1985-86 - The Boleyn Boys

[The Reverand]

Watching sky programme the Boleyn Boys the other night, featuring Tony Gale ,Cottee, Bonzo Bonds, Alan Devonshire (what a player) and Phil Parkinson. Anyway, they were talking abou their most memorable games and that cart horse Tony Gale referred to a game against Ipswich in 1985-86 as his....then followed it with you know the year we and Liverpool battled for the title!!!
The air was literally blue - we give it to the feckers, West Ham were the equivelant of an annoying fly in that title run. The cheek!

 

[Eggs]

...Devonshire and Daddy Lampard did us in a cup semi-final.

 

[davek]

This really does 'kin annoy me. Utter trash like this get documentaries made about them and our 1980s team - a team which (as SAF recently conceded in Reidy's book) were the actual team that knocked that lot off their 'kin perch and were one of the best, if not the best teams, in Europe - are completely overlooked.

When is our documentary going to be done?

 

[dholliday]

This really does 'kin annoy me. Utter trash like this get documentaries made about them and our 1980s team - a team which (as SAF recently conceded in Reidy's book) were the actual team that knocked that lot off their 'kin perch and were one of the best, if not the best teams, in Europe - are completely overlooked.

When is our documentary going to be done?

interesting, I haven't seen that...is there a quote about?

 

[Alanbileysfeathercut]

Watching sky programme the Boleyn Boys the other night, featuring Tony Gale ,Cottee, Bonzo Bonds, Alan Devonshire (what a player) and Phil Parkinson. Anyway, they were talking abou their most memorable games and that cart horse Tony Gale referred to a game against Ipswich in 1985-86 as his....then followed it with you know the year we and Liverpool battled for the title!!!
The air was literally blue - we give it to the feckers, West Ham were the equivelant of an annoying fly in that title run. The cheek!

Think they played us after they blew it
Mcavennie in that mix
What a player off the park

 

[davek]

interesting, I haven't seen that...is there a quote about?

It's in the foreword. I'm still waiting on this through the post....the book, that is, not just the foreword!

 

[roydo]

The Boleyn Boys?

Upton Park is my recollection.

And Davek is right. Our 80s side must be the single most overlooked brilliant one of all time.

 

[dholliday]

It's in the foreword. I'm still waiting on this through the post....the book, that is, not just the foreword!

nice, always liked Reidy's way with words. Felt we missed a trick not having him managing us in the post-Joe/pre-Moyes days.

 

[hibbo'sclass]

The Boleyn Boys?

Upton Park is my recollection.

And Davek is right. Our 80s side must be the single most overlooked brilliant one of all time.

The Boleyn Ground was the proper name. Upton Park was the housing estate and is the tube station I think.

 

[StreetEndBlue]

I've never minded the Hammers so much because over the years, by there own fans admission, we've been a massive bogey team for them and seem to get good results against them home and away.

As for them in 85-86, that was probably their best ever side. Cottee and McAvennie had a great partnership up front and they certainly had a shout of the title right to the end. That side contained a couple of Scousers in Alvin Martin and Mark Ward, so it does make me laugh when over the years their fans chant that tedious 'sign on' song, plus other anti-Scouse stuff at us.

I recall us beating them quite comfortably 3-1 on the Monday before 86 cup final, but, had other results gone differently, it could have gone down as one of the maddest title deciders of all time. Everton win and we retain the title, West Ham win and they become Champions, a draw and Liverpool become Champions (they'd already played their last game), but it ended up being a dead game and just a play-off for second place.

That 3rd place they achieved in 85/86 remains the best finish in West Ham's entire history. But the following season it all fell apart and they descended back to mediocrity.

 

[roydo]

The Boleyn Ground was the proper name. Upton Park was the housing estate and is the tube station I think.

Yeah, I know that. But it wasnt known as that until a year or so back.

 

[Saint Domingo]

This really does 'kin annoy me. Utter trash like this get documentaries made about them and our 1980s team - a team which (as SAF recently conceded in Reidy's book) were the actual team that knocked that lot off their 'kin perch and were one of the best, if not the best teams, in Europe - are completely overlooked.

When is our documentary going to be done?

Same way Catterick and Kendall barely get mentioned outside of Everton circles yet no marks who won nothing get bigged up all the time. Dean, Ball, Southall too, arguably three of the best players these islands have ever produced yet you'll never hear them mentioned in the same breath as Charlton Best Dalglish or even Kevin effin Keegan.

 

[kithnou]

What did this great team win?

 

[The Reverand]

Think they played us after they blew it
Mcavennie in that mix
What a player off the park

They didn't blow anything - we did

 

[ianefc]

What did this great team win?

I think tge last trophy West Ham won was the 1980 FA Cup, famed for the fact they were a 2nd tier club. They have a mass of journalists in the national media, like Samuel, that's why they their reputation. As unworthy as it is. Nothing club.