WEST HAM UNITED
FOOTBALL PROGRAMMES &
Collectables through the Decade
A Pictorial History
theyflysohigh : Steve Marsh
1969-70 Friendlies
MARGATE : Public Practice Match
Hartsdowne Park
0 - 1
26 July 1969
Death
Glozier
Knowles
Sutton
Morgan
Miller
Llewelyn
Holland (Pointer)
Best
Cross
Lay
REPORT:
BARNET
Underhill
2 - 2 (Unknown)
29 July 1969
Death
Glozier
Knowles
Pointer
Morgan
Miller
Llewelyn
Holland
Best
Cross
Lay
REPORT:
Tour to West Germany
27 July - 2 August 1969
In addition to 16 players, the officials in the party were: W. F. Cearns (Director), Ron Greenwood, Rob Jenkins and Albert Walker. Apart from a brief downpour on the last of the eight days there was no rain, and at times the party would have almost welcomed a cooling shower! The heat brought physical complications, but fortunately it cooled a little before the first game and as we became acclimatised conditions were made easier.
Departing on the afternoon of July 27, we flew direct to Cologne and stayed at a hotel near the Cathedral. FC Cologne were West German Cup winners in 1967-68 and placed mid-way in last season's Bundesliga (First Division). One of the strongest sides we have met in recent tours, they were skippered by the brilliant World Cup player Wolfgang Overath. Cologne had much the better of the second half to win 4-1, but we were a little unfortunate to be in arrears at the interval. The attendance was 15,000 - the highest at the many pre-season German-British friendlies.
FC COLOGNE (West Germany)
Hauptkampfbahn Stadion
1 - 4 ([og])
29 July 1969
Att: 15,000
Ferguson (Grotier), Bonds, Charles J. (Lampard), Boyce, Stephenson, Moore, Redknapp, Lindsay (Howe), Hurst, Sissons, Peters
We flew to Stuttgart on the following morning, travelling 40 miles to Karlsruhe by coach. Three days accomodation was at a motel five miles from the city centre, and training-sessions were held on the ground of a local club - FSV Allemannia Ruppurr - against a background of the Black Forest.
KARLSRUHE (West Germany)
Wildparkstadion
4 - 0 (Bennett 2, Lindsay, Sissons)
1 August 1969
Att: 8,000
Grotier
Howe
Lampard
Peters (Hurst)
Stephenson
Moore
Redknapp
Lindsay
Bennett
Brooking
Sissons
Karlsruhe, relegated from the First Division two years ago, were an easier proposition, but our overall performance was much livelier and the 8,000 attendance was well-pleased with a sporting game in which we netted twice in each half and kept our goal intact despite a harsh penalty award.
We ran into travel complications on the Saturday. Departing from our motel at 8.15 a.m. we faced a 200-mile rail journey to Munich, followed by a 35-mile coach-ride. Unfortunately there were delays on the line, and the train arrived in Munich nearly an hour late. This meant a delayed lunch and arrival at Bad Weisse in Bavaria only an hour before the game.
BAYERN MUNICH (West Germany)
Grunwalder Stadion
0 - 0
2 August 1969
Att: 9,000
Ferguson, Bonds, Charles J., Peters (Howe), Stephenson, Moore, Redknapp, Boyce, Bennett, Hurst, Sissons (Lindsay)
However, the Hammers did tremendously well, and the goalless draw against Bayern Munich was really the best of the three results. Bayern were dual League and Cup winners last season, and in the circumstances the odds were in their favour. But our defence had a great time, and a little more fortune up front might well have snatched victory. The 9,000 attendance was certainly well pleased, and the game was very sportingly played against a wonderful background of mountains and lakes.
DAGENHAM
Victoria Road
1 - 1 (Unknown)
2 August 1969
Line-up Unknown
REPORT:
BROMLEY
Hayes Lane
3 - 1 (Carr 2, Best)
2 August 1969
Line-up Unknown)
REPORT:
ENFIELD
Southbury Road
3 - 1 (Cross 2, Llewelyn)
5 August 1969
Death
Heffer
Lampard
Glozier
Morgan
Miller
Humphreys
Holland
Best
Cross
Llewelyn
REPORT:
HARWICH & PARKESTON : Eric Armstrong Testimonial
Royal Oak
5 - 1 (Wallace 3, Carr, Gill)
7 October 1969
Line-up Unknown
REPORT:
BARNET
Underhill
2 - 2 (Cross, Lay)
22 November 1969
Line-up Unknown
As our second-string did not have a Combination game on Nov. 22 they went to Barnet and played the Hertfordshire club in a friendly. After a very even goalless first half we found ourselves 1-2 down. However, with the final kick of the match Stephen Lay equalised following a volley by Paul Heffer. Roger Cross netted our first with a header from a corner.
SLOVAN BRATISLAVA (Czechoslovakia)
Upton Park
1 - 1 (best)
2 February 1970
Att: 22,900
Grotier
Bonds
Howe
Peters
Stephenson
Moore
Brooking
Lindsay
Eustace
Hurst
Best
The weather conditions nesessitated the Hammers to change their kit at half time. We had no spare set of claret-and-blue available (they were in the laundry from the previous Saturday), and our alternative light-blue strip clashed with Slovan's blue - so we decided to ensure an easily distinguished contrast for the benefit of all concerned and settled for all-white. Unfortunately the jerseys were unnumbered, but in the circumstances this was really the best decision.
IPSWICH TOWN : Bill Baxter Testimonial
Portman Road
1 - 2 (Llewelyn)
6 April 1970
Att: 16,000
Grotier
Bonds
Lampard
Cushley
Stephenson
Moore
Holland
Lindsay
Llewelyn
Hurst
Sissons
REPORT:
BRENTWOOD TOWN : Dai Jones / Billy Dunbar Test
The Hive
0 - 2
8 April 1970
Earle
Charles C.
Lampard
Heffer
Cushley
Eustace
Redknapp
Lindsay
Llewelyn
Brooking
Durrell
REPORT:
READING : Dick Spiers Testimonial
Elm Park
3 - 3 (Brooking, Bonds, Greaves)
15 April 1970
Grotier
Bonds
Lampard
Miller
Bennett
Howe
Holland
Eustace
Brooking
Greaves
Sissons
REPORT:
ROMFORD : Derek Gibbs / Terry Tapping Testimonial
Brooklands
1 - 2 (Unknown)
17 April 1970
Line-up Unknown
REPORT:
BEXLEY UNITED : Alan McDonald Testimonial
Park View Road
? - ?
4 May 1970
Line-up Unknown
REPORT:
Martini Whitsun Tournament - Geneva
16 - 17 May 1970
Our Youth Team's close-season tour of Switzerland and Italy commenced with a partial success, but ended in overall disappointment as far as results were concerned. An opportunity to repeat last year's victory in the Martini Whitsun Tournament in Geneva was snatched from our grasp, and we were subsequently eliminated in the preliminaries of the Umberto Caligaris competition of which we reached the Final in 1969. To these setbacks was added an injury in an exhibition match that resulted in Peter Keary being flown home with a broken right leg for treatment at London Hospital.
IN GENEVA
The Hammers' party left London on Friday 15 May, and in addition to the 16 players the group included Wally St Pier, Ernie Gregory, John Lyall and Rob Jenkins. After settling in at a motel some eight miles from the ground on the outskirts of Geneva they prepared for the opening day of "Martini" on the Saturday. A convincing 4-1 victory over the Grasshopper Club of Switzerland gave the Hammers a good start, the strictly defensive-minded MTK Budapest tearn then got away with a goalless draw after heavy pressure in our second 20-minutes-each-way game, but we were in the happy position of only needing a draw from the tie v Standard Liege to finish at the head of our group. Sunday morning's meeting with the Belgians served to establish us as odds-on favourites with the local fans, for the margin could easily have been larger than 2-0.
GRASSHOPPERS (Switzerland) : Group match
4 - 1 (Unknown)
16 May 1970
Death, McDowell, Charles C., Aylott, Keary, Holland, Ayris, Pointer, Wallace, Gill, Durrell
MTK BUDAPEST (Hungary) : Group match
0 - 0
16 May 1970
Death, McDowell, Charles C., Aylott, Keary, Holland, Ayris, Pointer, Wallace, Gill, Durrell
STANDARD LIEGE (Belgium) : Group match
2 - 0 (Unknown)
17 May 1970
Death, McDowell, Charles C., Aylott, Keary, Holland, Ayris, Pointer, Wallace, Gill, Durrell
C.D. SABADELL (Spain) : Final
0 - 0 (Lost on penalties)
17 May 1970
Death, McDowell, Charles C., Aylott, Keary, Holland, Ayris, Pointer, Wallace, Gill, Durrell
The Final against Sabadell of Spain turned out a complete anti-climax, and the closing stages were difficult to follow due to the pitch being " invaded" by fans watching the taking of a series of penalty-kicks that were to decide the winners.
There would not have been any necessity for this unsatisfactory "play off" had events taken the apparently destined course in the 30-minutes-each-way Final. The Spaniards' spoiling tactics caused a lot of unpleasantness, and after a name-taking the referee ordered off one of their players on the stroke of half-time. The Hammers kept up the pressure against a packed defence, and with ten minutes to go were awarded a bitterly-disputed penalty-kick that held up play whilst Spanish supporters and officials were cleared from the pitch after one had assaulted the referee. The penalty was well-placed, but the Sabadell 'keeper capped a brilliant performance by saving it, and the game went to extra-time. Even after a further 15 minutes it was still nil-nil and there was no alternative but to take the " best of five " penalty-kicks in turn, with the fans literally " breathing down the necks " of the players. With the score- at 4-3 (including a miss by each side) and one penalty to go, Stephen Aylott kept our hopes alive by levelling the tally. This meant a further quintet apiece, but on the second time around we found ourselves 3-1 down with one to take and that was it!
P.R.O. VERCELLI (Italy) Friendly
Casale Monferrato
0 - 0
20 May 1970
Death, McDowell (Charles C.), Watson, Aylott (Keary), Scales, Sutton, Ayris (Durrell), Holland (Pointer), Wallace, Gill, Llewelyn
After a spell of relaxation on Lac Leman the Hammers flew off to Italy on the afternoon of Tuesday 18th May. Two days later they played a friendly match v P.R.O. Vercelli - not far from their headquarters at Castle Monferrato near Milan. It was an easy run-out, the Italian club being very satisfied with a goalless draw. But it was tragedy for Peter Keary, who went on as "sub" after the interval and broke his leg five minutes later.
14th Umberto Caligaris Tournament
23 - 30 May 1970
DINAMO ZAGREB (Yugoslavia)
Casale Monferrato
0 - 1
22 May 1970
Death, McDowell, Charles C., Aylott, Scales, Holland, Ayris, Pointer, Wallace, Llewelyn (Durrell), Gill
AS CASALE (Italy)
Casale Monferrato
4 - 0
26 May 1970
Death, McDowell, Charles C., Pointer, Scales, Holland, Ayris, Pointer, Wallace, Llewelyn, Gill