On Wednesday night as Manchester United crashed out of the League Cup, I couldn’t help but reminisce about our own meeting with them at the same stage last season. I was sat in the Bobby Moore Lower for what was to be one of the most memorable nights the Boleyn has witnessed.
Last season was an unmitigated disaster, but on a blizzard like day at the end of November all of that was forgotten as we swept aside Manchester United with ease. (Feels surreal just writing that) I remember rocking up at Upton Park that night relishing the fact we had Man United in the quarters on our own patch…I’d only been to two West Ham v Manchester United games and we’d won them both (Curbs’ first game in charge and Upson and Anton’s late show the following season) and despite our poor league form I was confident of making it a hat-trick.
One of the great myths about this game is that West Ham fielded a full strength side and Man United fielded a severely weakened one. Whilst it’s true that Fergie made wholesale changes I remember being disappointed when our starting line-up was announced… Spector in midfield? Boa Morte, Barrera and Kovac all starting? Scotty Parker only on the bench for a quarter final?! Was my reaction and I imagine it was similar for the 30,000 odd Hammers in the ground that night.
The way the game unravelled was truly incredible; when it seemed Victor Obinna had opened the scoring the roar that reverberated around Upton Park was like nothing I had previously experienced, the out-pouring of emotion from the Premier League’s bottom club taking the lead against the Champions transcended mere words; it was guttural, it was primal. The raucous cheering soon turned into a chorus of boos as the goal was eventually disallowed as Obinna’s shot took a deflection off Jonathon Spector who had been in an off-side position.
Well that was it surely? That was Man United’s warning shot; now surely they’d take a firm grasp of the game and run out comfortable winners. Unbelievably moments later we were in front (a Jonny Spector header? Really?) And the scenes from a few minutes before were if anything further enhanced by a sense of injustice. ‘2-0 to the Cockney Boys’ was the battle cry that went up from the Irons.
I was stood shivering in the Bobby Moore Lower waiting for Man United to click into gear with a goal from Giggs, Hernandez or Anderson but for all their huff Fergie’s boys lacked any cutting edge and the rest of the match was a joy to watch; as the goals continued to rain down at a similar rate to the snow that was blanketing East London that night.
I still to this day have to chuckle at the songs and chants from the game: ‘You only live round the corner’ ‘We support our local club’ ‘Fergie what’s the score?’ and my personal favourite singing ‘Can we play you every week?’ to Manchester United was a bit surreal and special all rolled into one. Over the course of my life I witnessed us being humbled by Fergie’s charges on many an occasion so it was especially sweet to exact one of our own.
There aren’t words to do justice to that night (not handy when writing an article based upon it) but it was magical from Jonny Specs opening goal to Carlton Cole turning Jonny Evans inside out and slotting home the fourth of the night. It was a night that made us all really proud to be Hammers and I’d like to think to all those ‘Cockney Reds’ who we all happen to know couldn’t help but look on at Boleyn ground that night and regret that such an occasion was reserved for proper fans.
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the only highlight of the season oh apart from the points off the spuds ha ha