Saturday’s game sees us make the short and not too unfamiliar trip into Suffolk. Buoyed by the win over Bradford and the temporary return of Sir Trev at the helm, confidence seems once more to be on the up ...
Head to head (at Portman Road)Played 26; West Ham 10; Ipswich wins 11; draws 5
Goals for 38; goals against 41
Overall head to head
Played 52; West Ham 20; Ipswich 17; draws 15
Goals for 77; goals against 70
Biggest Hammers win: 4-0 - 1954/55
Biggest Ipswich win: 4-0 - 1975/76
Last Visit
28th October 2001. Live on Sky on a Sunday afternoon we notched up our third victory on the bounce, following up that win against Southampton (you know the one could have cost Roeder his job) plus a more than pleasing win at home to Chelsea.
Scott Minto came in for us, playing in the unfamiliar role of centre half whilst the Tractor Boys saw Thomas Gaardsoe make his debut.
We took the lead on 21 minutes Paolo Di Canio (remember him) slotting home from a clever Don Hutchison pass (remember them). Shaka making his one of his last appearances for us then produced a superb save to deny Reuser from a free kick.
The second half saw Town level things up on 63 minutes. Shaka misjudged a free kick, palming the ball to Hreidarsson who volleyed home. It took 8 minutes for us to regain the lead. Another forceful piece of play by Hutch saw him find Kanoute who’s shot deflected into the net off the Icelander who had just equalized. Shaka again denied Dutchman Reuser from a set piece before our clincher, which came in injury time. . Defoe who had only just replaced Paolo and was bearing the captain’s armband, coolly firing home from a long Carrick through ball. There was still time for the home side to pull one back though. Matty Holland firing home a superb long-range effort.
View from the opposition
Many thanks to Phil Ham from www.twtd.co.uk for his contribution to this section.
Town history
Town were formed in 1878 but didn't turn professional until 1936, joining the league proper, Third Division South, two years later. Didn't make the Second Division until the mid-1950s but under Sir Alf Ramsey won both the Second and First Division championships in 1960/61 and 1961/62, the first side to win the league in their first season since the league's inaugural year.
Ramsey went on to win the World Cup for England and Town dropped down a division only to get promoted again in 1968. Sir Bobby Robson's long reign began in 1969 and his years saw European football return to Portman Road year after year. In 1978 we won the FA Cup, beating Arsenal, and in 1981 the UEFA Cup. Players won the national player of the year awards regularly and 10 of Robson's regular 11 were international regulars (20 years before this was true for virtually every Premiership side).
Town's failed narrowly on a number of occasions to win the league for a second time (1974/75, 1980/81, 1981/82) and Robson took over at England in 1982.
The rest of the eighties were poor, Town being relegated back to Division Two. Under John Lyall were promoted to the Premiership in 1991/92 and stayed there for three years without seriously challenging for Europe or honours, other than two quarter-finals in 92/93.
Lyall left prior to relegation in 1994/95, George Burley taking over. After three failed play-off attempts he finally took Town to the Premiership in 1999/00. The next season saw Town finish fifth in the Premiership and qualify for the UEFA Cup. Sadly, the next season saw relegation.
Last season the Blues were in Division One and in the UEFA Cup due to the Fair Play League. A disappointing year ended in a seventh place and administration in February as the club's finances collapsed in the wake of relegation and the lack of parental guarantees on the Football League contract with the failed ITV Digital.
This season hopes were again high, despite the departure of players like Matt Holland and Thomas Gaardsøe, however two points in four games see the side fourth from bottom.
West Ham and Town history
My earliest memory of a Town-West Ham game was the 1975 FA Cup semi-final replay. I wasn't there, I was four, but still deep down I feel a hatred of Clive Thomas because of his acts of evil that day.
In more recent years, there have been few classics. In the early nineties you seemed to win most of the games between the two sides but we did rather better last time we were in the Premiership, a Reuser goal winning for us at Upton Park.
Most Ipswich fans seem to know a few West Ham fans and vice versa. West Ham's traditional Essex constituency borders Town's North Essex and Suffolk stamping ground.
View of West Ham
I've never been one way or the other really about the Hammers. Cheered for you in the 1980 FA Cup Final and wished Paul Goddard well when he joined you as coach (until this Tuesday presumably). Was glad when John Lyall was made manager here and you seemed to teach Matty Holland the game when he was with you.
I was surprised at the reaction of Hammers fans to the summer sales. The price of relegation is so high these days that it is inevitable that any players of value who can be sold must be sold in order to avoid administration. What happened to Town, Derby and Leicester should have made fans aware of what laid in store for them.
I think you'll probably not go up (sorry). Most sides relegated third from bottom of the Premiership always seem to think they'll bounce back and for some reason they don't tend to (us last year for example). It's always the ones who were hopelessly bottom who make it (although I reckon Sunderland will scupper that idea).
Score on Saturday?
2-1 to us. It's about time we hit some form.
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