Andy Malcolm

  • by Staff Writer
  • Friday, 3rd January 2014

Former Hammer Andy Malcolm has died at the age of 80.

A key member of Ted Fenton's 1958/59 promotion-winning side, Malcolm - who was born just a short distance from the Boleyn Ground - spent nine years as a pro at the club which he joined shortly after the cessation of war in 1948, before making his first team debut some five years later at the age of 20.

Within the space of six years he had became one of the club's most important players, and along with fellow luminaries such as John Dick, Vic Keeble, John Bond, Ken Brown, Noel Cantwell, Malcolm Musgrove and John Smith he helped West Ham take their place in the first division for the first time since 1932 when winning the Second Division in 1957/58.

A right-sided wing half by trade, Malcolm was the club's very first England Youth international and also the first recipient of West Ham United's Hammer of the Year award in 1958. He went on to make 283 appearances for West Ham before joining Chelsea in 1962, having been frozen out by Fenton's successor, Ron Greenwood.

After just one season at Chelsea he moved to Queens Park Rangers for a further two years before moving to South Africa briefly to play - a country to which he would return in 1986 in order to live the reminder of his life.

After retiring from football in 1968 at the age of 35 - a decent innings for a pro of the day - Malcolm turned to the pub trade, as so many players did in the '60s, to become the landlord of Essex pubs The Ship and Anchor (at Maldon, Essex) and The Lion (Latchingdon).

Malcolm died on Boxing Day, 2013, just five months after former team mate Phil Woosnam passed away and little over a year after Jimmy Andrews. He will be laid to rest in Port Elizabeth on Friday 10th January.

The thoughts of all at KUMB.com are with Andy's family at this sad time.

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