Top Story | Olympic Stadium | News Archive

Premium Members | General Discussion | News up Mother Brown | The Snug | Music, Film & TV | On The Road | Olympic Stadium | Tickets | Tradesman's Entrance | Memorabilia | Matchday Travel | Supporters Worldwide | Gaming | Retro Gaming | WHUiFC | 2014 World Cup Finals | Helpdesk | KUMB FAQ | Hall of Fame | Match Threads | News Digests | Supporter Advisory Board

Latest Article | Articles Archive

Latest Reports | Match Report Archive

Club Information | Kits 1900-2012 | WHUFC Statistics | 100 Greatest Moments | Ask The Expert | Upton Park Tour

Adrian San Miguel del Castillo | Razvan Rat | Ravel Morrison | Winston Reid | George McCartney | Kevin Nolan | James Tomkins | Matt Jarvis | Jack Collison | Modibo Maiga | Ricardo Vaz Te | Stephen Henderson | Matthew Taylor | Mark Noble | Joey O Brien | James Collins | Guy Demel | Momo Diame | Jussi Jaaskelainen | Alou Diarra | Joe Cole | Jordan Spence | Raphael Spiegel | Robert Hall | Danny Potts |

Latest Q&A | Q&A Archive

Latest Review | Reviews Archive

Be a KUMB.com writer | KUMB Podcast | Premium Membership | KUMB Annual Awards | Contact Us

Books | T-Shirts

 

Dear John...

Something you'd like to know about WHUFC? John Northcutt's your man.

Ask John A Question

Please note that your IP address will be logged, and that any abuse of this facility (including obscene or offensive language) will be reported to your ISP.

Previous Questions

The latest questions answered by John Northcutt.

by brian lyall
10:10PM 4th Jan 2013
Q: One of my favourite players was Ray Stewart. How many penalties did he score in his West Ham days and did he ever miss any?
A: Hi Brian. Ray Stewart took 86 and of those 10 were missed. Out of the 10 missed, Ray scored twice from the rebound and Paul Goddard also scored from a rebound.

by Jo
05:58PM 30th Dec 2012
Q: Hi, just trying to track a player from c.1900-1920 called Owen Edward Debney who we believe played for West Ham. Would appreciate any photos or articles you may have also containing this player. Best regards, Jo Hinton.
A: Hello Jo. I can confirm that Owen Debney did not play for the West Ham first team. He may have played for the reserves or a youth side but for the period you mention I do not have reserve records. I also looked at other clubs league player records but cannot find any mention of him.

by Roy Sprague
03:00PM 26th Dec 2012
Q: Where is Brian Dear now?
A: For a few years now he has been with Southend United, first as catering manager and is now working in their commercial department. He often turns up at player functions and once he gets behind the mike gives some interesting talks on his life as a footballer. He loves to tell all about the five goals he scored against West Brom!

by scott swallow
10:52PM 19th Dec 2012
Q: Hi John. Can you tell me how many and which players have played for West Ham, Everton and Tottenham?
A: There has been around 850 players who have played for West Ham and probably the same for Everton and Spurs. Are you asking me to name them all or have I read your question wrong and you are asking me if there have been any players who have played for all three clubs?

by Graeme Cheshire
10:22PM 11th Dec 2012
Q: Hi John. My Grandad took me to my first ever game in the late '60s/early '70s which was the Hammers v Leeds. I am certain that Clyde Best ended up in goal after Bobby Feeguson was injured. Am I right? Have you got more info on this game please? Cheers, G.
A: Hello Graeme. It was on the 19th April 1973 and finished 1-1 after Pat Holland equalised a minute from the end. You were right about Clyde Best, he went in goal on 66 minutes after Bobby Ferguson got injured following a collision with John McDowell. The Hammers team that day was Ferguson, McDowell, Lampard, Bonds, Lock, Moore, Best Holland, MacDougall, Brooking, Robson.

by Rod Pyke
10:52PM 4th Dec 2012
Q: West Ham v Clapton Orient 11th April 1942. My Grandfather John Porter died of a heart attack while watching this match. Is there any mention of this anywhere in West Ham records? Also, are you able to tell me both team's players, the result and the attendance as I would like to put the info in my family historical records. Thanks for any info you can give.
A: Hi Roy. It was a London cup tie against Clapton Orient with the Hammers winning 5-3 before an attendance of 7,000. Scorers for West Ham were Corbett, Wood (2), Foreman (2) with the Orient scorers being Armstrong (2) and Dryden. I do not know the Orient team but West Ham lined up as follows: Gregory, Bicknell, Walker, Corbett, fenton, Attwell, Small, Wood, Foreman, Goulden, Mahon.

by Jax Raymond
08:21PM 20th Nov 2012
Q: Hi John. Was there ever a player for West Ham, called Briggs? Probably around the 1965-70 period, maybe just even a reserve?
A: Hello Jax. I have searched through my records for a player named Briggs and for the period you mention I cannot locate anyone. Sorry.

by Michael Kneller
08:50AM 19th Nov 2012
Q: The first time I saw the Hammers live was a 0-0 draw with Man City at Upton Park. Can you please tell me the line ups for the teams thst day?
A: It was on 21st September 2002. The teams that day were (WHU) James, Schemmel, Minto, Lomas, Repka, Breen, Sinclair, Cole, Kanoute, Di Canio Cisse and (Man City) Schmeichel, Phillips, Jensen Jihai, Howie, Distin, Benarbia, Berkovic, Anelka, Horlock Foe. Looking at the two sides James, Lomas and Sinclair at one time played for Man City and Berkovic, Horlock and Foe all played for the Hammers!

by Ross Ahlfeld
01:17PM 12th Nov 2012
Q: Hi John. As a kid in the '80s my dad (whose name is Ronnie Ahlfeld) used to take me on the train to West Ham games. He was friends with Neil Orr because my dad had been a coach at our local team, Greenock Morton, which was the team West Ham signed Neil Orr from. My dad was very pleased that Neil Orr should move to the Hammers because he himself and spent a short period at West Ham himself as a player on Schoolboy terms in the '60s. Unfortunately, he got injured and returned home to Scotland but remained a West Ham fan. He has a few programmes, newspaper cuttings and team photos but not much else. I'm wondering if there is anywhere I can find more information about reserve/youth team players and appearances in the 1960s?
A: Hi Ross. I have looked through my records to see if I can see your dad mentioned but cannot trace him. Being as he was only a schoolboy at the time I did not think I would find anything; I regret I cannot suggest where else you can search. Sorry!

by robertbarker
08:28PM 25th Oct 2012
Q: Why did Billy Bonds go as manager of West Ham and Harry Redknapp take over?
A: Hello Robert. Both of them have different views on the affair which sadly caused a rift between them which still stands to this day. As I heard it, Billy was asked to be made a Board member and to take on a more Director of Football role which he declined to do and then resigned. Harry then took full control with the blessing of the chairman and managing director Peter Storrie.

by Terry
08:49PM 23rd Oct 2012
Q: Hi John, Can you tell me what the final score was for the first Billy Bonds testimonial game? I believe it was against Tottenham in the 1976-77 season. I recall the game being high scoring but perhaps I have confused this with the league fixture from that same season? Would appreciate if you could also provide the line-ups from the testimonial?
A: Hi Terry. The score was 4-2 with goals from Cross (2), Bonds and Robson; teams as follows. WHU: Day, Lampard, Brush, Holland, T Taylor, Bonds, Curbishley, Devonshire, Cross, A Taylor, Robson; Spurs: Kendall, Gorman, McAlister, Holmes, Lacy, Perryman, Pratt, Villa, Lee, Hoddle, Taylor.

by Paul Caulfield
11:40AM 18th Oct 2012
Q: Hello John. I am trying to track down West Ham reserve programmes from games I was taken to in 1969-70. Would you have a list of results from that season? It might jog my memory sufficiently, so I know which programmes to go for. Many thanks.
A: The 1969-70 season home reserve games you were asking about: Crystal Palace 2-0; Walsall 6-1; Norwich 2-0; Birmingham 1-1; Gillingham 6-0; Oxford 2-2; Ipswich 2-1; Chelsea 6-1; Swindon 1-3; Bournemouth 6-1; QPR 2-1; Luton 2-0. Finally, the game with Cardiff was not played.

by John Rolls
05:28PM 12th Oct 2012
Q: Hi there. Can you tell me what happened to John Ayris? I saw him play at Palace. Also, where did Sammassi Abou go when he left us?
A: Hello John. John Ayris is currently the manager of a leisure centre in South Woodham Ferrers in Essex. As for Samassi Abou, after leaving West Ham he had a few games with Ipswich, Walsall and Kilmarnock before returning to France to play for Ajaccio and later Lorient.

by Steve Kain
12:36PM 8th Oct 2012
Q: Lots of talk about penalty taking records around lately - wondering how many penalties Julian Dicks and Ray Stewart missed for West Ham in their careers?
A: Hi Steve. Ray Stewart scored 76 penalties, missing 10 and Julian Dicks scored 35, missing four.

by David Hodson
05:07AM 6th Oct 2012
Q: Hi John, As a young lad and West Ham follower I remember both cup runs very well. My question is in your opinion, who was the better defender - John Bond or Ken Brown? A difficult question, but I value your opinion. Many thanks.
A: Hi David. That was a difficult question. I saw both players on many occasions and Bondy was very cool under pressure. If I had to choose I would say that Ken was a better defender although I may be a bit biased as he was my favourite player at the time!

by Andy Baker
09:28PM 29th Sep 2012
Q: Hello John, can you let me know what home friendly games we played v foreign clubs in the '60s and early '70s as well as any home testimonials we played during this period?
A: I give below the details you wanted re home testimonials and friendlies in the 60s and 70s. Friendlies v Foreign clubs: October 1961 vs Malmo 4-0; February 1970 vs Slovan Bratislava 1-1. Testimonials: October 1960 vs LDA Costa Rica 3-2 (Ernie Gregory); April 1964 vs All Star X1 5-0 (John Lyall); May 1966 vs Ex Hammers 7-4 (John Bond); May 1967 vs Select X1 5-9 (Ken Brown); November 1970 vs Celtic 3-3 (Bobby Moore); November 1971 vs European X1 4-4 (Geoff Hurst); November 1972 vs Man Utd 5-2 (Ronnie Boyce); November 1976 vs Fulham 3-1 (Frank Lampard); October 1977 vs England X1 6-2 (Trevor Brooking); December 1978 vs Tottenham 4-2 (Billy Bonds).

by Graham Stratford
03:32PM 26th Sep 2012
Q: Hi John. Late '60s, when I was at junior school I have a vague recollection of my mum (God bless her) taking me to a midweek match that I had always presumed was a testimonial for Sir Geoff Hurst. It was against Southampton/Sunderland (red and white stripes) and Sir Geoff scored six! According to the internet Sir G's testimonial was against a European X1 in 1971. What match am I referring to, or am I now officially senile with a mind playing tricks?
A: Hi Graham. Although it was played on a Saturday, the game where Geoff Hurst scored six was against Sunderland on 19th October 1968. Bobby Moore and Trevor Brooking also scored in an 8-0 win.

by steve love (the oldham stripper)
01:14PM 24th Sep 2012
Q: Hi John. An old boy in my local has asked me to find out about someone related to us, Walter Wiseman. I have tried all the usual suspects with no success and was hoping you could come up with something. Thanks mate.
A: Hi Steve. I regret that I do not know of any player or official with the surname of Wiseman. Sorry.

by Trev Paul
04:06PM 23rd Sep 2012
Q: Hello John. Can you please tell me the results and dates of our games against Wolves since 1998? Thank you.
A: Hi Trev. These are as follows. 2003-04: 3-1 (A, FA Cup); 2004-05: 1-0 (H), 2-4 (A); 2009-10: 1-3 (H), 2-0 (A); 2110-11: 2-0 (H), 1-1 (A)

by Steve Street
08:22PM 18th Sep 2012
Q: Good evening. I am trying to find out the dates the following matches were played on and the final results from the 1901-1902 season. London League: West Ham v Millwall (home and away fixtures), West Ham v QPR (home and away fixtures). Southern Professional Charity Cup: 1st round and any other fixtures in this competition during this season. Look forward to hearing from you.
A: Hi Steve. Re the 1901-02 season, I know of only one Southern Professional Charity Cup game that season - a 1st Round home game with Millwall on 7th April 1902. The Hammers won 2-1. London League Results (I don't know the dates) as follows: Millwall (h) 4-0 (a) 5-1, QPR (h) 2-1 (a) 1-2.

by Chris
09:10PM 16th Sep 2012
Q: Hi John, wonder if you can help. I'm doing some family history for a friend and she has given me information that her great granddad died at a West Ham vs Leyton Orient match during the war in about 1942. Can you tell me if they did actually play each other during that period and what date they would have played - or even if there was anything ever mentioned about the man? Thanks.
A: Hi Chris. I recently answered a question from somebody who said that his grandfather, John Porter, had died during the game with Clapton Orient on 11th April 1942. I therefore assume that your friend is related to my correspondent. I can confirm the match took place on the date I have given with West Ham winning 5-3.

by June
09:02AM 22nd Aug 2012
Q: Hi are you able to tell me the name of a Scottish side West Ham played against in 1964 as a friendly - I think the name of the side started 'Saint ....' Any ideas? Thanks.
A: Hello June. I can confirm that West Ham played St Johnstone on 16th December 1964, winning 4-3.

by Simon Cheetham
05:18PM 19th Aug 2012
Q: I remember Clyde Best having to go in goal after an injury to Bobby Ferguson(?). I believe it was against Leeds United at Upton Park. What do you remember of that incident and game?
A: Hello Simon. Clyde Best went in goal against Leeds in April 1973 after Bobby Ferguson had collided with John McDowell. Allan Clarke headed past Best to give Leeds the lead, but Pat Holland equalised in the last minute.

by George Boyle
08:09AM 10th Aug 2012
Q: Hi John. I sat at your table for the John Lyall Rememberance lunch at West Ham and I asked you if you remembered a player who had a trial with us in Geoff Hurst's testimonial. His name was George Luke and I am sure he played some part of the game. Can you confirm this? Best Regards.
A: Hi George. I remember you asking me about Luke; it was not the Geoff Hurst testimonial though. Luke came on as a sub in November 1972 v Man Utd for Ronnie Boyce’s Testimonial.

by Andy Lawrence
03:14PM 20th Jun 2012
Q: Dear John, I wonder if you can help me please. I'm trying to remember when my first West Ham game was and I have a memory of watching them get beaten in a pre-season friendly against Brighton (at the Goldstone) 3-1. I think Frank Lampard was sent off and seem to remember that it was in 1982. I wonder if you could tell me if my memory is playing tricks on me or if I remember the game correctly?
A: Hello Andy. You are right about Frank Lampard being sent off in a 3-1 defeat at Brighton. It wasn’t a pre season friendly though, it was a league game played on 23rd October 1982.

by james howlett
09:11AM 23rd May 2012
Q: How many penalties has Mark Noble scored throughout his career and how many has he missed? Much love, Billy, James and Dufrais.
A: Hello James. Mark has scored 20 penalties and missed just two, these being against Chelsea and Hull back in 2009.

by Pete Wright
10:32AM 27th Apr 2012
Q: John I have been a West Ham supporter for over 60 years and this question has stumped me, but I am sure you will know the answer. It's just a bit of fun and a question my nephew set me. The question is: West Ham played a domestic fixture at Upton Park wearing their away kit. When was it, why did they wear their away strip and who were the opposition that day?
A: Hi Pete. The only game I know about was in March 1968 when they lost 2-1 to Sheffield United in the FA Cup. I do not know the reason as to why they played in their away shirts but as a guess, in earlier rounds they had been successful in those shirts winning at Burnley and Stoke and perhaps they thought it would bring them good luck. Let me know if you hear of another game.

by Nick Claydon
08:24AM 16th Apr 2012
Q: Hi John. Can you settle a discussion between two 60+ West Ham fans? We both think John Bond and Noel Cantwell played together as a strike partnership on at least one occasion. Can you confirm?
A: Hi Nick. I have found only one pairing as forwards which was away to Nottingham Forest on the 27th February, 1960. The full backs on that day were Kirkup and Lyall.

by Steve
11:48AM 26th Mar 2012
Q: Hi John. Did we play a pre-season game against Spurs around 1989/90 and include a player called Matsu Yama? I've tried Googling it etc but no joy. I was still at school, but memory tells me this happened. I think we lost 3-1?
A: Hi Steve. The game was played on August 17th 1990 in respect of the Ray Clemence Testimonial. The Hammers lost 4-1; Matsuyama came on as a substitute to replace Julian Dicks. I assume he was a Japanese trialist.

by david garrod
10:59AM 7th Mar 2012
Q: Hello john. Can you remember the West Ham v Newcastle fixture when Peter Beardsley was in an offside position, stepped off the pitch so as not to interfere with play and Newcastle scored? Newcastle fans ran onto the pitch to celebrate and half the Chicken Run ran on to challenge them! This must have been about 20 years ago, but I would love to know the date. Also, the match when Bobby Moore knocked out the ref then blew the whistle to stop the game?
A: Hi David. Bobby Moore knocked out the ref in the home game with Wolves on the 14th November 1970 but I cannot remember the Beardsley incident. He had two spells with Newcastle, it may have been on the 2nd Feb 1985 when Waddle scored or later in 1993 to 1995. I would have seen those games but cannot recall a pitch invasion.

by David Allman
04:53PM 20th Feb 2012
Q: Hi John. In season 1969/70 West Ham beat Newcastle Utd 1-0. Which player scored the West Ham goal?
A: Hello David. The scorer against Newcastle in 1969 was Geoff Hurst.

by peter morris
10:59AM 16th Feb 2012
Q: John - re:Geoff Hurst's testimonial. I was at the game and I remember that, at the final whistle (quite why I do not know) the referee (who I think might have been Jack Taylor) took a penalty at the North Bank end and scored - past John Jackson. This is what Keith Baxter is referring to.
A: Hi Peter. Thank you for letting me know about the ref taking a penalty at the end of the game. I expect it was all pre-arranged! I will let Keith Baxter know about that.

by Greg Penn
10:34PM 15th Feb 2012
Q: Hi John. I'm trying to remember my first game watching the Irons, I think it was the 81-82 season against the Gooners at Highbury. All I can remember was the players being withdrawn from the pitch, I think due to crowd trouble. Can you confirm my hazy memory?
A: Hi Greg. The Arsenal game was on 1st May 1982 where the Hammers lost 2-0. As you say, the players were taken off the pitch and a 10 minute delay followed. This was due to smoke bombs and a crowd disturbance. For your interest, the Hammers team was Parkes Stewart, La Ronde, Allen Orr, Devonshire, Van Der Elst, Cowie (Houghton), Cross, Brooking, Pike.

by john
08:59PM 4th Feb 2012
Q: I am a football fan living in a small village in North Devon and wish to make enquires about a Raymond MacTaggart who has claimed that he was on the playing staff of WHU before his career was cut short through injury. This is a genuine enquiry(!) and I would be grateful if you could share any information you have on him ? Many thanks in anticipation.
A: Hello John, I can confirm that he never played for the first team. He may have played for the reserves or youth team but before I can make further enquiries I would need to have an indication as to what years he was at the club.

by charles brownless
09:12PM 30th Jan 2012
Q: Do you know what happened to Tommy Taylor and of his whereabouts?
A: Hi Charles, Tommy certainly gets about as he has been manager of about 10 clubs now! The last I heard was that he had left Belper Town in September 2011, but at present I do not know of his whereabouts or whether he is working.

by Keith Baxter
10:05PM 26th Jan 2012
Q: Hi John, I was at the Geoff Hurst testomonial but who were the World 11 team? All I can remember was Eusabio. And did the referee convert a penalty? Many thanks.
A: Hello Keith, The European X1 (with subs was): Jackson, Docherty, Gemmell, Eusebio, Greaves, Schultz, Mackay, Johnstone, McDougall, Spiegler, Seeler, Marsh and Simoes. The referee did not convert a penalty, it was a 4-4 draw; goalscorers (for WHU) were Hurst, Robson (2), Best and (for the Eoru XI) McDougall, Marsh (2) and Greaves.

by ashley deans
12:28AM 23rd Jan 2012
Q: I attended the historic game in 1958 at Upton Park the week before we beat Middlesborough away 3-1. I was only nine years old but will never forget the cheer when John Bond(?) scored a penalty and we beat Liverpool(?). Any other things you could tell me about that game?
A: Hello Ashley, The game with Liverpool ended 1-1 with Bond getting a penalty. The Hammers team was Gregory, Bond, Cantwell, Malcolm, Brown, Pyke, Grice, Lewis, Keeble, Dick and Musgrove. A great side with sadly six of them no longer alive.

by Sutts07
03:21PM 22nd Jan 2012
Q: Hi John, How far away is Mark Noble from being our all-time top goalscorer from the penalty spot? I am assuming Stewart and Dicks are still above him? Do you know the top ten of all time and what their percentage rate of success is?
A: Hi Tony, Mark Noble has scored a total of 22 goals and I believe 14 of those were penalties. He still has a long way to go to catch Ray Stewart and Julian Dicks! Top penalty scorers: Stewart 76; Dicks 35; Hurst 18; Bond 18; Byrne 16.

by Paul Caulfield
05:57PM 6th Jan 2012
Q: Dear John, Please could you tell me if John Dear, who scored for Bishop's Stortford v Ilford in the 1974 Amateur Cup Final is related to West Ham stalwart, Brian Dear?
A: Hi Paul, I do not know if Brian is related to John Dear of Bishops Stortford. I have not heard it mentioned. I often see Brian going into games at West Ham so perhaps I might get a chance to ask him.

by Michael Symons
11:56PM 3rd Jan 2012
Q: Hi John, I've noticed it has been mentioned in more than one place that Mark Noble had never captained West Ham before, prior to wearing the armband against Derby County recently. I've tried to verify this but have had no success thus far. He definitely captained the club in a preseason fixture against Dagenham & Redbridge but I can't find any competitive fixture in which he was captain. Is this the case?
A: Hello Michael, As far as I am aware, when Mark captained the side at Derby this was his first competitive game as captain.

by jim collins
08:49PM 21st Dec 2011
Q: Hello John. Wondering if you can help me out with any details and infomation you can give me about a game played against Preston North End on Saturday 19 January 1980. It was the last game I went to with my dad and I found the ticket stub the other day but have no recollection of the match facts or the line-up etc. We had a seat near the front of the Upper West Stand and it cost the princely sum of £2.70 Those were the days! Thanks for any help you can give me, John. All the best.
A: Hello Jim, The game with Preston in 1980 ended 2-0 to the Hammers with goals from Allen and Stewart. The line up was Parkes, Lampard, Brush, Bonds, (Banton ) Martin, Devonshire, Allen, Pearson, Pike, Stewart and Neighbour.

by chris radford
04:57PM 2nd Dec 2011
Q: Do you know where I can get the records of all West Ham goalscorers for every season? I started saving all the fixtures a few years back, including pre-season friendlies, and I even went on Soccerbase to download all West Ham's fixtures since 1905 (although there seems to be massive gaps in their records). So far I have not been able to find any of the info I am looking for; can you help?
A: Hi Chris, I have written three books detailing full appearance and goalscoring records. 'A Complete Record', published by Breedon Books of Derby in 1987 and updated in 1993. You will see these on eBay and other book shops that deal in old football books. My other book which was published in 2003 was 'The Definitive West Ham'. It is still available from Soccer Data publications. Their web site is www.soccer.mistral.co.uk.

by mick heyburn
01:55PM 2nd Dec 2011
Q: Hello John, Can you tell me the opposition for Johnny Byrne's last game for us? And am I right in thinking he scored a goal?
A: Hello Mick, Johnny Byrne's last game was on 11th February 1967, a 2-2 draw against Sunderland at home. As you say Johnny scored in that game with the other goal coming from Geoff Hurst.

by Peter Williams aka The Old Man of Storr
08:59PM 1st Dec 2011
Q: Hi John, I became a West Ham fan when I was eight years old and I saw them win the FA Cup in 1964. I'm originally from Anglesey and my first ever game I saw was away to Man Utd in 1971; we lost 4-2 with Hurst scoring both our goals. My memory from that game was the sight of Clyde Best shoving Ian Ure aside then crossing for Hurst to score (that is if my memory serves me right!) Ure was a hard case in those days, but Clyde was nobody's push over! My question is - and maybe nobody apart from Terry Brown and Harry Redknapp will know the answer to it - why was Harry Redknapp sacked as manager of West Ham when we seemed to be doing ok? I realise this might be a tricky question, but I can't think of another one off the top of my head!
A: Hi Peter, Re: the Man Utd game, it was on the 18th September 1971. Best and Brooking were the scorers, not Hurst. Also, Ian Ure did not play in that game as he had been transferred to St Mirren a few months before. The only bust up concerning Ure that I can remember was in 1964, when playing for Arsenal he bundled Johnny Byrne over a barrier. Re: Redknapp's sacking, as you say we may never know the real reason. It was rumoured that Terry Brown was not happy with the amount that Harry had spent on players after the sale of Rio Ferdinand. The chairman was also none too pleased with the quality of those bought and the wages that they cost the club. Bassila cost some £700,000 and played only 86 minutes whereas Gary Charles cost the club £4.4million in salary and transfer fees and only made two starts in two years.

by Richard
07:45PM 1st Dec 2011
Q: Hi John, many years ago I was going to be running the West Ham quiz in Barking and yours was one of the four teams booked to come along but I had to cancel due to lack of interest. Anyway, this is not a question as such but I was just wondering if you have ever met or heard of this. The game was v Dinamo Tblisi at home 2-0 down at half time. Our goal came soon into the second half but and i have always wondered if I remember right. I was right behind the goal leaning on the wall in the North Bank and I don't think the ball crossed the line. I think it was credited to Bonzo but I am adamant it never crossed. Have you ever heard of this from anyone over the years? (maybe even Bonzo!) Also my Grandad (RIP) from Canning Town used to tell the story of our goalkeeper (Harry Medhurst?) being drunk between the sticks during a home defeat one Christmas Day. Staggering everywhere etc. What a great story that would be today. It would certainly explain some of our defeats over the years. Nice to have you on board and you can certainly look forward to your mailbox from our knoweledgable fans. All the best.
A: Hi Richard, Re: the Dinamo Tblisi game in 1981. I too was at the game but cannot remember the events of the goal. It was David Cross who scored, not Bonds. Re: Harry Medhurst and your Grandad's claim that he was drunk on Christmas Day. Well I have traced two home games on Christmas Day when he played and we lost them both! In 1942 we lost 3-1 to Charlton and in 1945, 4-3 to Luton. We can forgive him having a drink to get him through the dark days of war.

by Nigel Bailey
05:54PM 1st Dec 2011
Q: Dear John can you tell me the number of games that west ham played in the white away strip with the claret and blue bands during the fifties and where I might get photograph of the team in the kit ? Thanks .
A: I regret I do not know how many games were played by the team wearing the white away strip. Also, I have never seen a team photo with them wearing it.

by Chris Arnott
03:33PM 30th Nov 2011
Q: Dear John, You are doing a great job. This one might be tough but I hope you can help. I love West Ham but I also love playing football myself and wearing the number 7 shirt. I can't remember anybody consistently wearing it for us though really except for bizarrely Christian Dailly, sadly infrequently Kieron Dyer and an old favourite of mine Ian Bishop occasionally. Who has made the most appearances for the club wearing it? Who is your favourite number 7 for the club? Thanks in advance, Chris
A: The number sevens that played the most were both before our time. Tommy Yews would have played some 300 games in the '20s and in the '50s, Harry Hooper played 100 or so games in that number. We have had Brabrook, Redknapp and Holland who all played well on the wing. The first player who I saw in that number was Mike Grice, a favourite of mine.

by Thomas Kern
01:42PM 28th Nov 2011
Q: Dear John, do you know when "Helliar & Sons", the long-standing former printer of the WHU programme, started with their "End of Season Summary" booklet of results and tables of all WHU teams? These "EoSS" were laid out programme style and were not named like this in the early issues from the late 60ies and very early 70ies. My oldest one is from the end of season '67/'68 but were there any before? Thanks and All the Best, Thomas Kern
A: Hello Thomas. The earliest I have is the end 1968-69. I have not seen any earlier. So if you have the 1967-68 edition, I expect that was the earliest.

by jack pringle
08:25AM 25th Nov 2011
Q: I'm a Man Utd fan but the hammers are my other favourite team. Do you think the new signings are good? How good do you think Guy Demel is and how much do you think Winston Reid has improved? Finally, how do you think you will cope in the Premier League if you get promoted (oh, and how much better is Big Sam than Avram Grant?)
A: Hi Jack. I usually answer statistical questions so it makes a change to get asked about the team! All the new signings have been good, with Taylor, Faye, Nolan and O'Brien already being well known to Sam. He also watched Baldock on a number of occasions and his signing has turned out well too. Guy Demel only made his debut for the first team last night but has had a great deal of experience playing with Hamburg so he is another who should be a very useful addition to the side. Winston Reid has been playing very well this season and it was a blow when he got injured but hopefully he will be back soon. He has been a revelation playing in the Championship and this should bode well if the Hammers are promoted. When Sam was appointed there was rumblings of discontent amongst the Hammers support but this has now changed as they see a confident, experienced, tactically aware manager able to instil some discipline to the team which was sadly lacking under Grant. I used to despair listening to Grant at his press conferences as following yet another defeat he always used to say there was plenty of positives in their display. The only positive came when he was sacked. If we are promoted, I would expect that we would need at least five good signings to hold our own in the Premier League.

by Liam Tyrell
09:26AM 23rd Nov 2011
Q: Hi John, Great to see you at The' Ex' Fair the other weekend, really enjoyed that, look forward to next year. Got a question which I wonder if you can help with? A friend up here has just got a programme on e-bay from a home game versus Dukla Prague 9th November 1959. He can't find any trace of the result of indeed game. I've also had a quick look through your books and other history books and can't solve it. All I can establish is a gap in the league fixtures suggesting the game could have taken place on the listed date. Any help appreciated. Thanks and regards Liam
A: Hi Lee. Yes, it was good to see you at the fair, another good afternoon listening to the players recounting their days at the club. The game you mention with Dukla ended 1-1 with Noel Cantwell scoring our goal. The Hammers team was Dwyer, Bond, Cantwell, Malcolm, Brown, Moore, Grice, Woosnam, Obeney, Dick, Musgrove. All the best, John.