The previous campaign had ended disappointingly after challenging into January, injuries to key players Devonshire, Whitton and Martin robbed the Hammers of any chance of maintaining their fight and they ended up finishing ninth. Devonshire’s injury was the most troubling. For a player who relied on speed of movement as well as speed of thought, a cruciate ligament injury was potentially career ending.
Certainly it seemed that Devonshire would miss the majority of the 1984-85 season, which, coupled with the retirement of Trevor Brooking, meant that West Ham would start the season without their two main midfield protagonists. Not only that but injury to Phil Parkes meant that Tom McAlister would be deputising in goal for the majority of the campaign. Alan Dickens and Paul Allen had made sufficient progress to believe that this might not be too much of an issue. The only signing was a significant one – Tony Gale joined from Fulham for £200,000, a classy defender just as comfortable in midfield.
A Dramatic Turnaround at the Top
When the season opened at home to Ipswich on 25 August 1984 there was little invention and little for tiny twin strikers Tony Cottee and Paul Goddard to feed off. The traditional defeat at Anfield followed on August Bank Holiday left the Hammers with just one point and no goals after two games. But then a dramatic turnaround saw Goddard score twice at The Dell in a 3-2 win over Southampton and two Ray Stewart penalties provided a midweek victory over Coventry at Upton Park, where Greg Campbell started against Watford on the Saturday but had his season curtailed by a broken jaw in a 2-0 win.
Suddenly three wins and a draw from the opening five games had propelled the Hammers to second place. Chelsea cruised to a 3-0 win at Stamford Bridge on an afternoon when the ugly side of football reared its head again with several interruptions for crowd trouble. A goalless draw at home to Nottingham Forest and a 1-1 draw against newly-promoted Newcastle showcased the emerging midfield dominance of Paul Allen – who had made his debut at 17 in 1979 so was still only 22 years of age and had matured into a dynamic, strong-running midfielder with an eye for goal.
Highs, Lows, and the Cup Run
Bristol City were disposed of 8-3 over the two legs of the League Cup second round before a rare Billy Bonds goal assisted a 3-1 win over Leicester. What looked like a blip at Old Trafford as the Hammer succumbed 5-1, then a 4-2 win at a desperate Stoke City and a magnificent 3-1 win over Arsenal at Upton Park, Cottee and Goddard, the little big shots, grabbing one a piece and the ever-reliable Pike chipping in with the third.
That was really the high-water mark of the campaign – Manchester City away in the League Cup produced a goalless draw and the Hammers lost the replay in which second-division City were dominant. A credible 0-0 draw at Villa Park, but after beating Sunderland 1-0 at Upton Park on 17 November it would be 29 December before the next success in the league, a 2-1 win at Highfield Road.
1985: Crumbing into a Relegation Scrap
1985 is a memorable year in Hammers history but it did not start auspiciously. Indeed the second half of the 1984-85 campaign quickly crumbled into a relegation scrap with only a cup run for comfort. A crushing 3-1 home defeat on New Year’s Day set the tone for the rest of the season, notable only for Steve Potts’ debut and Paul Brush scoring his only West Ham goal in a total of 186 appearances.
The FA Cup campaign began with a 4-1 win over Port Vale at Upton Park, Paul Goddard with a hat-trick, and Norwich City were dispatched 2-1 in round four. Two-one defeats to Aston Villa then by the same score at Highbury, where the Hammers had led by a Cottee goal until Alvin Martin had to leave the field for stitches. Returning to the field with a bloodied shirt he found the Gunners had capitalised on his absence to lead.
Devonshire’s Return and the Old Trafford Exit
A 1-1 draw at Plough Lane, Wimbledon were surprisingly comfortable considering the Dons had beaten Nottingham Forest in round four. Alan Devonshire came back to play but clearly was some way from being fit – he played again in the replay at Upton Park and was instrumental in the Hammers 5-1 win – but he would not feature again for the rest of the campaign.
A flu-ridden and injury-hit squad travelled to Old Trafford for the quarter final and put up a spirited show but eventually overwhelmed by Manchester United 4-2. Paul Allen had brought the game back to 3-2 and was proving to be one of the few bright spots of the season. He was out of contract in the summer yet, despite putting in some strong performances, a new contract had not yet been forthcoming.
Wogan, Goalkeeper Injuries, and Survival
Some pride was restored as the next game was also against the Red Devils at Upton Park, a game shown live on the BBC on a Friday night, but with the first 10 minutes making way for ‘Wogan’ deemed to be more important. How times have changed. The 2-2 draw showed the Hammers had not yet thrown in the towel. Indeed the Hammers scored their first goals since 1969 at The City Ground, Nottingham in a rare win at Forest.
But that proved to be a false dawn as the Hammers suffered a 5-0 thumping at Watford and a 4-2 defeat at QPR on Easter Monday that saw Tom McAlister carried off with broken ribs and a punctured lung. Ray Stewart took over in goal but ironically the first thing he had to do was face a penalty kick. With McAlister out of Action, Parkes was rushed back in for the home draw with Chelsea which left the Hammers in 17th place just three points above the relegation zone with nine games to play.
The Exit of Paul Allen
A priceless 1-0 win at Sunderland eased matters but it was a measure of the problems in the team that the very next game was another five-goal drubbing at The Hawthorns. Paul Allen again scored in the 5-1 defeat and again looked West Ham’s best player, but still a contract offer had not materialised. Ultimately, victories over soon-to-be relegated Norwich City and Stoke City as well as a win at Ipswich secured the Hammers’ safety but it was clear that Brooking and Devonshire were missed more than had been thought possible.
More signings would be needed if 1985-86 was not to be another battle for survival. With no contract offer on the table, Allen spoke to cousin Clive at Tottenham and an offer was forthcoming almost immediately. By the time West Ham made an offer, it didn’t match the Tottenham bid and “Ollie” had already made up his mind to go.
Follow The John Lyall Years
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. 1984-85 is covered in Episodes 46-50 – see @westhamhistory
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