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Mr Anon 10:33 Sun Feb 15
Boys of 86/87

Unfortunately I was too young to remember this but have enjoyed readying about this successful era in our history.

My question is what happened after this. I know the next couple of seasons were bad result wise but what were the main reasons for us not building momentum?

Mr Anon 10:33 Sun Feb 15
Re: Boys of 86/87

*reading

GT 10:37 Sun Feb 15
Re: Boys of 86/87

go back and read the 85/85 chapter..much better IMO

Mr Anon 10:39 Sun Feb 15
Re: Boys of 86/87

Oops yes 85/86

Iron Duke 10:40 Sun Feb 15
Re: Boys of 86/87

The cheapskate board did not invest in the team, and John Lyall was too much of a nice guy to kick up a fuss.

On top of that, we got injuries to key players and the squad lacked depth.

We also sold Goddard and McAvennie over the next 2 seasons and never replaced them. Eventually, Cottee got pissed off and wanted to leave, and we replaced him with David Kelly.

pod 10:59 Sun Feb 15
Re: Boys of 86/87

boy where do I begin on this one! how the fuck was goddard allowed to leave when mcavennie was beginning to lose form and and get injuries...the buy's lyall brought on in to supplement injuries at full back were fucking useless i.e. that scottish geezer tommy McQueen and gary strodder,plus buying an unfit and needing retirement stuart robson (yes he may have had a few decent games but lets face it his face didn't fit) plus an arrogance of certain first team players meant that poor old john lyall was was always going to get shafted at the end of the dismal 88-89 season...loved old john but he was far too soft on first team players and no where near ruthless enough in dropping underperforming players...it was a disgrace how we fucked things up after 85-86

swindon hammer 11:04 Sun Feb 15
Re: Boys of 86/87

To be fair the board had always backed Lyall with funds. The world record fee for a goalkeeper in Phil Parkes in the late seventies and massive fees for that period on the likes of Ray Stewart & Paul Goddard.

Don't forget the season before in 84/85 we were nearly relegated so it's not what you would call a great era, it was just one really good season where we had hardly any injuries and everyone played above themselves. It was back to normal in 86/87 & 87/88 & 88/89.

Lyall did have funds to spend after 85/86 but was reluctant to spend it. A bit like Arsene Wenger today.
He did spend over £1 million ( a lot in those days) on Robson, Brady, Strodder & McQueen halfway through the season so the money was there.

Cheezey Bell-End 11:10 Sun Feb 15
Re: Boys of 86/87

86/87 started ok. Then we lost at home to Forest after Orr fell over in the box and Neil Webb had a free shot. I remember those days better than this season!

AKA ERNIE 11:13 Sun Feb 15
Re: Boys of 86/87

Awful signings

Spandex Sidney 11:15 Sun Feb 15
Re: Boys of 86/87

I remember the day Lyall got sacked like yesterday. I had a half day from work, I'd only been working a few months, and I picked up an early Evening Standard at Fenchurch St and it was the back page story with a pic of Lyall from behind sitting on the bench with his head down.

Sad day indeed for my 16 year old self.

Alex Bunbury 11:16 Sun Feb 15
Re: Boys of 86/87

I don't think a single player was signed during the summer (I might be wrong on that). As soon as injuries hit the back up players were sub standard.

We actually started the season really well and were riding high again early on but I remember getting stuffed away at Newcastle live on TV, with Goddard starring for them, and it being downhill from then.

McAvennie also went off the boil. I don't think he got into double figures that season after 26 the previous year.

m11 11:16 Sun Feb 15
Re: Boys of 86/87

I think one of the crucial aspects was that everyone stayed fit in the days when rotation was what propellers did, not football managers!
Seem to remember ther were only 14 players used in the whole season

Cheezey Bell-End 11:21 Sun Feb 15
Re: Boys of 86/87

The goal we conceded after 9 seconds v Charlton before losing 1-3 summed up that season.

It was the season after that the crowd turned on Lyall, particularly after losing the cup game v Barnsley 2-5 in extra time after being 2 up early on.
I remember Lyall being sacked. Wogan was interviewing Billy Graham who was in town to give a sermon at UP. BG made a comment about us needing divine help. Wogan replied 'certainly the manager does because he's just been sacked'. I think Lyall was the picture for that month on the club calendar too.

Westham67 11:23 Sun Feb 15
Re: Boys of 86/87

I wasn't an era it was a season , we finished 15th , 16th and then relegated in the proceding years

Spandex Sidney 11:25 Sun Feb 15
Re: Boys of 86/87

Alex Bunbury 11:16 Sun Feb 15

Yes mate, the first signing that season was Stewart Robson in January. McQueen, Strodder and Brady came shortly afterwards.

Fucking rank season really, was that the year Bonds won HOTY after about 10 appearances?! I think the injuries helped from the point of the academy, I think Potts made his debut that season?

mallard 11:25 Sun Feb 15
Re: Boys of 86/87

John Lyall had made no signings during the close season, and it stayed that way until Stewart Robson was added in January. He was joined two months later by other new signings Gary Strodder, Tommy McQueen and Ireland international Liam Brady.

In this season which saw many player ravaged by injury, several academy players got their chance to play, including Kevin Keen, Paul Ince and future captain Steve Potts.

The West Ham fans were so disappointed with the team's underachievement during the season that Billy Bonds was voted Hammer of the Year, even though he only made 17 league and 7 cup appearances for the team.

Tony Cottee was the club's top scorer with 22 league goals and 28 in all competitions, but his strike partner Frank McAvennie disappointed with just seven league goals (11 in all competitions) after being the top flight's second-highest scorer the previous campaign, this being a large factor in the fact that the Hammers finished a lowly 15th in the league just a year after finishing third and being just four points short of their first top division title.

swindon hammer 11:26 Sun Feb 15
Re: Boys of 86/87

I feel bad saying this but I remember getting home from school when I was 13 and being happy hearing on the radio that Lyall was sacked.

At that age I probably did not appreciate the job he had done but all I knew was from 84/85 (the season I started supporting West Ham) to 88/89 when we got relegated we were in relegation battles for everyone of those seasons apart from 85/86.

The signings of Hilton, Mcqueen, Strodder, McKnight & Kelly were awful.

Spandex Sidney 11:35 Sun Feb 15
Re: Boys of 86/87

Lyall was treated shamefully really. The supporters never should have done what they did but the club was worse, didn't they print like 60 odd words as a goodbye to the man that had given 35 years of his life to the club and delivered 2 major trophies and nearly another?

What doesn't get spoken about is the years after our early 80's promotion we never finished below 10th (I believe) before 86/87? He deserved better.

Buster 11:37 Sun Feb 15
Re: Boys of 86/87

Spandex Sidney 11:35 Sun Feb 15

Indeed, but can you imagine how he'd have been treated had WHO been around?

Thank fuck for the internet, hey?

Spandex Sidney 11:42 Sun Feb 15
Re: Boys of 86/87

Yes mate, I take your point.

I remember him coming back with his Ipswich side (93/94 I think), I think we won 1-0 or something like that but they were the worst side i'd ever seen at the Boleyn. But he got a good reception, I'm glad because that was the last time we saw him there and was able to do that.

fred flinstone 11:47 Sun Feb 15
Re: Boys of 86/87

It was all the fault of BFS IIRC

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