WEST HAM UNITED
theyflysohigh : Steve Marsh
FOOTBALL PROGRAMMES &
Collectables through the Decade
A Pictorial History
The Waiting Game
West Ham’s concluding home league fixture of the 1923/24 season was also FA Cup final day. While Newcastle United and Aston Villa contested the showpiece at Wembley, for the remaining teams on 26 April 1924 it was just a normal Saturday matchday, or that was the plan.
West Ham United's penultimate match against Manchester City, turned out to be nothing like a normal Saturday. Scheduled to kick-off at 3:15, the Boleyn Ground fixture was the climax to the home programme in the Hammers’ first-ever top flight campaign. Eighteen thousand spectators assembled with the expectation of witnessing a keen encounter. However, as events of that afternoon started to unfolded, kick-off would be delayed for well over two hours.
As kick-off time approached there was no movement from the player's tunnel, the visitors it seemed had failed to arrive on time. The Manchurians’ as planned, had started their journey to the Metropolis at ten o'clock and were due in at Euston at 1:15 p.m. leaving enough time to travel from the heart of the capital over to east London.
However, their journey didn't go quite to plan, en route their train was diverted to make an additional stop at Wembley to discharge Cup Final supporters. Then to their dismay the City party received news of the accident on the line, but were assured there would be no difficulty in getting through to the London terminus for their onward travel. The train continued, but stopped within a mile of its destination, eventually pulling into Euston three hours and 45 minutes late.
Back in east London the West Ham management were concerned as to the whereabouts of the Manchester team. “They might at least have sent a wire or phone message” was the frequent remark. Unbeknown to Upton Park officials the Manchester team were cut off from all communication. Word eventually arrived at the ground that the delay was due to a railway accident.
Inquiry: 24 June 1924
An Inquiry into the accident confirmed that on the morning of the match; about 7:35am, near Euston Station, on the London, Midland and Scottish Railway. An electric train from Watford, travelling to Euston on the up slow line, struck the rear of the (No. 71 Special) excursion train from Coventry (carrying Aston Villa supporters to the Cup Final at Wembley Stadium) which was standing at the up slow home signal for Euston No.4 signal box.
The collision was of a serious character, and that five passengers, all in the excursion train, died from the effects, and sixty-eight passengers suffered injuries. The motor man of the electric train was imprisoned by the wreckage for about five hours; the guard of the excursion train was also very seriously injured, and the guard of the electric train to a less extent.
The Band Played On
Meanwhile back at the Boleyn Ground a chalk board was taken round the perimeter of the pitch informing the crowd that “Manchester City had arrived at Euston and were on the way” the news was greeted with loud cheers.
The sun was shining after the heavy showers of the morning and the spectators were enjoying the excellent music of the ‘K’ Division Police Band, in between the musical numbers they talked football, with an eye open for any movement in the direction of the player’s tunnel. Their patience and good humour prevailed with an occasional burst of laughter now and then from some little incident that in other circumstances would have passed unnoticed along with an intermittent cheer for the bandsmen who had long since gone through their repertoire and were now playing popular selections from the period.
The Manchester party finally arrived in east London at five o'clock and by 5:26 p.m. the sky blue opposition kicked-off, some two hours and eleven minutes late.
City Defy Delay
The long delay seemed to cause more upset and disruption to the Claret and Blue side than to their opponents. After seven minutes the ball was crossed from the left wing into the home goalmouth. West Ham ‘keeper Tommy Hampson stretched up as the flight of the ball dropped under his crossbar and knocked the ball down but was unable to recover before Thomas Browell, City’s number nine bundled the rebound home.
The home side applied pressure but were unable to breach sky blue defence and the outstanding goalkeeping of James Mitchell. The breakthrough arrived five minutes before the interval when Tommy Yews centred and William Moore's header found the back of the net. The Hammers' goal arrived as the Citizens were down to ten men having lost their keeper Mitchell who had been knocked out in a collision resulting in Elwood, the centre half, taking his place between the posts.
Nevertheless, seven minutes into the second half City regained the lead when Roberts pounced after Hammers’ defender William Henderson’s indecision gifted the visitors what proved to be the winning counter. Although the Hammers’ continued to attack they frittered away a number of chances in a disappointing display to their concluding home fixture to their inaugural First Division campaign, which resulted in a 13th place finish, 13 wins, 15 draws and 14 defeats, 40 goals were scored and 43 conceded.
Meanwhile over in north-west London the FA Cup final between Newcastle United and Aston Villa had long since finished, goals inside the last ten minutes from Neil Harris and Stan Seymour secured a 2-0 win for the Magpie’s.
