KUMB Awards

With hundreds of entries it's taken us ages to tot up the results again this year. But, we finally got there; so here, for your enjoyment, we proudly present the winners of the 2000/01 season KUMB awards.

PLAYER OF THE SEASON

1. PAOLO DI CANIO (63%)
2. TREVOR SINCLAIR (31%)
3. FRANK LAMPARD (3%)

No surprise really, Paolo totally dominated the headlines all season. Involved in 71% of our goals, whilst notching 16 himself. And of course we all love him to death to boot.

Previous Winners: 1997:John Hartson 1998: Steve Lomas

YOUNG PLAYER OF THE SEASON

1. MICHAEL CARRICK (55%)
2. JOE COLE (36%)
3. STEPHEN BYWATER (6%)

A real coup for young Michael this one - who would have bet against Joey winning this at the start of the season? Michael's consistantly mature performances have seen him make regular appearances for the first team, and his excellent season was capped with selection for the Under 21 Euro 2000 squad.

Previous Winners: 1997:Rio Ferdinand 1998:Rio Ferdinand/Frank Lampard

BEST SIGNING

1. IGOR STIMAC (46%)
2. FREDERIC KANOUTE (39%)
3. PAULO WANCHOPE (6%)

One of the two players we nicked from Derby in the close season Igor has formed an excellent understanding with Rio Ferdinand at the heart of the Hammers defence. A very close category this one, just a handful of votes between Igor and Freddie.

Previous Winners: 1997:Eyal Berkovic 1998:Trevor Sinclair

MOST IMPROVED PLAYER

1. MARC-VIVIEN FOE (33%)
2. JOHN MONCUR (31%)
3. STEPHEN BYWATER (12%)

The closet category of all, a late surge of support for Moncur wasn't quite enough to win him this one. Bloody typical though isn't it, with Foe showing his best form of the season we sold him for a tasty £6m. Question is can he be adequately replaced next term?

Previous Winners: 1997:Frank Lampard 1998:Frank Lampard

MOST MEMORABLE MATCH

1. ARSENAL 2-1 (h) 3/10/99 (32%)
2. BRADFORD 5-4 (h) 12/2/00 (25%)
3. ASTON VILLA 2-2 (5-4 PENALTIES) 15/12/99 (h) (17%)

There's nothing like a good win in a London derby, and the victory over Arsene's whingers and spitters was the game you enjoyed the most. It was the day when Di Canio ripped apart Arsenal's ageing defence with a solo show to match anything we've seen at the Boleyn for years. Now why didn't the club release this one on video?

Previous Winners: 1997:Tottenham 4-3 (h) 1998: Palace 4-1 (h)/Barnsley 6-0 (h)

GOAL OF THE SEASON

1. DI CANIO v WIMBLEDON (93%)
2. DI CANIO v ARSENAL (6%)
3. LOMAS v BIRMINGHAM (1%)

Well there wasn't going to be any competition in this category was there? Not just West Ham's goal of the season, but THE goal of the season. The only surprise is that 7% of you thought there was a better one scored. Click on the link above if you want to revel in it all over again.

Previous Winners: 1997:Hartson v A.Villa 1998:Lazaridis v Newcastle

WORST PLAYER OF THE SEASON

1. NEIL RUDDOCK (45%)
2. SASA ILIC (31%)
3. PAULO WANCHOPE (15%)

Razor's often disastrous displays at the heart of our defence had the Upton Park faithful groaning in despair just once too often this season. Actually once would have been okay, it was more like once every time his name was announced on the team sheet. How he kept Javier Margas on the bench remains a mystery, right up there with the Bermuda Triangle and the Marie Celeste.

Previous Winners: 1997:Iain Dowie 1998:Iain Dowie/Andy Impey

WORST SIGNING

1. SASA ILIC (55%)
2. GARY CHARLES (29%)
3. PAULO WANCHOPE (16%)

A brief flirtation that will never be forgotten. Ilic was signed as emergency cover for our trio of injured keepers, and you could hear the laughs all the way from South London. Stuck between the sticks for one disastrous game against Everton before Harry saw the light and promptly sent him back from whence he came quicker than you can say 'Allan McKnight'.

Previous Winners: 1997:Ian Pearce 1998:Andy Impey

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

1. MANNYGATE (78%)
2. UEFA CUP RUN (5%)
3. PAULO WANCHOPE (4%)

With the club apparently just one game from our first Wembley appearance for 18 years, the devastating news that we'd have to replay the quarter-final against Aston Villa because of an administrative cock-up left the club in turmoil . With the club and it's fans still in a state of shock the script was already written and we were beaten in the replay. Manny Omoyinmi's reward for his part in the saga was a free transfer to the football wilderness.

Previous Winners: none

So that's that for another season; let's hope 2001/02 brings us a little more to cheer! Finally, a big thankyou to everyone who took the trouble to enter their votes in this years awards.