theyflysohigh : Steve Marsh
WEST HAM UNITED
FOOTBALL PROGRAMMES &
Collectables through the Decade
A Pictorial History
Ted Hufton
TED HUFTON
Atlas & Norfolk
1911-12
Edward Hufton played as a schoolboy at Louth in Lincolnshire, naturally as a goalkeeper. An ironmoulder by trade, his first amateur club was Norfolk & Atlas in the Sheffield Junior League. He signed professional forms for First Division Sheffield United in 1912.
The shot stopper seized the first team spot at Bramall Lane and acquitted himself well enough to prompt the Blades to transfer their regular goalkeeper. Hufton joined the Coldstream Guards during World War One and attained the rank of corporal. Made the first of 64 war-time guest appearances for West Ham against Fulham on 18 December 1915, paving the way for his eventual transfer when hostilities ceased, for a fee of £350. He played for the South v. North in the English trials at Stamford Bridge in April 1919.
Hufton was the man between the posts when West Ham kicked-off life as a Football League Second Division club on 30 August of the same year, when they secured a 1-1 draw with Lincoln City at the Boleyn Ground. Those early Football League days were memorable ones for Hufton, and it was around this time that he acquired the nickname "Penalty King", by saving 11 out of 18 spot-kicks.
International recognition followed in the Cup Final and promotion year of 1923, but Ted had to decline due to injury. His international debut for England was delayed to the following year, when he won the first of six caps against Belgium in the 2-2 draw Bosuil Stadion, Antwerp 1 November 1923.
The veteran keeper remained a fixture for the Hammers until the team was relegated at the end of the 1931-32 season. Hufton was given a free transfer and joined Watford, bringing a 17-season association with the Club to an end.
Born: 25 November 1892, Southwell, Nottinghamshire, England : Died: 2 February 1967 (aged 74)
West Ham United Career: 1919-1932, Appearances: 402
International: England (6 caps), England Trials (4 caps)
Individual honours: FA Cup runners-up (1923)
1923 FA Cup Runners-up
Bolton Wanderers v. West Ham United
Wembley Stadium
29 April 1923 (2 - 0)
1923 FA Cup Final Runners-up
Commemorative Pocket Watch
After their disappointing defeat to Bolton Wanderers in the FA Cup final the Hammers minds now turned to their promotion push. Promotion rivals Leicester City had gone above them in the league while they were otherwise engaged at Wembley. Two days after the Cup final the east London side were back in League action against The Wednesday at Hillsborough. Strikes from William Brown and Vic Watson had put the Hammers in pole position going into the final match of the season at home to second-place Notts County.
Notts County, Leicester City and West Ham all having 51 points, and only two to go up. The claret and blue side needed just a point to guarantee promotion and a win to make sure of the championship. However, a tired eleven lost 1-0 to County, with the home supporters now musing over a season of near misses, the news filtered through to the Boleyn Ground that Leicester City had lost at Bury. West Ham United were promoted on goal-difference as runners-up behind Notts County.
In recognition of their remarkable achievement the board of directors presented each player and manager a commemorative pocket watch.
Hufton's inscription reads:
"Presented to A.E. Hufton West Ham United Football Co Ltd to Commemorate Promotion to the 1st Division of the Football League 1923"
Pocket Watch
England Caps
BELGIUM
Bosuil Stadion, Antwerp
1 November 1923
2 - 2
SPAIN
Estadio Metropolitan, Madrid
15 May 1929
3 - 4
England International caps
Norfolk & Norwich Hospital Cup
The Norfolk & Norwich Hospital Cup was a Charity invitation match organised by Norwich City and founded by public subscription in 1903. This annual end of season event raised money for charity and local communities.
Local side CEYMS F.C. (Church of England Young Men’s Society) having competed against Norwich City for the first three years decided to ‘retire’ from the competition in 1907 which led to the Hospital committee deciding to invite various first division teams to compete for the trophy against Norwich City, Everton being the chosen team to face the Canaries at their Newmarket Road enclosure in 1907. The Toffee’s were prize opposition for City, having won the FA Cup the previous season, a 1-1 draw resulted with the charity fund the winner as 9,500 were in attendance.
The precedent had been set to invite the country's very best to this challenge and thereby giving the Canaries’ supporters the opportunity to see the very best sides of the day.
West Ham United were F.A. Cup finalists in the first Wembley final and clinched promotion to the Football League First Division in the same 1922-23 season, the Hammers would have been a top attraction at that time and were invited to compete at ‘The Nest’ on 5 May 1924. A hat-trick by West Ham’s top marksman Vic Watson and another by Campbell secured a 4-3 victory.
Having won the Cup in 1924 the Hammers were invited back to ‘The Nest’ on 30 April 1925 to defend the trophy. West Ham United fielded the following line-up but succumbed to a 6-1 defeat. Edward Hufton, William Henderson, George Horler, Syd Bishop, George Eastman, Albert Cadwell, Tommy Yews, Stanley Earle, Vic Watson, William Moore and James Ruffell.
The last Norfolk & Norwich Hospital Cup game was played on 2 May 1960 when the Canaries played Southampton.
The original trophy however came to a sad end when it was lost in a fire, at Norwich City’s Carrow Road ground 25 October 1985.
Norwich City v. West Ham United
The Nest, Norwich
30 April 1925
1 - 6
Hospital Cup
London Challenge Cup Final
Although the London Football Association was founded in 1880 it was not until the 1908-09 season that the Challenge Cup competition was instituted. It was only the growth of professional soccer in the Metropolis at that time that brought the competition into being.
West Ham have contested the final on 13 occasions, winning 9 with 4 defeats. The Hammers first final was against Crystal Palace in 1912-13 which the Eagles won in a replay at neutral White Hart Lane 1-0 on 16 December 1912 after the teams had drawn 0-0 at the Den. West Ham’s first victory final came in 1924-25 against Clapton Orient 2-1, as defending Cup winners the Hammers reached a third final by overcoming Charlton Athletic 2-0 (replay), amateur side Ilford 3-2, and Brentford 3-1 in the semi-final (replay) at Stamford Bridge.
1925-26 Final
The final-tie against Arsenal was played out at Clapton Orient’s Millfields Road ground where Edward Hufton, Tommy Hodgson, Jack Hebden, George Carter, Jim Barrett, Albert Cadwell, Tommy Yews, Stanley Earle, Victor Watson, William Moore and James Ruffell triumphed 2-1 over the Gunners with goals from Watson and Yews.
Until the start of the 1931-32 season the Cup was played for by the full First XI’s of the entrants, from then until the tournament was disbanded in 1974 it had been tacitly agreed by the professional clubs that their reserve sides should be fielded.
West Ham’s last win came in 1968-69 season when they defeated Tottenham Hotspur 3-2.
West Ham United v. Arsenal
Millfields Road, Clapton
9 November 1925
2 - 1
London Challenge Cup
