1986–87 West Ham United F.C. season

West Ham United
1986–87 season
ChairmanLen Cearns
ManagerJohn Lyall
StadiumBoleyn Ground
First Division15th
FA CupFifth round
League CupQuarter-finals
Top goalscorerLeague: Tony Cottee (22)
All: Cottee (28)
Highest home attendance29,807 (vs Liverpool, 6 September 1986)
Lowest home attendance13,514 (vs Sheffield Wednesday, 24 March 1987)
Average home league attendance20,545

For the 1986–87 West Ham United F.C. season in English football, West Ham United finished 15th in the league.

Season summary

[edit]

John Lyall had made no signings during the close season, and it stayed that way until Stewart Robson was added in January. He was joined two months later by other new signings Gary Strodder, Tommy McQueen and Ireland international Liam Brady.

In this season which saw many player ravaged by injury, several academy players got their chance to play, including Kevin Keen, Paul Ince[1] and future captain Steve Potts.

The West Ham fans were so disappointed with the team's underachievement during the season that Billy Bonds was voted Hammer of the Year, even though he only made 17 league and 7 cup appearances for the team.[2]

Tony Cottee was the club's top scorer with 22 league goals and 28 in all competitions, but his strike partner Frank McAvennie disappointed with just seven league goals (11 in all competitions) after being the top flight's second-highest scorer the previous campaign.[3] This was a large factor in the Hammers finishing a lowly 15th in the league, just a year after finishing third and being just four points short of their first top division title.

League table

[edit]
Main article: 1986–87 Football League § First Division

Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
13 Sheffield Wednesday 42 13 13 16 58 59 −1 52
14 Chelsea 42 13 13 16 53 64 −11 52
15 West Ham United 42 14 10 18 52 67 −15 52
16 Queens Park Rangers 42 13 11 18 48 64 −16 50
17 Newcastle United 42 12 11 19 47 65 −18 47
Source: World Football
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored

Results

[edit]

West Ham United's score comes first

Football League First Division

[edit]
Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorers
23 August 1986 Coventry City H 1–0 21,368 Gale
25 August 1986 Manchester United A 3–2 43,306 McAvennie (2), Devonshire
30 August 1986 Oxford United A 0–0 11,684
2 September 1986 Nottingham Forest H 1–2 21,305 McAvennie
6 September 1986 Liverpool H 2–5 29,807 Stewart (pen), Cottee
13 September 1986 Queens Park Rangers A 3–2 19,257 Cottee (3)
20 September 1986 Luton Town H 2–0 19,133 Parris, Gale
27 September 1986 Sheffield Wednesday A 2–2 25,715 Martin, Orr
4 October 1986 Watford A 2–2 17,120 Dickens, McAvennie
11 October 1986 Chelsea H 5–3 26,859 McAvennie, Stewart (2 pen), Cottee (2)
18 October 1986 Norwich City A 1–1 22,884 Goddard
25 October 1986 Charlton Athletic H 1–3 24,141 Cottee
2 November 1986 Everton H 1–0 19,094 Dickens
8 November 1986 Arsenal A 0–0 36,084
15 November 1986 Wimbledon A 1–0 19,094 Cottee
22 November 1986 Aston Villa H 1–1 21,959 Cottee
30 November 1986 Newcastle United A 0–4 22,077
6 December 1986 Southampton H 3–1 18,111 Ince, Devonshire, Cottee (pen)
13 December 1986 Manchester City A 1–3 19,067 Martin
20 December 1986 Queens Park Rangers H 1–1 17,290 Cottee (pen)
26 December 1986 Tottenham Hotspur A 0–4 39,019
27 December 1986 Wimbledon H 2–3 19,122 Cottee, Hilton
1 January 1987 Leicester City H 4–1 16,625 Cottee (2), Dickens, McAvennie
3 January 1987 Liverpool A 0–1 41,286
24 January 1987 Coventry City A 3–1 14,191 Cottee (3)
7 February 1987 Oxford United H 0–1 15,220
14 February 1987 Nottingham Forest A 1–1 19,373 Stewart (pen)
28 February 1987 Luton Town A 1–2 11,101 Cottee
7 March 1987 Charlton Athletic A 1–2 10,100 Robson
14 March 1987 Norwich City H 0–2 21,531
21 March 1987 Chelsea A 0–1 25,386
24 March 1987 Sheffield Wednesday H 0–2 13,514
28 March 1987 Watford H 1–0 16,485 Parris
8 April 1987 Arsenal H 3–1 26,174 Cottee (2; 1 pen), Brady
11 April 1987 Everton A 0–4 35,731
14 April 1987 Manchester United H 0–0 23,486
18 April 1987 Leicester City A 0–2 10,434
20 April 1987 Tottenham Hotspur H 2–1 23,971 McAvennie, Cottee (pen)
25 April 1987 Aston Villa A 0–4 13,584
2 May 1987 Newcastle United H 1–1 17,844 Ward
4 May 1987 Southampton A 0–1 16,810
9 May 1987 Manchester City H 2–0 18,413 Cottee, Brady

FA Cup

[edit]
Main article: 1986–87 FA Cup
Round Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Goalscorers
R3 10 January 1987 Orient A 1–1 19,225 Hilton
R3R 31 January 1987 Orient H 4–1 19,424 Parris, Keen, McAvennie, Cottee
R4 9 February 1987 Sheffield United H 4–0 17,194 McAvennie (2), Robson, Gale
R5 21 February 1987 Sheffield Wednesday A 1–1 McAvennie 10'
R5R 25 February 1987 Sheffield Wednesday H 0–2

League Cup

[edit]
Main article: 1986–87 Football League Cup
Round Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Goalscorers
R2 1st leg 23 September 1986 Preston North End A 1–1 13,153 Ward
R2 2nd leg 7 October 1986 Preston North End H 4–1 (won 5–2 on agg) 12,742 Cottee (3), Dickens
R3 29 October 1986 Watford A 3–2 17,523 Goddard, Dickens, Ward
R4 18 November 1986 Oxford United H 1–0 20,530 Cottee (pen)
R5 27 January 1987 Tottenham Hotspur H 1–1 29,477 Cottee
R5R 2 February 1987 Tottenham Hotspur A 0–5 41,995

Squad

[edit]
Number Player Position Lge Apps Lge Gls FAC Apps FAC Gls LC Apps LC Gls Date Signed Previous Club
West Ham United 1986–87 First XI
1 England Phil Parkes GK 33 5 6 February 1979 Queens Park Rangers
2 Scotland Ray Stewart RB 23 4 3 3 September 1979 Dundee United
3 England George Parris LB 35(1) 1 5 1 6 1985 Academy
4 England Tony Gale CB 32 2 4 1 4 August 1983 Fulham
5 England Billy Bonds (Captain) (Hammer of the Year) CB 13(4) 3 (1) 1 (2) 1967 Charlton
6 England Alan Devonshire LM 20 2 3 4 October 1976 Southall
7 England Mark Ward RM 37 1 5 6 2 August 1985 Oldham Athletic
8 Scotland Frank McAvennie CF 36 7 4 4 5 June 1985 St Mirren
9 England Alan Dickens CM 31(5) 3 2 (1) 4 2 1982 Academy
10 England Tony Cottee CF 42 22 5 1 6 5 September 1982 Academy
11 Scotland Neil Orr CM 21(1) 1 1 4 January 1982 Morton
Important Players
11 England Stewart Robson M 18 2 3 1 2 January 1987 Arsenal
5 England Alvin Martin CB 16 2 1 3 July 1976 Academy
5 England Paul Hilton CB 15(1) 1 2 1 4 (1) 1984 Bury
2 England Steve Walford LB 13(1) 3 4 (1) August 1983 Norwich
6 Republic of Ireland Liam Brady M 12 2 March 1987 Ascoli
5 England Gary Strodder CB 12 March 1987 Lincoln
9 England Geoff Pike M 10(1) 4 1 September 1974 Academy
6 England Kevin Keen M 7 (6) 1 (1) 1 2 1986 Academy
6 England Paul Ince M 7 (3) 1 1 1986 Academy
Other Players
1 Scotland Tom McAlister GK 9 1981 Bristol Rovers
3 Scotland Tommy McQueen LB 9 March 1987 Aberdeen
2 England Steve Potts RB 8 May 1984 Academy
8 England Paul Goddard CF 3 (1) 1 1 1 1980 Queens Park Rangers
12 Republic of Ireland Eamonn Dolan CF 0 (1) 1986 Academy

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Paul Ince | National Football Museum Hall of Fame profile". Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  2. ^ Club, West Ham United Supporters. "West Ham United Supporters Club". West Ham United Supporters Club. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  3. ^ FootyTrivia (2 November 2022). "West Ham Quiz: Only true fans score 100% on this quiz!". Footy Trivia. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1986–87_West_Ham_United_F.C._season&oldid=1148939474"