Last view for the Boleyn Soldiers

Soldiers join the crowd at the Boleyn, its September the second and the country is on tenterhooks preparing for possible war, The Germans had invaded Poland and Britains prime minister, Neville Chamberlain, had issued Hitler a last ultimatum, withdraw or face war.

Around the country though the usual Saturday trip to football continued, and at Upton Park West Ham faced Leicester City in what was a Division 2 league game, it was actually the last Division 2 game played that season as the very next day war was declared and all current football leagues were stopped. 

West Hams last pre war team that day were

Harry Medhurst,

Charlie Bicknell,

Ted Fenton,   

Charlie Walker,

Richard Walker,

Joe Cockroft,

Stan Burton,

Archie, Macaulay,

Cliff Hubbard,

Len Gouldon,

Jackie Wood.

West Ham lost the game, played in front of 13,400 fans, 2-0. Their first defeat after winning the two previous games, away to Plymouth and then home 2-1 against Fulham. 

Football didn’t resume until late October with the league re-organised into a regional competition.
The season would end in glory for the hammers though by winning the War cup at Wembley., defeating Leicester as it happens on the way

Newspaper reports of the game show that West Ham were the dominant team in the game, with England international Len Gouldon performing on the wing

The Final league table before war broke out

DG Christmas Carol

I wrote this for Over Land and Sea Fanzine printed December 2012, a bit of fun with a serious message at christmas. How true it becomes, only time will tell

Was Christmas eve and David Gold stood on the balcony over looking the concourse out onto Green street, when he looked to his right he could see to his child hood home, number 442, so many memories and in the distance he could see the Olympic stadium, where he hoped to move his beloved club no matter what the fans think.
In one moment he could see his past present and future standing there in front of him, it filled him with pride. Pride in where he had came from and what he had achieved. He was alone in his thoughts and had not noticed the shadowy appearance next to him.
DG, “DAD” he cried, recoiling in the fact that his father had been dead for
many years.
GG” Hello David, tis Christmas Eve and i bring you a message, tonight you will be visited by 3 spirits, be sure to listen to all 3 as the future of the club depends upon”. And with that he was gone. 

DG was shocked but looking around and noticing he was alone, shrugged it off as an illusion.
That night sitting alone at home, his mind on other things, he heard the clock strike 11, a great draft blew in through an open window, DG quickly closed it,
feeling a slight shiver he walked over to pour himself a drink, he turned back
into the room, standing there was the first spirit, “Woooahh do you recognise me” 

DG “its, its, Its Eric Parsons, The Rabbit, i remember you, you were my favourite player as a kid” 
EP “well i’m the ghost of Christmas past, and i’m here to take you on a journey” and with that Eric grabbed DG’s arm and picked him
up and together they left his house. Before they knew it they were back in Green st, Dec 26 1949, Standing outside 442 Green St, a young DG was leaving his house, off into the crowd that was walking past the Boleyn House turret and into the Ground. EP “look how happy you are DG look how happy the crowd are” 

DG “yes, i loved this place, such happy times, nothing can
quite beat the sound of Green st on a match
day. A great game game as well Eric, you scored as we beat Swansea 3-0”
EP “yes DG happy days, but still hold on to your memories because when they tear this place down thats all that people will have, another piece of East London tore down in the name of progress”. DG “but it will be for the better Eric” 

EP “time we were off, got to get you back, just hold on to your
memories,thats all you will have”
And with that Eric parsons was gone, and DG was back sitting in his lounge, was it real, had he imagined it, where was that drink he wanted? He went
back to the drinks cabinet
“i wouldnt drink that if i was you Dave” DG jumped back in shock “John Bond
is that you”
JB “ yup, not been gone long so im a bit new to this spooking lark, but ive been nominated as the Ghost of Christmas present, Woooahhh. Wheres the cigars” 

DG “can we get on with it” 

JB “come on then off we go” suddenly they
were back at the lounge at the Boleyn Ground, watching the recent SAB meeting, Karen Brady was speaking to the assembled members, many nodding their heads like the life size caricature dolls they sell in the club shop of Gold & Sullivan. 

DG “she’s got them eating out the palm of her hand, look
at them they are loving it” 

JB “not all though Dg, look in the corner to your
right see, the revolutionaries plotting your downfall. they can see through the rubbish Brady is spouting.
Only 54,000 seats, of which 35,00 will be upper tier so they will all be sitting the wrong side of the running track. in theory you can fit every fan that attends games at the Boleyn in the upper tier so all will be behind the running track.
DG “yeah but we will push seats up to the track” JB “thats right you will, BUT you said on match of the day 2 that front row seats of the Boleyn will match the front row seats of the OS” 

DG “yes thats right” 

JB “yeah, but only at the corner flag, because of the arc of the seating the middle will be alot further away and i didnt know that the front row of the seats at the Boleyn were 9 meters away because that is the nearest seat at the OS” 

DG “well they are in the East stand”.
JB “come on Mr Gold time we were leaving, got to get you back for No 3”
and with that they were back in DG’s house.

Relieved to be back DG decided to forgo that drink and retire to bed. He drifted off quite quickly but was soon awoken by a crashing noise. he looked up to see at the end of his bed, a shadowy figure, wild hair and with a cain, 

DG ”who are you”  

BB “Im the Beast of the Boleyn and ive been sent as the spirit of Christmas future, come on shorty your coming with me” and with that the beast dragged Dg off by his ankles. 

Next he knew they were getting of a tube train at West Ham station.
DG “what we doing here” 

BB “Got to walk from here up the Greenway to the
OS, wont let us get off at Stratford, apparently because of the recent aggro when Millwall turned up Westfield have stopped the football fans from entering the stadium that way, now we walk in all weather, 30 minutes up to the stadium” 

DG “what Millwall are in the premier League”
BB “i thought you was mad not stupid, it was a cup game”.
as they trudged through the rain the stadium appeared, a sign lit up the view,
Welcome To the VISA Stadium, the home of WEST-FIELD OLYMPIC FC.
DG “whats with that sign” BB “well when you and Sully sold the club after you moved into the OS it was bought by that aussie who owned next door, the WestField shopping centre.
He didn’t like the name anymore so changed it, dropped the Ham changed it to Field”
DG “what about the Olympic bit though” BB “ that was Karen Brady’s idea, dont you remember her Sun Column when you and sully bought the club”.
As the pair entered the stadium, 1/2 empty in appearance, Gold turned to the
Beast, “where are the fans then” 

BB “well there are 35,000 in here the same
as you used to get at the Boleyn, but once the initial goodwill disappeared, the £10 tickets never materialised and the tourists stopped coming because the
view is better else where and the part timers went back to their shopping and watching on the TV, all that were left were loyal regulars, those that had stuck
by the club through thick and thin, of course many have walked away in disgust at the way you and the others treated them, but then you couldn’t deliver on your promises, no champions league football, no top 4 finishes, no challenging for the best players in the world, no safe standing area as you couldn’t incorporate that when the Athletics was using the stadium. Just the same old West Ham but in more square footage. That is your legacy Mr Gold, for once they lost the ground it was easy to strip away the old ways in pursuit
of the modern money, The Boleyn was part of the fabric of the club, once torn though, might as well change the lot”
DG “this is not what i had planned”
BB “No Mr Gold, it wasn’t but then you dont control the future, just the here
and now.... Time to go Mr Gold”

David Gold awoke in his Bed on Christmas Day, had he dreamed it, was it just
a bad dream or is it the future of the club?
Of course we all hope the above is purely fictional, it came to me while listening to DG’s speech at the SAB meeting, all that was missing was Marleys Ghost. No one knows what the future will bring, but as said above The Boleyn is part of the fabric of the club, once torn away it leaves a frayed edge that could possibly unravel to nothing.

Merry Christmas everyone

6 FOOT 2 fanzine issue 2

The next issue of 6 FOOT 2 fanzine is out now, free to read with no subscription needed,
packed with great articles covering,
 Percy best betting tips, Seans pub crawl around Stratford.
Feature writers and a look back at West Ham’s previous homes as we look forward to our first ever league game.

Trevor Brooking is our page 3 star, we look back at our previous games against Bournemouth, The opening game at the London Stadium against Domzale and the Juventus game as well, 

So check out the Bournemouth edition of 6 Foot 2 magazine 

ISSUE 1 ALSO AVAILABLE HERE

Millwall 1930 FA Cup 5th Round

In Febuary 1930 West Ham faced local Rivals Millwall in

the F.A Cup 5th round, meeting for the first time sine they had left the Southern League in 1919 and joined the football league.
To get to this round the Hammers had defeated Notts County in the 3rd round 4-0 then Leeds 4-1 with both games being played at the Boleyn to set up the first meeting in 15 years between the old enemy.
The Hammers attack was led by all time leading goalscorer Vic Watson, who was in the midst of his greatest season. in the 44 games he played that season Watson scored 50 goals. 42 of those came in the league and 8 in just 4 FA Cup games.
The Hammers team on the day were as follows

Ted Hufton

Alfred Earl

Charlie Cox

Jim Collins

Jim Barrett

Albert Caldwell

Tommy Yews

Stanley Earl

Vic Watson

    Viv Gibbons

   Jimmy Ruffell

Gibbons Yews and Watson

The game was over as a contest before half time as first Gibbons, then Watson scoring two in between a goal scored by Tommy Yews set alight the 26,000 crowd the had brave the weather. Newspaper report from the day claimed that the attendance may have been higher if the West Ham board hadn't seen fit to double the gate entrance fee for this game leaving 8,000 less fans at the game that had seen the 4-1 victory over Leeds in the previous Round.

Millwall's goal was scored in the second half after a mistake by West Ham keeper Ted Hufton, though it was to be no more than a consolation as West Ham marched into the sixth round. 

The fans probably at that time dreamed of a return to Wembley but West Ham's cup bubble was burst as Arsenal was pulled out the bag to face the hammers in the next round.

The Gunners would dispose of west Ham at The Boleyn 3-0, in their team that day was a familiar cup foe in David Jack, now of Arsenal but back in 1923 Captain of Bolton Wanderers and scorer of the first Ever Goal to be scored at Wembley in the famous final of that year, one which the Hammers lost 2-0.

But in 1930 we are lucky enough to witness the goals as Movitone news cameras were on hand to film the game in what is the first ever filmed meeting between West Ham and Millwall.

 

   

 

Barnes stings the Hornets

Just 4 months after our FA Cup win the Hammers set about regaining their top flight status, after a slow start to the season, No wins in first three games, the team were on the up after winning 3 out of their next 3 to leave them sitting fourth in the table, with a European adventure to boot, Lyalls legends were up and running.
The first european game is remembered for all the wrong reasons as crowd trouble marred the night but it was that game that saw a young 17 year old Youth star make his first appearance for the club, coming on as a substitute for Nicky Morgan Bobby Barnes got his first taste of the big time.
Bob didn't have long to wait for his second appearance though as just 3 days later on the 20th September 1980 he was handed a starting place wearing the No7 shirt again replacing Morgan from the Wednesday night defeat in Madrid.

West Ham Team

Phil Parkes

Ray Stewart

Frank Lampard Snr

Billy Bonds

Alvin Martin

Alan Devonshire

Bobby Barnes

Paul Goddard

David Cross

Trevor Brooking

Geoff Pike

This was only our 3rd ever Football league meeting with the Hornets and we had yet to win the previous two but this game was to be a goal fest.
Watford took the lead in the first half with a goal created by Luther Blissett and scored by Malcolm Poskett and it took until the second half for the Hammers to come back into it with a David Cross goal after a great cross by Lampard.
Stung by that goal, Watford hit back with a goal from their own teenage player, Kenny Jacket, to put West Ham back behind in the game. This though was where Barnes came into the game and joined the list of Hammers to score on their full debuts, as the video show below he picks the ball up just inside the Hornets half, slips the ball past a watford midfielder to run on goal and as two defenders close he shoots past their keeper to equalise.
The game is won by Brooking with a fantastic header which in 1980 wasn't as rare as many believe.
3-2 to West Ham and they move up to second spot in the table, top spot would be achieved on 11th of November and from that day until the end of the season they never dropped down a place again, winning the league with a (2 point a win) record of 66 points, 13 clear of second placed Notts county.
That season West Ham only lost 1 home game, and that was the first against Luton in the August, they finished with 21 home games played, 1 loss, 1 draw with Oldham and 19 wins of which though Bobby Barnes would start just the one game, with 5 other sub appearances which considering his start is perhaps surprising but would be indicative of his career at West Ham. In the 5 years he spent around the first team he would make just 38 starts, scoring 6 goals before leaving to join Aldershot but he will mainly be remembered for his goalscoring start to his hammers career.

The video has all 5 goals with commentary from Brian Moore from the Big Match 

1980-81

Lights Out Lampard

3rd of November 1997, West Ham welcomed Crystal Palace to the Boleyn Ground for a Monday night game live on TV, it could be described as a non decrepit game but one that would later be be found to be part of an international betting scam, featuring corrupt security guards Chinese triads and Malaysian  betting fixers. Yet those us of us in the ground that night would never have thought what happened was nothing but co-incidence. Months later it would look to be part of a sinister plot to fix football matches in this country to allow asian gangs to collect their winnings as in asia they pay out on abandoned games as long as the second half has started unlike here that just void all bets.
West Ham had made a topsy turvey start to the season, winning 3 out of their first 5 games, before losing 5 out of the next 7 games, but with only the one defeat happening at the Boleyn, including victories over Spurs and Liverpool,the home fans had enjoyed the season so far.
Confidence was high with palace struggling in the table, surely this would be an another home win, Palace though had other ideas going into a first half two goal lead thats to a Neil Shipperly brace.

Whatever Harry said at Half Time though seemed to have done the trick, first Hartson scored what should of been his 13th goal of a so far profitable season, and then Frankie Lampard 

scores to equalise just 15 minutes into the second Half, but as can be seen in the video above, within seconds the floodlights go out on the game, which at the time seemed to just add to the excitement of the goal and 30 minutes later, around the time the game should have finished, the game was abandoned.
It would take 2 years before the truth would come out in a trial at the Middlesex Guildhall Courts of those suspected.
It seems that using a wireless trigger, the gang could disable the floodlights and stop them from working, to do this though they had to have had someone on the inside to assist in them placing a trigger across the floodlights electrics.

This is known as a year later the betting gang had tried again to fix another game, this time at Charlton, but having recruited the Addicks Head of security to the cause, the guard he had asked to help as well instead phoned the Police, and the gang + Charlton's security man were arrested in the act of planting the trigger. At The trial it was revealed this game and another at Selhurst park featuring Arsenal and Wimbledon that again had floodlight failure with the game tied in the second half.
The Hammers and Palace, unaware of what had caused the lights to go out met again just 1 month later to replay the abandoned game, again live on Sky though this time West Ham were not going to be caught cold.
A great exhibition of control in the box from Eval Berkovic sets up John Hartson for the first, who else but shipperley would equalise, but before the half was out Berkovic would score as the ball came off the bar after a Hartson header. Two more goals in the second half from David Unsworth and Steve Lomas would see us to the victory and push us back into the top 10 after 4 weeks just on the edge of it.

While West Ham would end the season in 8th spot with 56 points, second highest total in the Premier league for the club, and with a -1 goal difference, currently our best ever in the Premier league, Palace would finish rock bottom and go back to the Championship only 12 moths after promotion.
What of the betting syndicate, well the Police never found any direct evidence that they were the cause of the floodlight failure at The Boleyn but they had established a link between them and an employee of the club who was arrested but with a lack of evidence was released without charge.
The 2 Malaysians and Charlton's Security advisor were not so lucky, being jailed for between 18 months and 4 years.

Boleyn Gates

In 1956 the club were looking to buy the land in front of the West Stand, the entrance to the stand was down a narrow strip of land besides the Church, the land where the current entrance stands was part of the Boleyn Castle estate, which in the mid 50s was in a dilapidated state and eventually was demolished in 1955. West Ham already had use of the grounds and had sub-leased the building to the Boleyn castle sports and social club.

After being owned by various family in the late 18th century into the early 19th century the Catholic church purchased the 30 acre property to open a reformatory school in 1869. The school held upto 200 boys and was run by the Brothers of the order of the Mercy and was known as the St Edwards reformatory. The school moved to new premises in Walthamstow in 1906 and the building was used until 1912 as a Maternity hospital. That close in 1912 where upon the club leased the land off the catholic church.

 The picture shows the ground in 1948 with the entrance being where the current players car park is situated, and with the Green Street House and castle not being used by the church the club at last managed to the free hold to the land helped in a way by the selling of one of their star players at the time, Harry Hooper.
Harry joined the club aged 16 but was not born in the local area, he arrived thanks to his father being appointed the year before a trainer.
His dad Harry snr was from Burnley but played most of his career for Sheffield United, where he captained them in the 1936 FA Cup final v Arsenal, sadly for Harry Snr they lost 1-0. With the war interrupting football Harry left Sheffield for a short stint at Hartlepool before retiring in

Harry Snr at Wembley

 1949 to join West Hams training staff at a time when the management baton was being passed from Charlie Paynter to Ted Fenton.
Harry junior joined the ground staff soon after and in 1951 still only 17 made his debut against Barnsley in a 4-2 victory. A fast paced winger Harry didn't establish himself into the first team until 1953, but in his 6 seasons at the club  he still managed 136 games scoring 47 goals which for a winger was a good return.
so good that it persuaded Wolves manager Stan Culls to part with £25,000, a club record fee received at the time by the Hammers.
Wolves in the 1950s were different to the club of nowadays, led on the field by the Country's captain Billy Wright, they had won the First Division title in 1954.

The Transfer fee though was used by the West Hams board to purchase the free hold of the land in front of the Main West Stand and with that the gates were erected in their current position. Strangely Hoopers stay at Wolverhampton was short lived, though he scored 19 goals in 39 games manager Stan Culls it seems was not really impressed with him, and he was sold to Birmingham City for a £5,000 loss just 1 season later.
Cullis claimed that he signed Hooper in front of Tottenham Hotspur after watching him for sometime, His reason for selling him was that Hooper didn't fit in with the Wolves style of play.
The gates, now renamed after former manager John Lyall, though stood at the new entrance for 57 years until 3 of them were removed to be rehoused in the clubs new shop next to the Olympic Stadium where they will stand against a wall, though if you look at the look at the top picture from 1948 a set of gates can be seen at the entrance on Green street. The video below is from further back records the visit of the then Prince of Wales visiting the ground, gates can be clearly seen at the top as he enters the concourse so it seems the


gates go back even further than thought
possibly to when the Main west Stand was built in 1925.
Whether theses are the same gates or indeed new gates that were purchased with the money raised from Harry Hooper im yet to discover but with some of the gates removal and relocation to the clubs new retail shop by the Olympic Stadium it starts the removal of nearly 100 years of gates guarding the entrance to the Green St entrance

Lyall Gates in the club shop