3 points became 0 points.
1-2 at home to Preston North End:
Again Hammers let a half-time lead slip, as North End turned the match around with 2 goals in 2 minutes in the 2nd half.
0-1 away to Crystal Palace:
The defining moment of our season: The Play-off Final at the Milennium Stadium, Cardiff. Hammers had defeated Ipswich 2-1 on aggregate with a hard-fought win at Upton Park, whilst Palace had beaten Sunderland on penalties, after the aggregate score was level at 4-4. Palace had completed an amazing turnaround in their season when ex-Hammer Iain Dowie took over in December, with Palace lying in 18th position. That aside, though, Palace would not have finished 6th had Hammers' striker Brian Deane not scored in the final minute against Wigan (who would have finished 5th instead of 7th) in the 1-1 draw at the JJB Stadium. So, Palace returned the favour by beating us 1-0, in a terrible Hammers performance, and we remain stuck in this crappy division - now called the "Championship".
0-1 away to Rotherham United:
Glenn Roeder was sacked after this diabolical performance, in only our third game in the 1st Division.
0-0 at home to Walsall:
Hammers failed to beat soon-to-be relegated Walsall in a dour match at Upton Park. The Saddlers also held us to a disappointing 1-1 draw at the Bescot Stadium.
2-1 away to Preston North End:
Hammers' first game of the season, a noon kick-off at Deepdale, and after one minute of the new season, we were a goal behind... Fortunately Jermaine Defore scored in the 10th minute and new signing David Connolly grabbed a 2nd-half winner to spare Hammers' blushes.
BRILLIANT!!!
5-0 at home to Plymouth Argyle:
Finally, we beat the crap out of someone. But to be fair, Hammers didn't play particularly well, and had their fair share of luck during the thumping of an awful Plymouth side yet to win in 2005. A Marlon Harewood penalty got the ball rolling for the Hammers, and an own goal from their keeper and a cheeky Malky Mackay lob put us firmly in the driving seat at half-time. Teddy Sheringham scored twice in the second half, including a twice-taken penalty which he missed first time!
3-0 at home to Coventry City:
Three goals in the last 15 minutes saw Hammers still in contention for a play-off place, and sucked Coventry into the relegation dogfight at the bottom. Unfortunately, Hammers' play-off rivals Preston, Derby, Sheffield United and Reading all won too, leaving Hammers in 7th spot.
3-1 at home to Gillingham:
A top performance from the Hammers in the first 40 minutes saw us cruising at 3-0, before the Gills pulled one back on half-time.
2-0 away to Ipswich Town:
A brilliant, disciplined Hammers performance saw us upset Championship leaders Ipswich on New Year's Day. We were helped out by the Town defence, as a poor backpass in the 1st minute allowed Marlon Harewood to nip in and give Hammers the lead, and we dominated the rest of the game, but only adding our second through Matthew Etherington in stoppage time at the end of the match. West Ham could and maybe should have won by more - we had a perfectly good goal disallowed from a free-kick and wasted some decent chances, whilst Ipswich were very ordinary.
2-0 away to Ipswich Town:
Yes, Hammers actually pulled it off twice!! This game was significantly more important, due to the fact it was the 2nd leg of the Championship play-off semi-finals; the 1st leg, at Upton Park, was (as you might expect) thrown away by Hammers after cruising into a 2-0 lead before 15 minutes had gone - Ipswich fought back to claim a 2-2 draw going into the 2nd leg. But as the underdogs, West Ham turned out another brilliantly disciplined performance against Joe Royle's men, and two excellent second half goals in the space of 12 minutes from Bobby Zamora (of all people) saw us book our place in Cardiff, where we will attempt to put the nightmare display of the 2003/04 final against Palace to rest.
2-0 away to Sunderland:
Another superb away performance from the Hammers saw us take 3 points at the Stadium of Light against ten-man Sunderland. Marlon Harewood scored in the second half, before Teddy Sheringham doubled the lead in the dying seconds. I find it amazing that we win convincingly at the top teams, and yet struggle at the relegation-threatened sides like Rotherham and co. But that's West Ham for you - bloody inconsistent.
3-2 away to Crewe Alexandra:
Hammers started brilliantly at Gresty Road, and were 3-0 up inside half an hour. But no sooner had our third goal gone in, the home side pulled one back. 3-1 at half-time, and West Ham had plenty of chances to increase their lead, but again scoring 4 goals away from home proved impossible for the Hammers, as the home side set up a frantic finish with their 2nd goal and ten minutes still remaining.
3-2 at home to Watford:
Hammers had lost the previous two league games 0-1 and were losing further ground on the top two, but the home game with London rivals Watford started very poorly, as the Hornets went 2-0 up in the first 20 minutes. Hammers fought back superbly, though, and by the break were back all square at 2-2. Sergei Rebrov scored the winner on the hour to complete a remarkable Hammers turnaround.
2-1 away to Wigan Athletic:
Although Hammers hadn't won in their last five league games, and just as our play-off hopes were disappearing down the shit-hole, it wasn't a total surprise that we defeated 2nd-placed Wigan, as Hammers had already won on the road at 1st-placed Sunderland and 3rd-placed Ipswich in convincing fashion. Although the home side took the lead shortly into the second half, Hammers turned the game around through strikes from Sheringham and Harewood.
2-1 away to Sheffield United:
For the first time in over a decade, Hammers defeated United through a long-range Marlon Harewood strike and a late winner, despite the home side dominating most of the game. So nice beating this dirty lot.
2-1 away to Watford:
This final-day win sealed Hammers' place in the play-offs after another frustrating season. Anton Ferdinand's first goal for the club and a Harewood penalty set us on our way to another meeting with 3rd-placed Ipswich Town in the play-off semis.
1-0 at home to Norwich City:
Two evenly-matched teams fought it out in Round 3 of The FA Cup, and Hammers deservedly won the contest with Marlon Harewood's 82nd minute strike against the Premiership strugglers.
1-0 vs Preston (at Milennium Stadium):
Hammers had done brilliantly to win at Ipswich in the play-off semi-finals, but this game would ultimately decide who would seal their place in the 2005/06 Premiership season. It was a massive game for both teams but West Ham, £30million in debt, put last season's dismal play-off final effort against Palace to rest with a well-deserved 1-0 win. Bobby Zamora, our unlikely hero in the 2nd leg against Ipswich, was the difference as his 2nd-half volley secured our spot in the Premiership. The most important game of my life as a Hammers fan, and we won!!! ABSOLUTELY FUCKING BRILLIANT!!!!!!
SHOCKINGLY POOR...
1-4 away to Cardiff City:
Hammers were outclassed by a struggling Cardiff team, who were deep in the relegation mire, but 2 early goals saw the Bluebirds comfortable ahead by half-time. They added a third shortly after the break, and although Marlon Harewood replied with a penalty, Cardiff added their fourth just before the full-time whistle. Again Hammers show how vulnerable they are away from home.
2-4 away to Wolverhampton Wanderers:
The home side took the lead through Kenny Miller in the first half, but the teams went in at half-time on level terms, after Bobby Zamora netted for the Hammers. Miller notched his second after the break, only for Zamora to score his second with the sides locked at 2-2. But again our fragile defence was exposed for their third and fourth goals, both coming within two minutes of one another; it would have to be bloody Paul Ince who gave Wanderers the lead, and Carl Cort rubbed salt into the wound, in another Hammers debacle.
1-3 away to Reading:
Pardew made his second return to Reading since walking out on them to take over the West Ham hotseat in October 2003, and was given a hard time by not only the home fans but the Hammers' faithful as well, as another atrocious display on the road saw Dave Kitson net a hat-trick for Reading, who had failed to win any of their last 10 games. Sheringham pulled one back with 9 minutes to go, but at 0-3 down there was no chance of a comeback. The defeat saw Hammers slip further away from the play-off spots, whilst Reading were now 3 points ahead of us in 6th.
1-3 at home to Wigan Athletic:
Third game of the season, and Hammers had made a decent start, earning a point in a 0-0 opening day draw at Leicester and a 1-0 win at fellow-promotion-chasers Reading. However, Wigan, who were denied a play-off spot last season by the Hammers, ripped us apart in the first-half, flying into a 2-0 lead by the break. The away side got their third just after half-time, before Bobby Zamora scored a scrappy consolation in what summed up a terrible Hammers' showing.
0-2 at home to Sheffield United:
Just two days after our excellent win at Ipswich had put us back on course for promotion, Hammers turned out another apalling display against our fellow promotion-seeking rivals, who we met again in the FA Cup 4th Round a couple of weeks later.
1-2 away to Preston North End:
Another shocking away performance from the Hammers, and Tomas Repka in particular who was at his worst, allowing the home side plenty of room for both their goals. 0-2 down at half-time, and although Nigel Reo-Coker scored almost immediately after the break, West Ham wasted some golden opportunies to salvage something from a disappointing game.
1-2 at home to Preston North End:
Hammers put in yet another atrocious display and are punished by 5th-placed North End, who take the lead when Hammers keeper Bywater missed a backpass, giving the away side an absolute gift in the 17th minute. Preston doubled their lead 10 minutes from time, before Bobby Zamora replies with a consolation. To make our day even better, Tomas Repka is sent off just before half-time. Reading knick our play-off spot as Hammers slide to 7th.
1-2 at home to Derby County:
Derby, under George Burley, had done a magnificent job to haul themselves into the Top 6 in the league - mainly due to a great away record; this was something like their 7th away win in the league already, and this game was being played in January. And an under-pressure Hammers side played poorly, as Gregor Raziak scored a brace, to knock the Hammers out of the play-off positions.
1-2 at home to Sunderland:
Hammers' final home game of the season was crucial to our floundering play-off hopes. After conceding a last-minute equaliser at Brighton the previous week, Hammers looked to be preserving their unbeaten run (of 8 games incredibly) when Marlon Harewood netted just before the break. However, Sunderland turned the game around in the second half, with Stephen Elliott securing the three points with a late strike, securing the Black Cats the Championship title in the process, and leaving a nice dent in our play-off prospects - we actually slipped out of the top six with this defeat.
0-1 at home to Brighton & Hove Albion:
The visitors had only scored 14 goals when they arrived at Upton Park - only Rotherham, miles adrift at the bottom had scored fewer - but Guy Butters' goal in the second half gave the Seagulls 3 valuable points, in a game which saw a double sending-off when Hayden Mullins (who was also red-carded during the brawl) was hacked down by Brighton's Adam Virgo.
0-1 away to Millwall:
Again the bloody scum defeat us in another bad Hammers' display. Marlon Harewood was senf off for apparently "diving" in their box - that was a crap decision, and it turned the game in their favour.
2-2 away to Rotherham United:
Rock-bottom Rotherham had only just picked up their 2nd league win on Boxing Day, 1-0 away to Leicester City, and two days later they dominated the Hammers in the first half, taking a 2-0 lead into half-time. With a lot of good fortune, Hammers dug themselves out of an enormous shithole, with two penalties (converted by Sheringham and Harewood) in the space of 5 minutes. Another pathetic away effort.
1-1 at home to Millwall:
Incredibly, Hammers had won three in a row in the league and needed maximum points to keep up the pressure on the other play-off hopefuls, but fell behind in the 13th minute when Barry Hayles rounded James Walker to open the scoring for the visitors. The superb Etherington crossed for Harewood's equaliser before half-time, but Derby, Preston and Reading all recorded victories to leave Hammers in 7th, 4 points adrift of the play-off zone. Good old thuggish Millwall, never missing an opportunity to try and fuck up our promotion hopes.