1971–72 West Ham United F.C. season

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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
← 
1972–73 →

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

Season summary[]

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 GAv 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:[citation needed]

Results[]

Football League First Division[]

Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Goalscorers
14 August 1971 West Bromwich Albion H 0–1 27,420
18 August 1971 Derby County A 0–2 30,583
21 August 1971 Nottingham Forest A 0–1 17,185
23 August 1971 Ipswich Town H 0–0 25,714
28 August 1971 Everton H 1–0 26,878 Best
30 August 1971 Coventry City H 4–0 28,176 Best (2), Hurst, Robson
4 September 1971 Newcastle United A 2–2 31,910 Hurst, Robson
11 September 1971 Chelsea H 2–1 36,866 Best (2)
18 September 1971 Manchester United A 2–4 53,334 Best, Brooking
25 September 1971 Stoke City H 2–1 29,193 Best, Moore
2 October 1971 Leeds United A 0–0 30,942
9 October 1971 Leicester City H 1–1 31,060 Hurst
16 October 1971 West Bromwich Albion A 0–0 20,740
23 October 1971 Wolverhampton Wanderers H 1–0 33,883 Best
30 October 1971 Crystal Palace A 3–0 41,540 Coker, Bonds, Best
6 November 1971 Sheffield United H 1–2 36,595 Robson
13 November 1971 Huddersfield Town A 0–1 14,177
20 November 1971 Manchester City H 0–2 33,694
27 November 1971 Liverpool A 0–1 43,399
4 December 1971 Arsenal H 0–0 35,155
11 December 1971 Southampton A 3–3 20,506 Bonds, Best, Brooking
18 December 1971 Newcastle United H 0–1 21,991
27 December 1971 Tottenham Hotspur A 1–0 19,429 Best
1 January 1972 Manchester United H 3–0 41,892 Robson, Best, Hurst (pen)
8 January 1972 Everton A 1–2 38,482 Hurst (pen)
22 January 1972 Derby County H 3–3 31,045 Lampard, Robson, Brooking
29 January 1972 Ipswich Town A 0–1 22,766
12 February 1972 Wolverhampton Wanderers A 0–1 26,852
19 February 1972 Crystal Palace H 1–1 28,209 Best
29 February 1972 Sheffield United A 0–3 24,034
4 March 1972 Huddersfield Town H 3–0 18,521 Best (2), Robson
11 March 1972 Leicester City A 0–2 23,345
18 March 1972 Nottingham Forest H 4–2 20,960 Robson (2), Hurst, Brooking
21 March 1972 Coventry City A 1–1 18,640 Best
25 March 1972 Chelsea A 1–3 45,137 Best
31 March 1972 Leeds United H 2–2 41,003 Bonds, Hurst
1 April 1972 Tottenham Hotspur H 2–0 30,763 Brooking, Coker
4 April 1972 Stoke City A 0–0 24,688
8 April 1972 Manchester City A 1–3 38,491 Hurst
15 April 1972 Liverpool H 0–2 32,660
22 April 1972 Arsenal A 1–2 42,251 Brooking
1 May 1972 Southampton H 1–0 18,479 Robson

FA Cup[]

Main article: 1971–72 FA Cup
Round Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Goalscorers
R3 15 January 1972 Luton Town H 2–1 32,099 Hurst, Best
R4 9 February 1972 Hereford United A 0–0 15,000
R4 replay 14 February 1972 Hereford United H 3–1 42,271 Hurst (3)
R5 26 February 1972 Huddersfield Town A 2–4 27,080 Robson, Best

League Cup[]

Main article: 1971–72 Football League Cup
Round Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Goalscorers
R2 8 September 1971 Cardiff City H 1–1 24,432 Bonds
R2 replay 22 September 1971 Cardiff City A 2–1 30,100 Hurst (2)
R3 6 October 1971 Leeds United H 0–0 35,890
R3 replay 20 October 1971 Leeds United A 1–0 (aet) 26,504 Best
R4 27 October 1971 Liverpool H 2–1 40,878 Hurst, Robson
R5 17 November 1971 Sheffield United H 5–0 36,834 Robson (3), Best (2)
SF 1st leg 8 December 1971 Stoke City A 2–1 36,400 Hurst (pen), Best
SF 2nd leg 15 December 1971 Stoke City H 0–1 (aet; 2–2 on agg) 38,771
SF replay 5 January 1972 Stoke City N 0–0 (aet) 49,427
SF 2nd replay 26 January 1972 Stoke City N 2–3 49,427 Bonds, Brooking

Players[]

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

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c d 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. ^ Jump up to: a b 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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