I think it’s fair to say that over the years West Ham have been a fairly successful football club. Although having never won the league, we have had our fair share of domestic triumphs and also some less obvious but nonetheless, very proud achievements.
Unlike clubs with millions of pounds at their disposal we have had to make many of our football highlights through determination not just money that can be used to buy world class players which in turn help the big clubs to achieve. That’s why I think West Ham is a true football club not just a business. We have had our share of bad moments but through those we have achieved so much.
Here are my top 10 West Ham achievements from past and present:
10: Racism in football. West Ham have always supported the “kick racism out of football” campaign. We are one of the best ambassadors of this cause which points us out as a real community club.
9: Mr. Ron Greenwood. Greenwood was our manager from April 1961 to August 1974. Greenwood was a fantastic manager who went on to manage England, therefore we have contributed a successful manager to the biggest stage of them all.
The fastest growing Hammers website is now on Facebook, click the link to be entered into our up and coming competitions http://www.facebook.com/pages/ForeverWestHamcom/200938616608282
8: Community work. West Ham have always been a superb influence in the community with coaches helping younger players at school boy age and sometimes even younger. We are always striving to help the younger generation and bring something to the community.
7: 2005 play off winners. We won the play off’s to be promoted to the Premier League in 2005 where we beat Preston North End 1-0 courtesy of a Bobby Zamora goal.
6: 2006 F.A Cup runners up. In 2006 West Ham were so very close to winning the F.A cup after many years and in what is known as the best F.A cup final ever we drew 3-3 against Liverpool who went on to beat us 3-1 on penalties. It wasn’t the result that was the best thing it was the way we played. Even on the losing side it was a proud day to be a West Ham fan.
5: West Ham United’s Academy. Our academy has been and still is one of the most successful academies in the world. Providing players for world football such as Rio Ferdinand and Frank Lampard we have always had a superb academy which has brought through many young players through into the football world.
4: 1965 Cup winners cup winners. West Ham won the cup winners cup 2-0 against 1860 Munich in 1965, held at Wembley stadium and it was said to be the finest European cup final of all time.
3: 1964/1975 F.A cup winners. We won the F.A cup against Fulham and Preston respectively where Alan Taylor bagged two goals in ’75 and the ’64 scorers were Geoff Hurst, John Sissons and Ron Boyce to see us secure our first and second FA cup wins.
Apply now for the dream job – Read about West Ham and YOU get PAID http://bit.ly/ffc-foreverwestham
2: 1980 F.A cup winners. West Ham won the F.A cup in 1980 when we were in the old second division against Arsenal who were then in the old division one so there was some difference. That was one proud moment to be a Hammer as we overcame a better opponent to secure a monumental achievement.
1: The players of ’66. West Ham provided the 3 main players for the 1966 world cup, the only World Ccup England have ever been successful in. Martin Peters Geoff Hurst and Bobby Moore scored 1 goal, 3 goals and captained the side respectively. West Ham’s players made the biggest contribution on the biggest stage of them all and it is recognised that out club played a vital part in England’s triumph.
