After finishing in third place in the old First Division in May 1986, it was reasonable to assume that John Lyall would make one or two key signings to allow West Ham to push on and have another attempt at the League title. Reasonable because Lyall had a record of doing this; of raiding the lower leagues for players who had an appetite to step up, or the Scottish League for relatively unknown players who could make a big impact. But in the summer of 1986, John Lyall mysteriously switched off his radar and made no additions to a squad that had been stretched paper-thin towards the end of the season, despite being lucky with injuries. It was a strategy that would backfire spectacularly and proved to be the beginning of the end for him. Lyall also had a history of reliance on the significant talent pool from the youth squad, but this had dried up of late – the only names that looked like making an impact being Paul Ince and Kevin Keen.
Unbeaten Start, Cracks Begin to Show
The season started well enough, though a breach of discipline on a pre-season tour of Holland had left a bitter taste. The opening day saw a 1-0 win over Coventry, then a rare 3-2 win at Old Trafford which signalled the end of the line for Big Ron Atkinson. Manchester United appointed a promising young manager by the name of Alex Ferguson to replace him. Top after two games, a 0-0 draw at Oxford meant the Hammers were still unbeaten after three matches, but then two games at home which suggested West Ham might not be such a surprise package this term. After taking the lead against both Nottingham Forest at Liverpool, they came back to win 2-1 and 5-2 respectively. A Cottee hat-trick at Loftus Road earned a 3-2 win and a 2-0 win over Luton pushed the Hammers back into the top four. Preston North End were pushed aside in the League Cup, 5-2 on aggregate, and 2-2 draws at Sheffield Wednesday and Watford preserved an unbeaten away record.
The McAvennie Injury and the Loss of a Striker
A spectacular 5-3 win over Chelsea at Upton Park proved costly, with Frank McAvennie picking up an injury that would keep him out for a month. Paul Goddard, who McAvennie had replaced a year before with such success, partnered Cottee up front and scored an equaliser at Carrow Road, but without McAvennie, the dynamic of the team had changed, something Charlton Athletic capitalised on in a 3-1 at Upton Park. Still, only a third defeat in 12 and unbeaten away from home, the alarm bells were not ringing loud enough yet for Lyall to dip into the transfer market. A 3-2 win at Watford saw West Ham through to round four of the League Cup and a 1-0 win over Everton on live TV confirm Alan Dickens’ rise to prominence as he became a more and more influential member of the side. McAvennie returned for the 0-0 draw at Highbury and a 1-0 win at new boys Wimbledon, meaning that West Ham approached the end of November still unbeaten away from home. Some have identified the left side of central midfield the previous year as a potential weakness, with an ageing Geoff Pike and a less than able Neil Orr sharing the 11 shirt. That position was about to be taken by the emerging talent of Paul Ince, who had made his debut in a Full Members Cup tie defeat to Chelsea on 25 October. He also played in West Ham’s first away defeat of the season at Newcastle, taking an absolute battering 4-0 by a team that had just purchased Paul Goddard from West Ham, that’s Paul Goddard our only back up striker. Still, in Lyall we trusted, surely, he had something up his sleeve?
A Square Peg: Lyall’s Misfiring January Signings
If he did, he was hiding it very well as away defeats at Manchester City and another thumping at Spurs on Boxing Day signalled something of a slide. Away form had kept the Hammers in contention at the end of November, still in seventh, seven points behind leaders Arsenal. But by the turn of the year the team had suffered seven defeats and lay in 12th place a massive 14 points off the lead. Lyall finally dipped into the transfer market in January paying £750,000 for Stewart Robson from Arsenal, a move which on the face of it seemed like a good buy, but despite starring on his debut, a 3-1 win at Coventry, it quickly became apparent that he was a square peg in a round hole, and an injury-prone one at that. We already had Alan Dickens who could play Robson’s role very well. We needed back-up for the strikers, and, whisper it quietly, a replacement for Phil Parkes whose knees were starting to let him down. Robson’s arrival could not halt an almighty slide. In the quarter-final of the league Cup, the Hammers somehow contained a rampant Tottenham at Upton Park, with 40-goal Clive Allen leading the defence a merry dance. The replay at White Hart Lane ended 5-0 to Spurs, the less said about it the better. In the FA Cup, a 1-1 draw at neighbours Orient led to a 4-1 replay win for the Hammers at Upton Park. Another youth product, Kevin Keen was starting to show his worth, but it would have been better had he been blooded into a team that was winning on a regular basis. League form had deserted the Hammers altogether – home defeats to Oxford, Sheffield Wednesday and Norwich and an FA Cup exit in the fifth round meant the season was effectively over and from being title contenders in November, the Hammers were suddenly staring a relegation battle in the face.
Ageing Squad and Disaster on the Road
Lyall belatedly raided the lower leagues and the Scottish leagues and the overseas market, but instead of unearthing the next Ray Stewart, he came up with Tommy McQueen. Instead of bringing in the next Tony Gale, he bought Gary Strodder. And instead of Francois van der Elst, he brought Liam Brady in from Ascoli. The latter of course was a big name and went on to feature strongly over the next three seasons – but he wasn’t what was needed. This, combined with an over-reliance on Billy Bonds, who had recently returned from injury at the age of 40, turned a young, vibrant and exciting West Ham side into an ageing, inexperienced and potentially incompetent side almost overnight. A 1-0 win over Watford at Upton Park on a mud bath of a pitch signalled at upturn in home form at least. George Parris’ last minute shot from the edge of the box rifled into the top corner, but only 17,793 turned up to watch it. The season ended unbeaten at home from that point, the highlight being a 3-1 over Arsenal who had just lifted the League Cup, a 2-1 win over Tottenham and a last day 2-0 win over Manchester City that confirmed their relegation. Yes, it was that long ago. Away form remained disastrous though; 4-0 defeats at Everton and Aston Villa (who were also to be relegated) and a 2-0 defeat at the third team to be relegated, Leicester City. Southampton also won an insipid contest at The Dell by a single goal. Tony Cottee put in a transfer request which was rejected, Frank McAvennie was being wooed by his boyhood club Celtic. The squad was being amended on an ad hoc basis to plug gaps. There would have to be some seismic improvements over the summer if the decline was to be halted.
The Legacy of Decline and 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. 1986-87 is covered in Episodes 57-62 – see @westhamhistory
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