| January 18, 2013
5 comments

1986 – The Year of the Legend

In football terms the word legend is often over used and equally often overly applied to players undeserving of the tag.

Normally, though not exclusively, the title is given to those players that show loyalty and an elevated level of performance that warrants legend like status.

Whilst older and younger Hammers may disagree, those of us that were fortunate to see first hand that team of 1985/86 could potentially include six of that first team and apply the word club legend without great dispute from the masses.

This was the season that the club achieved its highest league position and came agonisingly close to winning the league title for the first time in its history.

With the aforementioned qualities in mind I would suggest that the legendary status is applied to goalkeeper Phil Parkes, one of three ever presents in the league that season, who to this day is remembered as one of the greatest goalkeepers the club has employed.

In defence and with no major surprise penalty taker expert Ray Stewart & that seasons club captain and hat trick hero against Newcastle Alvin Martin are chosen.

The only one of the six that could be disputed would be the inclusion of the moustachioed Alan Devonshire in what was probably he`s best ever season at the club with a succession of injuries preventing the fella from becoming a true legend.

This leaves just two of the six positions to fill with our two strikers, Frank McAvennie and Tony Cottee, scoring 54 goals that season, comfortably filling the last two places.

So do the six players mentioned qualify for club legend status?

Should they be included with the likes of Moore, Hurst, Watson, Bonds, Brooking & Tevez?

Why not? We will all have an opinion which is just as justified as the other though there cannot of been a season when so many of one side can potentially qualify for the status of being remembered as a club legend.

Luckily I have not consumed enough of the red stuff to begin to justify the inclusion of Andy Impey as a club legend. Not so sure I can promise the same after the next bottle is downed.

 

Watch this space. Hic.

Twitt
Category: Uncategorized |
  • Ray_The_Hammer

    Paola Di Canio

  • wisey

    I am old enough and lucky to have witnessed this great team play.As much as the players above were great players i dont agree we can label them legends,IMO they would get in to my all time side. the 86 team was properly the TEAM that worked best as a team, we had so many unsung players with the likes of Neil Orr,Geoff Pike,Alan Dickens,Mark Ward and George Parris.These players would never make many fans best X1,but as a team unit there up there with the best west ham eras.

  • HammerRay

    Almost seems mean limiting that season to 6 players. I had the huge pleasure of attending many homes games that season, the best of which was the 8-1 drubbing of the bar-codes where Peter Beardsley finished up in goal and Alvin Martin scored a hat-trick! So close to winning the league. That season will live with me forever. Johnny Lyll’s claret & blue army!!!…add Paulo to the legends list also btw!

  • Headmaster1

    It’s a good debate to have Dave, for sure. For me, it would be Moore, Brooking Bonds out on their own. Something about durability, consistency and being the heart and soul of the club for a prolonged period.
    Then there would be another layer of sort of genius players that would include Di Canio and Tevez.
    Finally, there would be the legendary teams of 1975, 1980 and, as you rightly say, 1986.

  • geoff

    carlos tevez a west ham legend? maybe if he had stayed a little longer!! but in the company of moore, hurst,peters,brooking, martin, dicks,di canio, cottee, parkes,bonds,pop robson, I doubt it. even ince stayed longer before he fled to man utd