1971–72 West Ham United F.C. season

West Ham United
1971–72 season
ChairmanReg Pratt
ManagerRon Greenwood
StadiumBoleyn Ground
First Division14th
FA CupFifth round
League CupSemi-finals
Top goalscorerLeague: Clyde Best (17)
All: Best (23)
Highest home attendance41,892 (vs Manchester United, 1 January 1972)
Lowest home attendance18,479 (vs Southampton, 1 May 1972)
Average home league attendance30,007

Season summary

In the 1971–72 season West Ham United played in the First Division of English football, finishing 14th.[1]

The highlight of West Ham's season came in reaching the semi-finals of the League Cup. After beating title challengers Leeds United and Liverpool, they faced Stoke City in the last four. West Ham won the first leg 2–1 away, but were beaten 1–0 at Upton Park, with Geoff Hurst having a late penalty saved by his England international team-mate Gordon Banks three minutes from the end.[1] The teams then drew 0–0 after extra time in a replay at Hillsborough, and the tie was eventually decided when Stoke won a dramatic second replay 3–2 at Old Trafford, seven weeks after the sides had first met.[1] The game was memorable for Bobby Moore having a stint in goal after West Ham's goalkeeper Bobby Ferguson went off injured, and saving a penalty from Stoke's Mike Bernard, only for Bernard to score from the rebound.[2][3]

West Ham's form suffered after the League Cup defeat, and they won just four more League matches before the end of the season. In the FA Cup, they struggled past non-League Hereford United in a replay, but were then eliminated by relegation-threatened Huddersfield Town in the fifth round.[1]

This season was the last as West Ham players for club stalwarts Hurst[4] and Harry Redknapp.[3]

League table
Main article: 1971–72 Football League § First Division
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GR Pts
12 Leicester City 42 13 13 16 41 46 0.891 39
13 Ipswich Town 42 11 16 15 39 53 0.736 38
14 West Ham United 42 12 12 18 47 51 0.922 36
15 Everton 42 9 18 15 37 48 0.771 36
16 West Bromwich Albion 42 12 11 19 42 54 0.778 35
Source:

Results

Football League First Division
DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorers
14 August 1971West Bromwich AlbionH0–127,420
18 August 1971Derby CountyA0–230,583
21 August 1971Nottingham ForestA0–117,185
23 August 1971Ipswich TownH0–025,714
28 August 1971EvertonH1–026,878Best
30 August 1971Coventry CityH4–028,176Best (2), Hurst, Robson
4 September 1971Newcastle UnitedA2–231,910Hurst, Robson
11 September 1971ChelseaH2–136,866Best (2)
18 September 1971Manchester UnitedA2–453,334Best, Brooking
25 September 1971Stoke CityH2–129,193Best, Moore
2 October 1971Leeds UnitedA0–030,942
9 October 1971Leicester CityH1–131,060Hurst
16 October 1971West Bromwich AlbionA0–020,740
23 October 1971Wolverhampton WanderersH1–033,883Best
30 October 1971Crystal PalaceA3–041,540Coker, Bonds, Best
6 November 1971Sheffield UnitedH1–236,595Robson
13 November 1971Huddersfield TownA0–114,177
20 November 1971Manchester CityH0–233,694
27 November 1971LiverpoolA0–143,399
4 December 1971ArsenalH0–035,155
11 December 1971SouthamptonA3–320,506Bonds, Best, Brooking
18 December 1971Newcastle UnitedH0–121,991
27 December 1971Tottenham HotspurA1–019,429Best
1 January 1972Manchester UnitedH3–041,892Robson, Best, Hurst (pen)
8 January 1972EvertonA1–238,482Hurst (pen)
22 January 1972Derby CountyH3–331,045Lampard, Robson, Brooking
29 January 1972Ipswich TownA0–122,766
12 February 1972Wolverhampton WanderersA0–126,852
19 February 1972Crystal PalaceH1–128,209Best
29 February 1972Sheffield UnitedA0–324,034
4 March 1972Huddersfield TownH3–018,521Best (2), Robson
11 March 1972Leicester CityA0–223,345
18 March 1972Nottingham ForestH4–220,960Robson (2), Hurst, Brooking
21 March 1972Coventry CityA1–118,640Best
25 March 1972ChelseaA1–345,137Best
31 March 1972Leeds UnitedH2–241,003Bonds, Hurst
1 April 1972Tottenham HotspurH2–030,763Brooking, Coker
4 April 1972Stoke CityA0–024,688
8 April 1972Manchester CityA1–338,491Hurst
15 April 1972LiverpoolH0–232,660
22 April 1972ArsenalA1–242,251Brooking
1 May 1972SouthamptonH1–018,479Robson

FA Cup
Main article: 1971–72 FA Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorers
R315 January 1972Luton TownH2–132,099Hurst, Best
R49 February 1972Hereford UnitedA0–015,000
R4 replay14 February 1972Hereford UnitedH3–142,271Hurst (3)
R526 February 1972Huddersfield TownA2–427,080Robson, Best

League Cup
Main article: 1971–72 Football League Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorers
R28 September 1971Cardiff CityH1–124,432Bonds
R2 replay22 September 1971Cardiff CityA2–130,100Hurst (2)
R36 October 1971Leeds UnitedH0–035,890
R3 replay20 October 1971Leeds UnitedA1–0 (aet)26,504Best
R427 October 1971LiverpoolH2–140,878Hurst, Robson
R517 November 1971Sheffield UnitedH5–036,834Robson (3), Best (2)
SF 1st leg8 December 1971Stoke CityA2–136,400Hurst (pen), Best
SF 2nd leg15 December 1971Stoke CityH0–1 (aet; 2–2 on agg)38,771
SF replay5 January 1972Stoke CityN0–0 (aet)49,427
SF 2nd replay26 January 1972Stoke CityN2–349,427Bonds, Brooking

Players
Player Pos Lge Apps Lge Gls FAC Apps FAC Gls LC Apps LC Gls Date Signed Previous Club
Bobby Ferguson GK 36 4 10 1967 Kilmarnock
Peter Grotier GK 6 1969 Academy
Clive Charles DF 4 1970 Academy
Paul Heffer DF 0 (1) 0 (1) 1966 Academy
Frank Lampard DF 39 1 4 10 1967 Academy
Kevin Lock DF 1 (2) 1971 Academy
John McDowell DF 40 4 10 1969 Academy
Bobby Moore DF 40 1 4 10 1958 Academy
Alan Stephenson DF 3 (1) 1968 Crystal Palace
Tommy Taylor DF 42 4 10 1970 Orient
Billy Bonds MF 42 3 4 10 2 1967 Charlton Athletic
Ronnie Boyce MF 0 (1) 1959 Academy
Trevor Brooking MF 40 6 4 10 1 1967 Academy
Peter Eustace MF 2 0 (1) 0 (1) 1970 Sheffield Wednesday
Pat Holland MF 4 1969 Academy
Bobby Howe MF 1 (4) 0 (2) 1966 Academy
Dave Llewellyn MF 1 (1) 1969 Academy
Harry Redknapp MF 22 4 9 1965 Academy
Johnny Ayris FW 11 (1) 1 1970 Academy
Clyde Best FW 42 17 4 2 10 4 1969 Academy
Ade Coker FW 5 2 1971 Academy
Joe Durrell FW 5 (1) 1970 Academy
Geoff Hurst FW 34 8 4 4 10 4 1959 Academy
Pop Robson FW 42 9 4 1 10 4 1971 Newcastle United

References
  1. Helliar, John (2009). West Ham United: The Elite Era (4th ed.). Bodmin & King's Lynn: MPG Books Group. ISBN 978-1-905328-68-0.
  2. Edwards, Richard. "The most mental semi-final ever: when Bobby Moore went in goal... and saved a penalty". FourFourTwo. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  3. Blows, Kirk; Hogg, Tony (2000). The Essential History of West Ham United. London: Headline. ISBN 0747270368.
  4. "Sir Geoff Hurst MBE". geoffhurst.com. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
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