Friday 1 June 2012

West Ham 2 Leeds 3

More fascinating archive material. This game followed close on the heels of the Blackpool debacle, when Bobby Moore led three team mates out on the piss on the night before the Third Round cup game which we duly lost 4-0 and a 2-0 defeat at Highbury. We finished third from bottom that season despite having Moore, Hurst, Bonds, Lampard and Brooking in the team. Imagine the stick Grant would have received in charge of that underachieving team - the man at the helm was, of course, the never to be maligned Ron Greenwood!

Some interesting names in the West Ham team with Howe, Lindsay and Useless Eustace starting. Those characters apart, it is a clutch of familiar names including McDowall, Lampard, Taylor and Grotier in addition to Bonds, Brooking and Hurst. Redknapp also played and missed a sitter than Darren Bent's mum would have scored!

The Leeds team was packed with all the old stars - legends like Lorimer, Clarke, Jones, Giles etcetera - although bit part player Bates started in place of Bremner and utility man Madeley fills in for Eddie Gray. Mind you I have no recollection whatsoever of the goal scoring sub, a one Rod Belfit.

The game is fascinating to watch but of even greater interest is Jack Charlton's damning condemnation of West Ham's performance, despite the fact that we battled back from two goals down to draw level, only to lose it at the death. I remember that interview, though I can't remember the game; we all hated Charlton anyway, but that confirmed him as a bastard of the first order in my little black book!

Three collectors items in the game: a Brooking headed goal (again!), a Eustace goal and a Hunter thunderbolt for Leeds.

Anyway watch and enjoy. Who knows, you may have been one of the kids who irritated Brian Moore by running on to the pitch!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3_OD90-BOE

3 comments:

Dave P. said...

As my uncle always said, nostalgia is not what it used to be. Watching our gteat Leeds team is always a pleasure, Imagine what Revie could have done with your players or maybe he thought that he had better, I think so I used to watch them and was never worried about us playing WHam.

Anonymous said...

Arsehole

Howyoodoin said...

Fascinating watch HF, thanks.

I don't think what Jack Charlton said was too bad honestly.

He said they expected more threat from West Ham And he was right!!!