The 1995–96 campaign was West Ham United’s centenary season, and having ended the previous campaign on a high, the expectation was that Redknapp would take the team from strength to strength. The centenary celebrations involved a trip to Australia, which proved to be less than successful. Many of the junior members of the squad caused problems by losing passports and safe keys, while senior members, like Frank Lampard, even lost his shoes when he left them outside a temple during an excursion. The Australians were unhappy at the lack of big names. There were actually not that many small names either – Lampard eventually named himself as a substitute for one of the games.
Pre-Season Moves and the Arrival of Marco Boogers
Back in the UK, Redknapp made the previously on-loan Marc Reiper’s move permanent for £1.1m and signed the Australian winger Stan Lazaridis, who had impressed against West Ham while playing for Western Australia. Another Australian, Robbie Slater, also came in as part of the deal that saw Matty Holmes move to Blackburn. But the big signing of the summer was the capture of Marco Boogers from Sparta Rotterdam for £1m – a striker nobody had heard of, yet Redknapp saw him as a better bet than the experienced Marcus Stewart of Bristol Rovers. Depending on who was asked, Redknapp may or may not have signed Boogers after watching video evidence alone.
Early Disciplinary Drama and Goalkeeping Crisis
Boogers was not in the starting XI on the opening day, as Danny Williamson gave the Hammers a 1–0 lead against Leeds. However, terrific strikes from Tony Yeboah turned the game in Leeds’ favour. Boogers came on as a substitute and looked a little off the pace, so he remained on the bench for the trip to Old Trafford, where, after coming on as a substitute, he attempted to slice Gary Neville in half. The resulting red card turned out to be the highlight of Boogers’ West Ham career, but it scuppered any chance of a West Ham revival in a 2–1 defeat. The first points of the campaign came from two 1–1 draws, away at Forest, with the soon-to-depart Martin Allen scoring, and at home to Spurs, with the also soon-to-depart Don Hutchison notching for the Hammers. With just two points from a possible 12, and only four goals, one of which had been an own goal, Redknapp brought Iain Dowie back for a second spell and gave both him and Stan Lazaridis their debuts at home to Chelsea. It ended in a 3–1 defeat, remembered for Julian Dicks’ alleged stamp on John Spencer. Dicks appeared to have been trying to clear the Scot as he leapt over him, but caught him as he landed, leaving Spencer needing eight stitches in a head wound. Dicks was not even booked, yet the FA launched a disciplinary hearing and issued him with a three-match ban, despite Spencer writing a letter of support. Things did not improve at Highbury, where Dicks was sent off in a 1–0 defeat and Redknapp was forced to throw goalkeeper Les Sealey up front as an emergency striker. Sealey took to the field wearing Keith Rowland’s No.12 shirt and the club received a £250 fine for fielding an incorrectly dressed player. It was not the start to the centenary season anyone had wanted.
Steadying the Ship and Testimonial Farewells
A welcome win came in the League Cup away at Bristol Rovers, as John Moncur fizzed a long-range shot into the top corner. However, after six league games, the Hammers were 19th with just two points. Something had to change. And it did. A first league win of the season came at home to Everton, courtesy of two Dicks penalties, with his ban not yet in force. Meanwhile, Boogers had sloped off to Holland and returned with a sick note declaring himself mentally unfit. A 0–0 draw at The Dell followed, before Bristol Rovers were finished off with a 3–0 victory at Upton Park – significantly, Tony Cottee scored his first of the campaign. Having found his feet, Cottee was on the mark again in a 1–0 win at Wimbledon. Redknapp cleared out the coaching staff, getting rid of Paul Hilton and Ronnie Gale and bringing in his old mate Frank Burrows. Iain Dowie also got off the mark at home to Blackburn, but a last-gasp equaliser from Alan Shearer meant that the now-stabilised Hammers had to settle for a point. A return to The Dell in the League Cup saw an early exit from the competition before Dowie struck again for a 1–0 victory at Hillsborough. Another booking for Julian Dicks meant he faced another suspension and felt he was being unfairly targeted. After such a good run, the Hammers were brought crashing back down to earth by Aston Villa, who won 4–1 at The Boleyn. However, the recent run of form had lifted West Ham to 12th and the level of performance suggested that safety would be secured earlier that season. An afternoon off from competitive action saw West Ham take on Chelsea in Alvin Martin’s testimonial. The game ended in a 3–3 draw, with the extraordinary sight not only of Jamie Redknapp, Steve McManaman and Chris Waddle wearing West Ham kit, but also Marco Boogers scoring a goal. Although it was Alvin’s second testimonial, he was nevertheless surprised to receive a £16,000 bill for the use of the stadium. Times had changed. He was not alone, though. Another club legend, Ronnie Boyce, scorer of the winning goal in the 1964 FA Cup final, was “let go” from the coaching staff with a £10,000 pay-off and was allowed to keep his company car.
Winter Slump and Emergency Goalkeeping Debuts
West Ham’s last-ever game at Bolton’s Burnden Park resulted in a convincing 3–0 win, with a fantastic goal from Danny Williamson, who ran the length of the pitch before finishing. Another point and clean sheet followed in a 0–0 draw at home to Liverpool. A 1–0 win over QPR was hard work, but nevertheless the improvement was there for all to see – except that four of the next five games were away from home, and all four ended in defeat. There was a 4–2 defeat at Blackburn and a 3–0 defeat at Everton, where Ludek Miklosko was sent off and Julian Dicks took over in goal on the one day that Harry did not name a goalkeeper among his three substitutes. There was brief respite in a 2–1 home win over Southampton, but then the dreadful away run returned with a 4–2 defeat at Middlesbrough. The weather intervened, so home games against Coventry and Newcastle were postponed. On New Year’s Day, with Miklosko suspended and Les Sealey injured, the Premier League was “unavailable” to grant permission for an emergency loan signing of a goalkeeper, so 17-year-old Neil Finn played in goal at Maine Road. Despite their struggles, Manchester City won 2–1.
High-Profile European Signings: Bilic and Dani
There was no transfer window in 1996, so Redknapp was constantly on the lookout for new players. There were strong rumours that Croatian centre-back Slaven Bilic might sign if a work permit could be obtained, while Ilie Dumitrescu, Tottenham’s Romanian midfielder, also required a permit. Southend were dispatched 2–0 in the FA Cup. Redknapp plugged the goalkeeping gaps by signing Peter Shilton, while former Arsenal and Leeds defender Chris Whyte also joined on loan. A fifth consecutive away defeat came at Leeds, before a narrow defeat at home to Manchester United, who had begun their charge towards catching Newcastle, who were still three points clear at the top at that stage. A welcome 3–2 victory over Coventry City saw the debut of Frank Lampard Jnr – ironically, of course, now manager of the Sky Blues. Another youngster, 19-year-old Daniel De La Cruz Carvalho, better known as Dani, joined on loan as the deal for Slaven Bilic was also finalised. Dani made his debut as a substitute in the 1–0 win over Nottingham Forest at Upton Park. Grimsby at home in the FA Cup was preceded by a minute’s silence in memory of Alan “Sammy” Sealey, scorer of both goals in the 1965 Cup-Winners’ Cup final, who had passed away a few days earlier. The 1–1 draw meant an unwelcome replay in Cleethorpes. Dani and Bilic made their full debuts at White Hart Lane in a memorable 1–0 win, with Dani scoring the winner. With victory at Stamford Bridge following the next weekend, it was the most West Ham thing that could have happened that those two victories sandwiched a 3–0 defeat at Grimsby in the cup replay. However, in a fifth consecutive league win, the Hammers put another spoke in Newcastle’s title ambitions with a 2–0 win at Upton Park. Newcastle would go on to win just two of their next seven games and hand the initiative to Manchester United. The game also spelled the end of Dale Gordon’s West Ham career, after just 11 appearances and one goal in two and a half years.
Securing Survival and the Changing of the Guard
A concussed Julian Dicks missed a penalty at home to Arsenal, leaving the Gunners as 1–0 winners with a goal from John Hartson. A 2–2 draw at Coventry followed, before Dumitrescu’s long-awaited work permit came through. The hugely cosmopolitan Hammers took on a similarly exotic Middlesbrough side and triumphed 2–0, virtually guaranteeing safety. Just as well, as Newcastle extracted revenge for their Upton Park defeat with a 3–0 win at St James’ Park. It was a rare sending-off for Steve Potts. Manchester City were dispatched 4–2 at Upton Park, with a thunderbolt from Dicks and another goal for Dani, who was causing some problems for Redknapp with his playboy lifestyle, indicating that his stay might be a brief one. Dicks scored in a 1–1 draw at home to Wimbledon, while the wait for a win at Anfield was extended by a 2–0 defeat. Meanwhile, the Youth Team found themselves in the semi-final of the FA Youth Cup and took a 2–1 first-leg lead. The team, which included Neil Finn in goal and Frank Lampard in midfield, both of whom had already made first-team appearances, also included Rio Ferdinand and Manny Omoyimni. They won the second leg but lost out in the final to a Liverpool team boasting Michael Owen and Jamie Carragher. The youngsters did, however, win the South-East Counties League at a canter. The first XI beat Bolton 1–0 at Upton Park before a drab 1–1 draw at Villa Park. A 3–0 defeat at QPR was not enough for them to survive relegation. Significantly, on the final day of the season in a 1-1 draw with Sheffield Wednesday, Alvin Martin bowed out just as Rio Ferdinand made his debut – a poetic changing of the guard. An interesting mix of internationals, home-grown talent, youth and experience meant the future looked bright for the Hammers. If Harry could sign more players like Bilic and fewer like Boogers, then it looked like it would be onwards and upwards in 1996–97.
The Harry Redknapp Years is a YouTube series that charts the club’s fortunes during Redknapp’s tenure, blending match footage with interviews, newspaper cuttings, news clips, music, TV, and cinema from the era. It is essential viewing for anyone who had lived through those heady days — or anyone curious to discover them. Season 1995-96 is covered by episodes 7-12.
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