WEST HAM UNITED
theyflysohigh : Steve Marsh
FOOTBALL PROGRAMMES &
Collectables through the Decade
A Pictorial History
1998-99 FA Carling Premiership
A busy pre-season for transfers saw the Hammers purchase five new players: defenders Javier Margas and Neil Ruddock, experienced striker Ian Wright, midfielder Marc Keller and goalkeeper Shaka Hislop. On the opening day Wright scored on his debut at Sheffield Wednesday in the 1–0 victory. The goals were flowing in the home game with Wimbledon as goals from Hartson and Wright gave the Hammers a 3–0 lead, but there followed a complete collapse as they conceded four goals to give Wimbledon victory. Three days later the Hammers bounced back as they knocked Liverpool off the top spot with a 2–1 home win.
A poor performance in the League Cup saw the Hammers lose 2–1 on aggregate to Third Division Northampton Town. Ian Wright scored twice at Newcastle in a 3–0 win and three successive victories in November moved the side up to second in the table. The away form got worse with five successive defeats, including a 1–0 loss in the FA Cup to Swansea City. More transfer activity saw Ludek Miklosko and Tim Breacker join Queens Park Rangers, and John Hartson was sold to Wimbledon for £7.5 million. With funds at his disposal, manager Redknapp then bought midfielder Marc-Vivien Foe together with Italian forward Paolo Di Canio, who had recently served an 11-match ban for pushing over referee Paul Alcock. The arrival of Di Canio caused great excitement as he brought a degree of skill, showmanship, and awesome talent.
After this there were shock defeats as both Sheffield Wednesday and Arsenal won 4–0 at Upton Park. Results then improved and by the end of April, following a good 2–1 win at Tottenham, the side were in seventh spot and chasing a European place. There was a setback in May as the home game with Leeds saw Wright, Hislop and Lomas all sent off, which resulted in a 5–1 defeat. The final home game with Middlesbrough ended with a 4–0 victory and in finishing fifth the Hammers qualified to play in the Intertoto Cup, giving them a possible route to the UEFA Cup.
Note:
Players in BOLD made their debuts for West Ham United
SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY
Hillsbrough
1 - 0 (Wright 84')
15 August 1998
Att: 30,236
SHAKA HISLOP
Pearce I.
NEIL RUDDOCK
Impey
Ferdinand
Lomas
Sinclair
Berkovic (Moncur)
IAN WRIGHT
Lampard
Lazaridis
West Ham United opened their 1998–99 Premier League campaign with a hard‑earned 1–0 victory over Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough, a result secured by Ian Wright on his league debut for the club. In front of more than 30,000 supporters, the match unfolded as a tight, often attritional contest, with both sides struggling to find fluency in the final third. Wednesday, featuring the creative talents of Benito Carbone and Paolo Di Canio, enjoyed promising spells of possession but were repeatedly frustrated by the composure and organisation of a West Ham back line marshalled by Rio Ferdinand and Neil Ruddock.
Harry Redknapp’s side grew into the game after the interval, with Eyal Berkovic and Frank Lampard beginning to exert greater influence in midfield. Trevor Sinclair’s direct running stretched the home defence, while Stan Lazaridis offered balance on the opposite flank. Yet clear chances remained scarce until the closing stages, when the breakthrough finally arrived. With six minutes remaining, Wright reacted sharply inside the box, guiding the ball beyond Kevin Pressman to give West Ham a decisive lead and mark his return to Premier League football in trademark fashion.
Sheffield Wednesday pressed for an equaliser in the final moments, but Shaka Hislop remained largely untroubled as West Ham saw out the win with discipline and maturity. It was an encouraging opening‑day performance, built on defensive resilience and settled by the instincts of a proven goalscorer - the ideal start to a season that would ultimately become one of the club’s finest of the Premier League era.
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