Well, the dust has settled on yet another brilliant cup game that we have been involved in. The game against Leeds had everything, and I can’t help but feel we were very unlucky to go out. The fact that we are out and miss out on a Wembley semi-final with rivals Chelsea is a major disappointment.
As fans, our football memories are built on special occasions like this, and whilst it would have been better if the league situation was secure, I am still gutted that another year goes by and I am another year older without seeing my side win a domestic trophy in my lifetime.
League Survival Over Cup Glory?
If I try to look from a business/club perspective, it is probably better that we fully focus on maintaining our league status now. I think the fact we showed such fight and determination against Leeds does show the players are in the right mindset for a relegation battle.
When I reflect on FA Cup disappointments throughout my time there, there have been plenty of them, and there are a few that probably rank even higher than this one.
The 1991 Villa Park Nightmare
The first one is from my first ever season as a season ticket holder and the first ever game I went to involving West Ham and not at Upton Park. That was the semi-final against Brian Clough’s Nottingham Forest at Villa Park in April 1991.
The day started so well, a trip to Birmingham in a hired mini-bus with my dad and his friends, watching the Spurs v Arsenal other semi-final beforehand, and then getting to the ground. The atmosphere was electric, and the support was immense. West Ham even won the pre-match police dog race that took place on the pitch.
The game was determined very early on by a ridiculous red card for Tony Gale by Keith Hackett. I was 10 years old, and that match broke my heart. One thing it did do, though, was make me very proud of how I supported a club who could chant Billy Bonds’ Claret and Blue army continuously for 20 minutes despite being 4-0 down at the time.
Hat-tricks and Penalty Heartache
Another painful memory in my early years of following the club and also cost us a semi final place at Wembley against Chelsea was when we lost to a Scott Oakes hattrick against Luton. The first game finished 0-0 at Upton Park which was a disappointing result but we then lost 3-2 at their ground. A very rare Steve Potts error led to the Hatters advancing to the next stage at our expense. I have hated the rock band Showaddywaddy ever since (Scott Oakes’ dad was their guitarist).
Quarter finals seemed to be a big problem for me and West Ham. Another two from the 90s that stand out were losses against North London rivals.
The first was against Arsenal. We got a credible 1-1 draw in the first game at Highbury which forced a replay at Upton Park. The game finished 1-1 again with John Hartson scoring for us against his former club. The game went to penalties and we lost again with iconic forward Samassi Abou missing the crucial penalty. Most of my friends at school were Arsenal fans and this was hard to take the next day when the 9am bell went.
The Pain of 2001 and the Liverpool Final
The other was against Spurs in 2001. We had previously won away at Old Trafford and the Stadium of Light and it really seemed this was our year. It’s never pleasant losing to Spurs at the best of times but especially in a cup quarter final at home.
We went 1-0 down to a Rebrov goal – the player would later join West Ham a few years later – but when England legend Stuart Pearce equalised with a free kick, I felt we would go on to win. We didn’t and this still pains me.
The FA Cup game, however, that still upsets me the most and a game I’ve still never watched back again is our final defeat to Liverpool. I was there in Cardiff for the big game, and for the majority of the match, I was having the time of my life with my dad again.
Fifteen years on from my first cup heartbreak, I can still hear the tannoy announcement of the additional time to be played when Gerrard in his absolute prime fired home that equaliser. It still hurts the heart thinking about it. Everyone knows the story and how on loan Argentine and current World Cup winning manager Lionel Scaloni should have kicked the ball out of play further up the pitch.
A Healing Time That Never Comes
We then went and lost this game on penalties too. That game was almost 20 years ago now and it still hurts me as much now as it did that day. They say time is a great healer but not in this case.
It’s fair to say there have been many FA Cup heartbreaks over the years but the up and down rollercoaster of being a West Ham supporter certainly keeps you entertained that’s for sure.
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