A tribute to Peter Brabrook

Last month West Ham announced that youth team coach Peter Brabrook would be retiring from his position at the club.

Brabrook, 65, had spent much of the last 40 years with the club as both player and coach. One of the club's most loyal servants, KUMB presents the following tribute to the man who will perhaps be best remembered by Hammers fans for his part in our first post-war FA Cup Final success - the 3-2 win against Preston in 1964 ...

When KUMB asked me to pen a tribute to Peter Brabrook I jumped at the chance. However it is a sign of the man that when it comes to recalling stories of a player from the early 60's there are not a lot of outstanding memories. As far as I know there are no drink or woman related tales that concern this quiet family man, unlike many others from his era.

When I started watching West Ham in the mid 50's the winger was just that - a quick, nippy player who put his head down and ran to the byline in order to fire over crosses to the big centre-forward. We had a number of players like this; Harry Hooper, Tony Scott and later, Harry Redknapp.

Peter Brabrook was different to these players in that although reasonably quick, he was bigger built and liked to cut in much more - similar to the modern winger - and could play on both wings. I would suggest it was Ron Greenwood's tactics that enabled him to exploit this to greater effect than previous wingers.

This also helped our strikers of the time - Geoff Hurst and Johnny Byrne - who, whilst not typically old fashioned strikers were very skilful on the ball - especially Byrne. When Peter didn't play I feel their form suffered as a consequence.

Of course, the 1964 season stood out as the pinnacle of his career; in '64, when West Ham won the F.A. Cup and progressed to the semi-finals of the League Cup, and in '65 when we won the European Cup Winners Cup final at Wembley (although Brabrook had been replaced by Alan Sealey).

Around this time Brabrook began to get a number of injuries, and whilst he remained first choice when fit for the remainder of his career he didn't play enough games. This allowed people like Alan Sealey and a young Harry Redknapp to play a number of games each year in his place.

Overall I believe Brabrook was a typical West Ham player; loyal, skilful and innovative. I have always felt that if it hadn't been for players like Terry Paine, John Connelly and Bryan Douglas, Peter may well have been a good England player. However, he still represented the Football League, as did the majority of our players at that time.

So, to me Peter Brabrook represented all that is good in football; a typical West Ham man. Since he gave up playing he remained an avid fan and returned to the club to do a very good job with the young players, right up until his 'retirement' at the end of last season.

On behalf of all West Ham fans I would like to thank Peter for the entertainment he gave when playing, and for all the hard work that he has put in at the club with the youngsters since.

Have a long and happy retirement Peter - you are one of us.

Born: 8th November 1937, East Ham

West Ham playing career: 1962-68; 214 appearances, 43 goals; cost £35,000 from Chelsea before moving to neighbours Leyton Orient

West Ham coaching career: Coached club's schoolboys in a part-time role for many years before joining full-time in the mid-1990's, where he ran the under-17's side as part of Tony Carr's youth set-up until his retirement this year.