WEST HAM UNITED
theyflysohigh : Steve Marsh
FOOTBALL PROGRAMMES &
Collectables through the Decade
A Pictorial History
Alan Taylor
ALAN TAYLOR
Alan Taylor is a name forever etched in West Ham United’s history, thanks to his unforgettable performances in the 1975 FA Cup. A striker with a knack for scoring crucial goals, Taylor’s rise from lower-league football to Wembley glory is one of the most remarkable stories in English football.
Born on 14 November 1953, in Hinckley, England, Taylor’s football journey began in the lower leagues. After being released by Preston North End, he worked in a car repair shop while playing non-league football. His goal-scoring prowess at Morecambe caught the attention of Rochdale, who signed him in 1973.
Taylor’s performances at Rochdale impressed West Ham United manager John Lyall, who signed him for £40,000 in December 1974. His arrival at Upton Park would prove to be a masterstroke.
Taylor was eligible to play in the FA Cup matches, and he quickly became West Ham’s talisman. He scored two goals in the quarter-final against Arsenal, another brace in the semi-final replay against Ipswich Town, and then delivered on the biggest stage - Wembley Stadium.
On 3 May 1975, the Hammers faced Fulham in the FA Cup final. The match was tightly contested until Taylor struck twice in quick succession, securing a 2-0 victory and West Ham’s third FA Cup triumph. His heroics made headlines, as he had gone from Fourth Division football to FA Cup glory in just six months.
Taylor remained at West Ham until 1979, scoring 36 goals in 124 appearances. He later played for Norwich City, Vancouver Whitecaps, Cambridge United, Hull City, Burnley, and Bury, before retiring in 1989.
After football, Taylor took on various roles, including running a newsagents in Norwich and working in corporate hospitality at West Ham United. Alan Taylor’s journey from a car repair shop to Wembley glory is a testament to perseverance and talent. His name will always be associated with West Ham’s 1975 FA Cup triumph, a moment that remains one of the club’s greatest achievements.
Evening Standard
Player of the Month - March 1975
In March 1975, Alan Taylor’s meteoric rise was recognised with the Evening Standard Footballer of the Month award.
The quiet striker had burst into national attention with a string of decisive performances, including his unforgettable brace against Arsenal in the FA Cup quarter-final. Taylor’s blend of instinctive finishing and unassuming charm captured the imagination of fans and press alike.
The award marked a turning point - not just in his career, but in West Ham’s fairy-tale cup run. From obscurity to acclaim, March belonged to Alan Taylor.
Player of the Month
Fulham v. West Ham United
Wembley Stadium, London
3 May 1975
F.A. Cup Final
Bukta Sportwear Tracksuit
A light blue zip-up tracksuit top, trimmed in claret, bearing the Bukta Sportswear logo and the proud inscription Wembley 1975 on the chest. Worn by Alan Taylor on the day he etched his name into West Ham folklore, scoring both goals in the 2–0 victory over Fulham.
More than just warm-up wear, it became a garment of glory - part of the kit of a quiet young striker who rose to the occasion and delivered a brace on English football’s grandest stage. Today, it stands as a rare and evocative relic of a golden afternoon in Claret and Blue.
Bukta Tracksuit Top
F.A. Cup Final
Bukta Shirt
Fulham v. West Ham United
Wembley Stadium, London
3 May 1975
Claret body, sky-blue sleeves, and crew neck: the Bukta shirt worn by West Ham United in the 1975 FA Cup Final is a timeless emblem of triumph. Simple in design yet steeped in meaning,
Worn by double goalscorer Alan Taylor in the 2-0 win over Fulham in the final.
Number 9 to rear and Bukta Sportswear to one breast and Wembley 1975 to the other underneath embroidered West Ham crest.
FA Cup Final Shirt
F.A. Cup Final
Bukta Shorts and Socks
Cup Final Shorts and Socks
Fulham v. West Ham United
Wembley Stadium, London
3 May 1975
F.A. Cup Final
Mitre 25 Max Match Ball
The Mitre 25 Max match ball from the 1975 FA Cup final holds a special place in West Ham folklore. After the final whistle at Wembley, captain Billy Bonds secured the ball from referee Pat Partridge - not for himself, but for Alan Taylor, the two-goal hero whose strikes sealed a 2–0 triumph over Fulham.
In an era when just one ball was used for the entire match, its survival is remarkable. More than a piece of leather, it became a symbol of glory, generosity, and a golden day in claret and blue history - a rare relic from a time when football’s treasures were earned, not manufactured.
Mitre 25 Max Cup Final Ball
FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION CUP FINAL
Fulham v. West Ham United
Wembley Stadium
3 May 1975
Alan Taylor’s starring role in the 1975 FA Cup Final remains one of the most enchanting chapters in West Ham United’s history. Thrust into the national spotlight after his remarkable goal‑scoring run through the earlier rounds, he arrived at Wembley as the quiet, unassuming young striker who had already toppled Arsenal and Ipswich with decisive doubles. Against Fulham, on the grandest stage of all, he delivered again. His two second‑half goals - poacher’s finishes born of instinct, hunger, and perfect positioning — transformed a tense final into a triumphant one. In the space of a few minutes, Taylor etched his name into West Ham folklore, turning a fairytale cup run into a legendary conclusion. What made his performance so compelling was not just the goals themselves, but the sense of destiny that surrounded him: a player plucked from the lower leagues, seizing his moment with a calmness that belied his age and experience. Wembley belonged to him that afternoon, and the FA Cup of 1975 will forever carry his imprint.
Day
McDowell, Lampard, Bonds, Taylor T., Lock, Taylor A., Paddon, Jennings, Brooking, Holland
FA Cup Final Medal
Precious Metal Depositors Ltd
Golden Goal Trophy
Sponsored by Precious Metal Depositors Ltd, Managing Director Richard Naylor presented the trophy, known as the “P.M.D. Golden Goal Trophy” and awarded to the player scoring the winning goal in the Cup Final.
Previous winners have been Charlie George (Arsenal), Allan Clarke (Leeds United), Ian Porterfield (Sunderland) and Kevin Keegan (Liverpool).
P.M.D. Golden Goal Trophy
Rothmans Football Awards
Presented to Alan Taylor
(West Ham United) by
Rothmans Football Yearbook
Rothmans innovation for the 1975-76 edition is the presentation of six awards for the previous season, honouring half a dozen people who have made a worthwhile contribution to the wide spectrum of the game.
The other recipients were:
Alan Mullery, Mike Smith, Dickie Guy, Colin Todd and
Dixie McNeil
Rothmans Football Awards
The Sun Football Awards
Presented to Alan Taylor
Top Newcomer
Alan Taylor’s extraordinary rise in 1975 was crowned not only by his Wembley heroics but by national recognition when he received The Sun Football Award for Top Newcomer.
It was a fitting tribute to a young striker who had arrived from Rochdale as a relative unknown and, within months, transformed himself into the story of the season.
His explosive FA Cup run - scoring doubles against Arsenal, Ipswich, and then Fulham in the final - captured the imagination of supporters across the country.
The Sun Football Awards
FA Charity Shield
Derby County captain Roy McFarland lifting the 1975 FA Charity Shield at Wembley Stadium following the Rams’ 2-0 victory over West Ham United. As the reigning First Division champions, Derby faced the reigning FA Cup winners, West Ham ahead of the 1975/76 season.
59,000 fans were in attendance at Wembley to watch two first-half goals hand Dave Mackay’s men the victory. Kevin Hector struck first in the 20th minute with a low right-footed effort from the right of the box. McFarland put the Rams firmly in control just ahead of half-time from a set piece. A corner was headed back into the six-yard box by Francis Lee and the Rams’ skipper was there to find the back of the net from two yards out. Derby were able to see the game out in the second half before making their way into the stands to be presented with the shield.
The silver and black bakelite miniature replica of the
Football Association Charity Shield is inscribed
Liverpool v. West Ham United
Wembley
9th August 1980
Day
McDowell, Lampard, Holland, Taylor T., Lock,
Taylor A., Paddon, Jennings (Coleman),
Brooking, Gould (Robson)
Charity Shield
ANGLO-ITALIAN CUP WINNERS' CUP
ACF Fiorentina v. West Ham United
The Stadio Communale
3 September 1975
Upton Park
10 December 1975
West Ham early season forage into European football was a dress rehearsal for their forthcoming European Cup Winners’ Cup campaign but it proved disappointing. The Hammers lost both legs to single goals each scored coincidently in the 19th minute of play. The Viola club from Florence may have come off best in the Anglo-Italian Cup Winners Cup but it was the Hammers who fared the better of the two sides in the European Cup Winners Cup.
West Ham went on to reach the Brussels’ final against Belgium club RSC Anderlecht, while the Italians had been eliminated on penalties by Sachsenring Zwickau of East Germany in the second round.
With the passing of time, West Ham United would also have the pleasure of defeating 'The Purples' by two goals to one in the 2023 UEFA Europa Conference League final in Prague.
Anglo-Italian Cup Winners' Cup
A light blue zip-up tracksuit top, smartly trimmed in claret, bearing the Admiral logo on the chest. Worn in Brussels by Alan Taylor before he stepped onto the pitch in the 47th minute of the European Cup Winners’ Cup final against Anderlecht.
Though the match ended in heartbreak, the tracksuit remains a poignant artefact to West Ham’s bold European adventure.
European Cup Winners' Cup Final
Admiral Tracksuit
R.S.C. Anderlecht v. West Ham United
Stade du Heysel, Brussels
5 May 1975
Admiral Tracksuit Top
European Cup Winners' Cup Final
Runners-up Medal
R.S.C. Anderlecht v. West Ham United
Stade du Heysel, Brussels
5 May 1976
The largely pro-Anderlecht crowd was stunned when Pat Holland fired West Ham into a 28th-minute lead. Jolted into action, the Belgian side responded with Rob Rensenbrink’s equaliser just before the break.
The second half delivered thrilling end-to-end football. François Van der Elst edged Anderlecht ahead, only for Keith Robson to restore parity on 68 minutes. Rensenbrink struck again five minutes later, and as West Ham pushed desperately for extra-time, Van der Elst sealed a pulsating 4–2 victory.
Though the trophy slipped away, John Lyall’s leadership and the team’s remarkable run to the final stood as proud achievements. The match remains one of the most cherished chapters in West Ham United’s European story.
ECWC Runners-up Medal