Lyall had already written himself into the history books by getting West Ham to a cup Final in his first season but in reality it was a minor shift in responsibilities which allowed him to concentrate on first team affairs while Ron Greenwood recruited and scouted. It seemed like an adjustment that with a little more time might reap even more dividends than an FA Cup. Would 1975-76 see a significant improvement in league position?
After winning the FA Cup in 1964, the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1965 and providing three members of England’s 1966 World Cup Winning team, it was widely perceived that the club had subsequently under-achieved under manager Ron Greenwood. By August 1974 the World Cup trio of Bobby Moore, Martin Peters and Geoff Hurst had all moved on and West Ham narrowly avoided relegation in 73-74 Greenwood handed the reins over to the 34-year-old John Lyall.
Lyall had been an apprentice and a promising left-back at West Ham in the early 1960s when a knee injury forced him to retire. Born in Ilford, he had the club in his blood and he stayed on the pay-roll performing various duties from office clerk upwards until eventually being appointed as Assistant Manager to Greenwood, who had been manager since 1961.
Greenwood announced he was taking the role of General Manager, responsible for scouting and recruitment. His relatively unknown assistant John Lyall was to be promoted to the role of first team coach, responsible for team selection and tactics.
The appointment was not announced until three games into the season, and was possibly the quietest succession in football history. The season started badly – after an uninspiring exit from the Texaco Cup, which was a pre-season tournament for English and Scottish clubs which had not qualified for Europe, a 4-0 defeat at Manchester City on the opening day flattered The Hammers.
Freed from the shackles of team management, Greenwood could concentrate on scouting and recruitment and brought in new signings Billy Jennings and Keith Robson and fortunes took a turn for the better. Lyall showed his tactical acumen by seeing early on that the team was strongest with Robson, Jennings and Bobby Gould and switched formation from time to time to a 4-3-3 to accommodate them.
This worked with devastating effect as Tranmere in the cup and Leicester in the league were beaten 6-0 and 6-2 in consecutive home games, before going out of the League Cup to Bobby Moore’s Fulham at Craven Cottage following a floodlight failure and the match being played in semi-darkness. Lyall collected the £100 prize as Bells Whisky Manager of the Month for September. Wolves were beaten 5-2 and Middlesbrough 3-0.
There was even a 1-1 draw at Anfield rocketing the team from 12th in September to 5th in early December. Greenwood signed a promising youngster from Rochdale: Alan Taylor. Although Rochdale had played in the first and second rounds of the FA Cup, Taylor was injured and therefore, critically as it turned out, was not cup-tied.
The FA Cup campaign began with a 2-1 win at second-division Southampton, but there was no indication of the drama that would unfold in the competition later. League form took a nosedive and Lyall could do nothing to prevent the ‘Down with the Christmas decorations’ trope synonymous with West Ham.
It didn’t help that pitches were often mud baths in winter with little capacity to allow the flowing football that Lyall and his predecessor had so cherished. But knowing that, there was little sign of a change in philosophy. Swindon took West Ham to a replay at the County Ground in round four, The Hammers just edging through 2-1.
West Ham slipped to 10th with only one league win since Christmas by the time QPR arrived at Upton Park for the fifth round tie, coming from behind on another muddy pitch to go through 2-1 with goals from Holland and Robson. Some 40,258 turned up to see a 0-0 draw with Liverpool at Upton Park, but the general trend in the league was downwards. With little threat of relegation, efforts are concentrated on the cup.
Alan Taylor was drafted in to start at Highbury for the quarter final, on a bog of a pitch, but “Sparrow” skated across the waterlogged surface to score twice and secure a semi-final against Ipswich. The Semi-final at Villa Park was instantly forgettable, but the replay at Stamford Bridge is much more memorable.
Referee Clive Thomas weaving his name into Ipswich infamy by disallowing a goal and turning town several penalty shouts which allowed West Ham to go through to the final 2-1. Taylor again with a brace. The League campaign petered out disappointingly in 1975 finally finishing 13th from 22 with 39 points (two points for a win). It was perhaps understandable given that the Hammers had a cup final to prepare for and there was little threat of relegation.
The Cup Final was against League Cup victors, second-division Fulham. An emotional day saw Bobby Moore’s team, beaten 2-0 with a third brace in three rounds for Alan Taylor.
Lyall had already written himself into the history books by getting West Ham to a cup Final in his first season but in reality it was a minor shift in responsibilities which allowed him to concentrate on first team affairs while Ron Greenwood recruited and scouted. It seemed like an adjustment that with a little more time might reap even more dividends than an FA Cup. Would 1975-76 see a significant improvement in league position?
My youtube series “The John Lyall Years” follows the fortunes of the club during John Lyall’s tenure, merging match footage with interviews, newspaper cuttings, news items, music, TV and cinema from the time. It is a must for anyone who remembers those heady days, or those who are curious to learn.
*1974-75 is covered in Episodes 1-5 – see @westhamhistory
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