WEST HAM UNITED
FOOTBALL PROGRAMMES &
Collectables through the Decade
A Pictorial History
theyflysohigh : Steve Marsh
1963-64 Football League First Division
Manager: Ron Greenwood
Fresh from winning the International Soccer League in America, the Hammers won two and drew two of their first four games to top the table. Two home defeats were to follow before West Ham won 2–1 at Liverpool, a victory that has not happened since.
The League Cup saw West Ham knock out neighbours Leyton Orient and Aston Villa to progress to the fourth round. After a further six games without a league win the Hammers beat champions Everton 4–2 at home and followed this up with a 1–0 win at Manchester United. Swindon Town were the next opponents in the League Cup and following an exciting 3–3 away draw West Ham won the replay 4–1. The next round brought a quarter-final clash with Fourth Division Workington, where Johnny Byrne scored a hat-trick in a 6–0 win.
On Boxing Day the home crowd were shocked as visitors Blackburn Rovers crushed West Ham 8–2. Two days later, with just one change to the side, the Hammers travelled to Blackburn and in a remarkable turnaround won 3–1. A 3–0 home win in the FA Cup against Charlton Athletic was followed in the next round with a 3–0 victory against neighbours Leyton Orient.
Back to the League Cup, and in the first leg of the semi-final at Filbert Street the Hammers lost 4–3 to Leicester City. Geoff Hurst scored twice in that game and two more as West Ham knocked Swindon Town out of the FA Cup after winning 3–1 at the County Ground. February proved to be a good month, with home wins against Tottenham (4–0) and Sheffield Wednesday (4–3), where Johnny Byrne scored a hat-trick.
A tough match in the quarter-final of the FA Cup saw Burnley beaten 3–2 at Upton Park to give a semi-final pairing with Manchester United. The game at Hillsborough was Bobby Moore’s finest performance as he inspired the Hammers to a 3–1 victory. The second leg of the League Cup semi-final with Leicester was lost 2–0, a 6–3 aggregate defeat, in what was West Ham’s fourteenth cup tie of the season.
Leading up to the FA Cup final the league form suffered a little, but the last home game brought a 5–0 victory against Birmingham City. A thrilling game took place with Second Division Preston North End in the Wembley final. The Hammers were twice behind and the score stood at 2–2 with a minute remaining. Then Ronnie Boyce headed home the winner to the delight of the delirious West Ham fans. The Hammers were FA Cup winners for the first time in their history.
Note:
Players in BOLD made their debuts for West Ham United
CHELSEA
Stamford Bridge
0 - 0
24 August 1962
Att: 46,298
Standen
Kirkup
Burkett
Peters
Brown
Moore
Brabrook
Boyce
Byrne
Hurst
Scott
REPORT:
BLACKPOOL
Upton Park
3 - 1 (Boyce, Brabrook, Peters)
26 August 1963
Att: 25,533
Standen
Kirkup
Burkett
Peters
Brown
Moore
Brabrook
Boyce
Byrne
Hurst
Scott
It took us 23 minutes to "break the ice" as far as goalscoring was concerned last Monday evening, but before that there had been plenty of thrills for the 25,533 attendance. They had been treated to a scintillating exhibition of controlled ball-play and some "near misses" which inevitably led to later goals. Ron Boyce's "solo" 13 minutes afterwards put us well on the road to victory, and only inches prevented Johnny Byme ending an amazing run on the stroke of half-time with another goal which might well have brought a complete rout of Blackpool.
The Seasiders were up against it after the interval, but they gave a stalwart display and kept our tally down to three, the last goal coming from a delightful "chip" which obviously pleased scorer Peter Brabrook. The 'Pool were rewarded for their persistence four minutes from time when hardworking centre-forward Ray Chamley fastened on to a half-chance to toe-end the ball into our net off a post; they also won many friends by the very fair manner in which they played from start to finish, for the game was not marred by any dubious conduct on either side and we can really look forward to the return game at Bloomfield Road next Monday.
IPSWICH TOWN
Upton Park
2 - 2 (Boyce, Byrne)
30 August 1963
Att: 27,599
Standen
Kirkup
Burkett
Peters
Brown
Moore
Brabrook
Boyce
Byrne
Hurst
Scott
The heavy rain that fell until about an hour before kick-off time undoubtedly affected the attendance on our first Friday evening fixture of the season, and it was apparent from the number of " late arrivals " that many did not decide to make their way to the Boleyn Ground until they saw a slight improvement in the weather. This in turn caused some traffic problems, and the visiting Ipswich Town team actually changed in their coach en route to the ground, as it took them about 75 minutes to travel down from Liverpool Street Station.
Such a hurried arrival could well have had an adverse effect on their play, and from the heavy pressure we put on them in the first half we appeared to be well on the way to our second victory of the season. In fact the margin in our favour at half-time was unexpectedly small, as we were worthy of more than a solitary goal. Even that lone tally took us 39 minutes to achieve, though it was well worth waiting for as Johnny Byrne's pile-driver inside the far post came at the end of a beautiful move in which Peter Brabrook and Tony Scott had a leading part. But as we had created several similar opportunities prior to that it was somewhat disappointing to see only this one accepted.
This was to a large extent due to the " defensive wall" erected by the Town, who often had ten of their men in the penalty-area; but despite this we carved several openings with delightful play that should have ended with the desired finish.
The persistency of the visitors in their sporadic raids was eventually rewarded when Billy Baxter headed home the ball after an indirect free-kick four yards from our goal, but when we restored our margin seven minutes later it once more looked heavy odds on an eventual Hammers' victory. Again several players contributed to the move which was finished off by Ron Boyce, and the team-work of our XI was a real delight to watch. Unfortunately our dreams were shattered when Ted Phillips sent in one of the drives which kept him among the leading scorers in past seasons, and we were never quite the same after this second equaliser.
It would be churlish to begrudge the Suffolk club their point, for we really only had ourselves to blame for not making the game safe earlier on, and the "never-say-die" efforts of the opposition were worthy of some reward. It was a disappointment not to win, but it was a reflection of the interest of the exchanges that everyone was on edge until the final whistle of a very interesting match.
The 27,599 attendance was favourably comparable with what we might have expected here had the match been played on a Saturday, and we are sure that it would have topped the 30,000-mark on a less inclement evening.
BLACKPOOL
Bloomfield Road
1 - 0 (Byrne [pen])
2 September 1963
Att: 18,407
Standen
Kirkup
Burkett
Peters
Brown
Moore
Brabrook
Boyce
Byrne
Hurst
Scott
We came in for some criticism at the Bloomfleld Road Ground, as our style of ptay was not approved by the 18,407 attendance in general. However, before the end of the game they were also directing some ironical cheering at the home forwards who did not show a lot of initiative in their efforts to penetrate our rearguard; what was perhaps even more significant is the fact that our goal came from a penalty-kick which was awarded when forward Des Home came back into the area to foul Johnny Byrne as he went through with a good scoring chance after beating the Blackpool "wall" which was hurriedly erected when we broke away.
"Budgie" netted from the spot quite comfortably in the 57th minute, and we thus became the first Football League club to complete a "double" in the 1963-64 season.
SHEFFIELD UNITED
Upton park
2 - 3 (Boyce, Byrne)
7 September 1963
Att: 23,837
Standen
Kirkup
Burkett
Peters
Brown
Moore
Brabrook
Boyce
Byrne
Hurst
Scott
The Hammers are toppled from top spot by the Blade’ first win of the season. Wagstaff scored after 4 minutes and when Allchurch let fly from 20-yards to make it 0-2 few would have bet on Hammers’ revival. Byrne’s header on 34 minutes and Boyce’s speed of foot just before half-time made it 2-2. Jim Standen in the Hammers’ goal flapped at a cross on 63 minutes to gift Allchurch his second of the game and the Blade’s returned home with a 3-2 victory.
NOTTINGHAM FOREST
Upton Park
0 - 2
9 September 1963
Att: 26,282
Standen
Kirkup
Burkett
Peters
Brown
Moore
Brabrook
Boyce
Byrne
Sealey
Hurst
After losing at home to Sheffield United two days earlier we succumbed to Nottingham Forest by 0-2. Despite the disappointment at our defeat we had an attendance of 26,282 for the fixture against Nottingham Forest; it was a beautiful evening, but somehow the Hammers had a "hangover" look about them, and the Midlanders had little difficulty in annexing the points.
An injury to Ken Brown that kept him off the field for ten minutes was unsettling, and in fairness it must be said that after his return he was not by any means fully fit. It made a certain amount of difference, but not really enough to offset a 2-0 defeat. Calvin Palmer played a leading role in putting dreadful West Ham to the sword. Colin Addison was unmarked when hooking in Trevor Hockey’s cross on 34 minutes and Palmer out jumped the limping Brown for the killer goal ten minutes later. We were unlucky when Jack Burkett's header hit the post before the visitors scored, but well before the end we looked a beaten team.
LIVERPOOL
Anfield
2 - 1 (Hurst, Peters)
14 September 1963
Att: 45,497
Standen
Kirkup
Burkett
Peters
DAVE BICKLES
Moore
Brabrook
Boyce
Byrne
Hurst
Dear
After two successive home defeats, we went to Anfield and defeated Liverpool 2-1. With Ken Brown out through injury, Dave Bickles made his League debut and had a great game and Brian Dear returned to the starting line-up for the first time. There were probably many who viewed our trip north with trepidation in anticipation of Liverpool making tremendous and unstoppable efforts to regain lost ground.
The Reds did make a splendid effort, but on this occasion had to again admit defeat at the hands of a team which took its chances and stemmed all but one of the home side's scoring efforts. The first of our two goals (in the 11th minute) came from a brilliant combined move that started with a "short comer" and ended with Martin Peters sidefooting the ball home, and the second was a splendid "solo" by Geoff Hurst in the 34th minute for him to register his first of the season. Two down at half-time, the Merseysiders came back, but were foiled with a wonder-save by Jim Standen who parried Ron Moran's penalty at the end of an hour's play. 45,497 spectators (less the gallant band of Hammers' fans who made the trip) then urged their side on to even more splendid efforts, and within four minutes they had some reward when Roger Hunt reduced the arrears, but all in vain, for the Hammers held them back and were praised for our display by a very favourable press. Little did they know at the time that it would be another 52-years before that winning feeling would be experienced at Anfield again.
NOTTINGHAM FOREST
City Ground
1 - 3 (Byrne)
17 September 1963
At: 25,741
Standen
Kirkup
Burkett
Peters
Bickles
Moore
Brabrook
Boyce
Byrne
Hurst
Dear
The 3-1 score-line against us and the reports of the early part of the game indicate that we had a very hard time against a very enthusiastic and clever Forest side that had gained nine points out of the last ten and which jumped to third place in the table as a result. Indeed, but for the tremendous form of Jim Standen we would have found ourselves facing a larger margin of arrears than the three goals scored by Dick le Flem (27 minutes), Frank Wignall (60 mins.) and Colin Addison. Standen certainly deserved the ovation given to him by the 25,741 attendance. However, our side never lost heart, and ten minutes from the end Budgie Byrne got one goal for us and Geoff Hurst had an excellent attempt headed off the line by Denis Mochan. We looked just as good as Forest in the arts of the game, but they always seemed to have a man more than us in the strategic spots and our defence, where Dave Bickles once again gave a dogged display had a lot to do against a very clever forward line.
ASTON VILLA
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LEYTON ORIENT : FL Cup (Second Round)
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TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
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BURNLEY
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SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY
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ASTON VILLA : FL Cup (Third Round)
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EVERTON
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MANCHESTER UNITED
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WEST BROMWICH ALBION
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ARSENAL
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LEICESTER CITY
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SWINDON TOWN : FL Cup (Fourth Round)
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BOLTON WANDERERS
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SWINDON TOWN : FL Cup (Fourth Round Replay)
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FULHAM
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BIRMINGHAM CITY
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CHELSEA
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WORKINGTON
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IPSWICH TOWN
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BLACKBURN ROVERS
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BLACKBURN ROVERS
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CHARLTON ATHLETIC : FA Cup (Third Round)
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SHEFFIELD UNITED
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LIVERPOOL
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LEYTON ORIENT : FA Cup (Fourth Round)
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LEYTON ORIENT : FA Cup (Fourth Round Replay)
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ASTON VILLA
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LEICESTER CITY : FL Cup (Semi-Final 1st-leg)
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TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
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SWINDON TOWN : FA Cup (Fifth Round)
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Railway porter, Bill Arnold on Beaconsfield Station holds a board up to notify West Ham United's footballers aboard a Wolverhampton bound train their next opponents in the FA Cup
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS
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SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY
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BURNLEY : FA Cup (Sixth Round)
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BURNLEY
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MANCHESTER UNITED
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MANCHESTER UNITED : FA Cup (Semi-Final)
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LEICESTER CITY
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ARSENAL
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LEICESTER CITY : FL Cup (Semi-Final 2nd-leg)
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STOKE CITY
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WEST BROMWICH ALBION
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STOKE CITY
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BOLTON WANDERERS
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FULHAM
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BIRMINGHAM CITY
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EVERTON
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PRESTON NORTH END : FA Cup (Final)
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