England World Cup winner Jack Charlton once said ‘a centre half doesn’t have to be skilful just effective’. In many ways he was the antithesis of Bobby Moore’s style of play, but was just as vital to victory. A traditional centre half will cover, block and monitor the opposing centre forward. They will be good in the air and sit at the heart of defence. A centre half will often play alongside a more cultured ball playing defender and provide essential cover when they venture forward. West Ham have been blessed with defensive rocks who wore the number 5 shirt with obdurate defiance. It’s a dirty job but we’ve always had someone to do it.
Pioneers of the Number 5: Kay and Barrett
George Kay was the Hammers’ centre half when they entered the Football League in 1919. He served with the Royal Artillery during the Great War, and came to the Hammers via the circuitous route of Bolton Wanderers and Belfast Celtic. He was captain of the Hammers when they won promotion to the old First Division and became the first player to make 200 league appearances for the club. Kay also made history when he shook hands with opposite number Joe Smith in the first Wembley Cup Final. Kay was replaced by a Stratford born six footer weighing 14 stone. ‘Big‘ Jim Barrett was centre half between the wars and made his debut in March 1925. Barratt made 467 appearances and scored a highly creditable 53 goals. The redoubtable number 5 was deployed in a variety of positions. In the 1925/26 season he played at left back, right half, centre half, left half and centre forward. Playing as a striker he even scored a hattrick in a 4-1 home win against Leeds. Big Jim also held a record that nobody wanted and it stood for 52 years. In October 1928, he was selected to play for England against Ireland. Eight minutes into the game Barratt was injured and carried off. He was never selected again and held the record for the shortest England career. It was broken in 1980, when Peter Ward of Brighton appeared as a substitute against Australia for six minutes and forty eight seconds.
Walker, Allison, and the Academy of Football
As Big Jim’s career drew to a close in the late 30s he handed the number 5 shirt to the Hackney born Dick Walker. After a spell playing for Becontree Athletic, he was signed by the Hammers in 1933. From the 1936/37 season, Walker was the regular choice centre half, and an integral member of a promising team that included England internationals Len Goulden and John Morton. However, the outbreak of war curtailed the football league programme and was replaced by regional leagues and cup competitions. Walker appeared in the League War Cup Final but only made a handful of wartime appearances. Unlike most players, he didn’t take up a role as a physical training instructor, and instead enlisted for active service. Promoted to sergeant in the infantry he served with distinction in El Alamein. After the war, Walker resumed his role in the centre of defence. He was hugely popular and would regularly joke with fans in the ‘chicken run’ during matches. But his first team career came to an end in the early 50s when Ted Fenton became manager. Both had played together before the war and allegedly didn’t see eye to eye. Nevertheless, he went on to make over 200 appearances for the reserves and clock up almost 25 years’ service. His replacement in the first team was an unknown who had made just two league appearances for Charlton Athletic. Malcolm Allison is best known as a flamboyant, Fedora-wearing manager in the 1970s. But he also made 255 appearances for the Hammers as a cultured and perceptive centre half. Allison’s influence wasn’t just restricted to the pitch and was a founding father of the Academy of Football. As club captain he led a school of players who studied tactics and later became managers. Perhaps his greatest legacy was the impact he had on the youngsters he coached. Allison nurtured a young Bobby Moore among many others as the ‘West Ham way’ took shape. In 1958 Allison contracted Tuberculosis and never played again but had undoubtedly made his mark.
The Moore Era: Ken Brown and Defensive Partners
His ultimate successor had been challenging for the centre half position since the mid-50s. Ken Brown was born in Forest Gate and like Dick Walker, grew up in Dagenham. The town was a hotbed for football and he lived in the same street as Terry Venables and Spurs Double winner Les Allen. Following Malcolm Allison’s diagnosis, he became the Hammers’ regular centre half during their promotion campaign of 1957/58. In the following season Brown was ever present as the Hammers secured a 6th place finish in the First Division. He won his first and only full England cap against Northern Ireland in 1959. There was a sense of security with Brown at the centre of defence; never hurried – always cool, calm and collected. He was the perfect foil for Bobby Moore and a vital member of the Cup winning sides of 1964 and 1965. However, by 1967 Brown was 36 years old and past his best. Ron Greenwood decided to spend big on a new number 5. Alan Stephenson had already won three England Under 23 caps when he was signed from Crystal Palace in March 1968. The Hammers had splashed £80,000 on a player who was commanding in the air and solid in defence. He had clear leadership qualities and seemed to be the ideal defensive partner for Bobby Moore. Stephenson won four more Under 23 caps with the Hammers. But it was apparent the defensive plan wasn’t working out. In October 1970 West Ham dipped into the transfer market once more. Tommy Taylor was signed from Leyton Orient for £50,000. He was a key player in the club’s promotion from the Third Division. It was hoped the tall and powerfully built defender would provide greater defensive stability. Taylor went on to win 12 England Under 23 caps which was one of the highest totals for a player never to win a senior cap. Although the archetypal centre half, he also played in midfield and centre forward. The latter change was enacted when the club were unable to sign a striker. Over nine years Taylor made 396 appearances and saw out the Bobby Moore era. He later partnered Kevin Lock and John McDowell in defence as the Hammers won the FA Cup and reached the European Cup Winners Cup Final.
The Modern Era’s Defensive Legends: Alvin Martin and James Collins
The new defensive lynchpin was a boy from Bootle waiting quietly in the wings. Alvin Martin had been rejected as a schoolboy by Everton and decided to chance his luck down south. He signed apprentice forms for West Ham and played in the side that reached the FA Youth Cup Final in 1975. The following year Martin won an England Youth cap against Wales and signed professional in 1976. He made his first team debut in the 1977/78 season, coming on as substitute against Aston Villa. Martin scored the winning goal away at Leeds, but it was not enough to prevent relegation from the first. By the 1979/80 season he was firmly established in the first team. Martin was partnered in the centre of defence by Billy Bonds and flourished as West Ham won the FA Cup in 1980. Martin made his full England debut against Brazil in 1981. It capped a memorable season for Martin as West Ham gained promotion and narrowly lost to Liverpool in the League Cup Final. Although playing in a number of warm-up games, he didn’t make Ron Greenwood’s final squad for the World Cup finals in 1982. Martin remained a squad regular after Bobby Robson took charge of the national squad later that year. He was a key member of the Hammers side that went agonisingly close to winning the league title in 1985/86. Martin forged a sound defensive partnership with Tony Gale that was key to the team’s success. A personal standout was the home game against Newcastle, when he scored a hattrick against three different goalkeepers in an 8-1 victory. Selection for the England World Cup squad followed that summer. Martin played in the final group game against Paraguay which England won 3-0. Everyone was mystified when Martin was the only change for the quarter final against Argentina. Terry Fenwick replaced our boy and we can only wonder how he might have dealt with Diego Maradona? One further appearance against Sweden brought his haul of caps to 17. It was the peak of a career that would soon be blighted by a stream of niggling injuries. A troublesome ankle, hamstring and calf would restrict his involvement. Nevertheless, he twice helped the club win promotion to the top tier. Alvin Martin played his final game for the Hammers in February 1996 and made an impressive 586 appearances. He seemed to be the last of traditional centre halves with a hard as nails reliability. The erosion of physical contact meant they could no longer influence the game in the same way. Following Martin’s departure, West Ham tried a variety of players in the role including Ian Pearce, Javier Margas, Slaven Bilic and Marc Rieper. The emergence of Rio Ferdinand introduced a Bobby Moore prototype that needed a traditional stopper. He was partnered with the ever reliable Steve Potts and later Igor Stimac. But a revolving door had been installed at the club and players were signed as short term fixes to long term problems. There was a distinct lack of continuity and consistency in defence. However, Anton Ferdinand broke through in the early noughties and re-established the traditional centre half role. Alan Pardew strengthened the defensive line in July 2005 when he signed James Collins and Danny Gabbidon from Cardiff City. A fee of £3.5 million was something of a bargain for two Wales internationals and a solid backline. It paid dividends as the Hammers finished 9th in the Premier League and reached the FA Cup Final in 2006. Gabbidon was a hard working defender who made 113 appearances before transferring to QPR. But it was James Collins who entered into club folklore and was affectionately dubbed ‘the Ginger Pele’ by fans. He had two spells with the Hammers and made a total of 214 appearances. ‘Ginge’ gets a rousing reception whenever he appears as a pitch side guest at home games. In many ways Collins was cast in the classic centre half mould. A willingness to take one for the team and sacrifice personal glory for the collective effort immediately won fans over.
The 21st Century: Injuries, Reliability, and the Current Crop
The second decade of the 21st Century saw the Hammers welcome a new generation of defensive rocks. Winston Reid signed for the Hammers in 2010 and looked a real prospect. However, his career was decimated by an appalling catalogue of injuries. Hamstring, shoulder, ankle, thigh, hip, abductor and the inevitable knee injury restricted Reid’s game time. Despite his injury record Reid signed an extension to his contract until 2023. However, in March 2018 he was knocked unconscious during a game; the resulting twisted knee kept him out for the rest of the season. There was no doubting his commitment and the ability to put his foot in where it really did hurt. He also had the distinction of scoring the final goal at Upton Park when he fired home the winner 10 minutes from time. The textbook definition of ‘unsung hero’ must surely be Angelo Ogbonna. The Italy international was signed from Juventus in 2015 and plied his trade as a central defender for the next nine seasons. Oggy was utterly reliable and made few mistakes. He sometimes fell victim to manager’s preference but was always on hand to play his part whenever needed. He remained an essential member of the squad and it was gratifying to see him on the pitch celebrating the Europa Conference League win in 2023. He made 249 appearances for the Hammers before moving onto Watford. In recent years, we have hosted a mixed bag of central defenders that have varied in quality and impact. Kurt Zouma never quite lived down the ‘catgate’ affair, but stubbornly held on to make 103 appearances and serve briefly as club captain. Rochdale-born Craig Dawson clocked up 87 appearances over three years and scored five useful goals in the Premier League. Nayef Aguerd cost £30 million when he was signed from Rennes in June 2022. The Morocco international looked to be a class act and was the Hammers fourth most expensive signing. Perhaps typically, he sustained an ankle injury in a pre-season friendly. He required surgery and didn’t make his league debut until October 2022. Aguerd has flattered to deceive so far and is currently on loan at Real Sociedad. The recently concluded 2024/25 season has been one of under-achievement and disappointment. However, with 62 goals conceded in 38 league games it could have been much worse. But a good centre half will instil discipline and a sense of organisation at the back. Max Kilman has been an ever present in the centre of the defence this season. A number of sound displays have been peppered with some indifferent ones. One suspects he will be a ‘keeper’ in due course. The same could not be said of Konstantinos Mavropanos. The Greece international was signed from VfB Stuttgart and Arsenal gently rubbed salt into the wound by taking a 10% sell-on fee. An error prone Arsenal reject playing regularly is an indication of how problematic the position is. Nobody really notices a centre half when they play well but it’s blatantly obvious when they don’t. But don’t panic, there will be another transfer window coming along soon.
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