1989–90 West Ham United F.C. season

In only the second game of the season the West Ham fans are chanting "We hate Paul Ince" after they discover through a national newspaper of the player's transfer to Manchester United. Ince had reportedly been a transfer target for Alex Ferguson since the end of the previous campaign, the transfer finally being completed on 14 September 1989, by which time Ince had actually played a Second Division game for the Hammers.[1]

With the dismissal of long serving manager John Lyall on 5 June 1989, speculation mounted about who was going to succeed Lyall. AFC Bournemouth manager and former Hammers player Harry Redknapp was a name strongly linked to the vacancy, but Swindon Town's Lou Macari (who had taken the Wiltshire club to the verge of the First Division just three years after promotion from the Fourth Division) was unveiled as the club's new manager on 3 July 1989.

Macari lasted less than a year as West Ham manager. Amid allegations that he was involved in illegal payments at Swindon Town (a scandal which saw Swindon's promotion to the First Division being withdrawn at the end of the 1989–90 season) he resigned on 18 February 1990.[2] Club legend Billy Bonds was appointed manager in his place, and saw the Hammers complete their impressive run to the Football League Cup semi finals for the second season in succession, but seventh place in the final league table was not quite enough for a playoff place. It could very well have been a different story had key striker Frank McAvennie not been absent for almost all of the campaign, breaking his leg on the opening day of the season against Stoke City and only managing four more league appearances that campaign when he made his comeback.[3]

However, some of his signings including Ludek Miklosko, Trevor Morley and Ian Bishop went on to become West Ham legends.

Number Player Position Lge Apps Lge Gls FAC Apps FAC Gls LC Apps LC Gls Date Signed Previous Club
West Ham United 1989-90 First XI
1 England Phil Parkes GK 22 1 9 February 1979 Queens Park Rangers
2 England Steve Potts RB 30(2) 1 8 May 1984 Academy
3 England Julian Dicks
(Hammer of the Year)
LB 40 9 1 9 4 March 1988 Birmingham City
4 England Tony Gale CB 36 1 1 7 August 1983 Fulham
5 England Alvin Martin (Captain) CB 31 1 10 1 July 1976 Academy
6 England Kevin Keen M 43(1) 10 1 10 1 1986 Academy
7 Republic of Ireland Liam Brady M 25(8) 2 8 (2) March 1987 Ascoli
8 England Stuart Slater F 40 7 9 (1) 2 1987 Academy
9 Northern Ireland Jimmy Quinn CF 18(3) 13 1 December 1989 Bradford City
10 England Martin Allen M 39 9 1 6 2 August 1989 Queens Park Rangers
11 England George Parris M 35(3) 2 1 9 1985 Academy
Important Players
5 England Colin Foster CB 20(2) 1989 Nottingham Forest
11 England Trevor Morley CF 18(1) 10 1 December 1989 Manchester City
1 Czechoslovakia Ludek Miklosko GK 18 1 February 1990 Banik Ostrava
7 England Mark Ward RM 17(2) 5 4 August 1985 Oldham Athletic
4 England Gary Strodder CB 16 1 5 March 1987 Lincoln
8 England Ian Bishop M 13(4) 2 1 December 1989 Manchester City
8 Republic of Ireland David Kelly CF 8 (8) 1 5 (2) 1 1988 Walsall
Other Players
9 Republic of Ireland Eamonn Dolan CF 8 (2) 3 4 1986 Academy
2 England Stewart Robson M 7 1 3 January 1987 Arsenal
1 England Perry Suckling GK 6 December 1989 Crystal Palace
3 Scotland Tommy McQueen LB 5 (2) 1 (2) March 1987 Aberdeen
9 England Leroy Rosenior CF 4 (1) 2 0 (1) 2 March 1988 Fulham
6 England Alan Devonshire LM 3 (4) 0 (3) October 1976 Southall
11 England Justin Fashanu F 2 0 (1) November 1989 Manchester City
12 Scotland Frank McAvennie CF 1 (4) March 1989 Celtic
11 England Paul Ince CM 1 1986 Academy
14 England Paul Kelly M 0 (1) 1989 Academy
12 Scotland Ralph Milne M 0 (1) January 1990 Manchester United

References

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