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West Ham and Burnley are not teams who have met too often in recent history. There was a run of games in the late seventies but since then we have been in the same division for just two seasons, 2003/04 and 2004/05.
We didn't win any of those four games and that means we are looking for a first win against the Hammers since September 1978 when we came from two behind to win 3-2 with goals from Ian Brennan, Paul Fletcher and a late Jim Thomson winner.
We have to go back another five years to our last victory at West Ham, that one a 1-0 win coming courtesy of a Colin Waldron goal on a day when West Ham's Ted McDougall was sent off.
This is another long run without a win as we go in search of our first away win in the Premier League.
West Ham have been something of a crisis club in the last year or so with the financial situation at the club far from stable. That was the reason, early last season, for Alan Curbishley's departure as manager after they'd sold players over his head, in particular Anton Ferdinand and George McCartney who both moved to Sunderland.
That paved the way for former Chelsea star Gianfranco Zola to take over and the Italian quickly installed Steve Clarke as his assistant.
He led them to a ninth place finish last season, ending with just two points less than Fulham who won a place in the Europa League.
The summer saw plenty of transfer activity with ten new signings, eight of them coming from outside the country. However, things haven't gone quite so well this season with only two wins so far in the league, those against Wolves and Aston Villa.
Gianfranco Zola does have some injury problems but also has some good news with the return to fitness of Kieron Dyer who scored twice in a reserve game this week. He could come into contention as could Herita Ilunga, James Tomkins and Mark Noble who all returned to training this week.
Whilst Dyer was scoring twice in a 5-2 win against Stoke reserves the performances from Fabio Daprela, Holmar Eyjolfsson and Frank Nouble were all eye catching and they could be included.
Ruled out though is captain Matthew Upson with a hamstring injury with Scott Parker the most likely to take the captain's armband. Alessandro Diamanti hasn't fully recovered from a hip injury and he too is ruled out.
Upson and Diamanti will not be out long term but other players are. Luis Boa Morte is still some months away from fitness with a knee injury whilst no return dates have been set for either Dean Ashton or Calum Davenport with speculation that Ashton's career might be at an end.
In last week's draw at Hull they line up: Rob Green, Julien Faubert, Manuel Da Costa, Matthew Upson, Danny Gabbidon, Jack Collison, Scott Parker, Valon Behrami, Junior Stanislas, Guillermo Franco, Carlton Cole. Subs: Peter Kurucz, Jonathan Spector, Fabio Daprela, Radoslav Kovac, Frank Nouble, Zavon Hines, Luis Jiminez.
There is good news all round as far as the Clarets are concerned. Not only are there no new injuries but there is good news on the three long term injured players, Chris McCann, Martin Paterson and Jay Rodriguez, in that they are all on course and could be back around Christmas.
As for the team at West Ham, it seems unlikely that Owen Coyle will make any changes and that would mean the same eleven for a fifth successive game.
Burnley's expected line up: Brian Jensen, Tyrone Mears, Clarke Carlisle, Steven Caldwell, Stephen Jordan, Graham Alexander, Andre Bikey, Chris Eagles, Wade Elliott, Robbie Blake, Steven Fletcher. Subs: Diego Penny, Michael Duff, Joey Gudjonsson, Kevin McDonald, Fernando Guerrero, Steven Thompson, David Nugent.
Burnley's last trip to the Boleyn Ground was back in August 2004 and it proved to be our first defeat of the season in the fifth game. Yet it was a game we never deserved to lose and one we dominated for long spells, particularly in the first half.
Adam Nowland got the only goal of the game in the second half whilst referee Paul Robinson turned in an horrendous performance, even allowing Marlon Harewood to stay on the pitch after throwing a punch at the brilliant John McGreal.
The teams were;
West Ham: Stephen Bywater, Tomas Repka, Anton Ferdinand, Hayden Mullins, Rufus Brevett, Luke Chadwick (Steve Lomas 59), Nigel Reo-Coker, Adam Nowland, Matthew Etherington, Teddy Sheringham (Chris Cohen 86), Marlon Harewood. Subs not used: James Walker, Sergei Rebrov, Trent McClenahan.
Burnley: Danny Coyne, Michael Duff, Frank Sinclair, John McGreal, Mo Camara, Ian Moore, Richard Chaplow, Tony Grant, Micah Hyde, Graham Branch (Lee Roche 90), Robbie Blake. Subs not used: Brian Jensen, Matt O'Neill, Joel Pilkington, Ryan Townsend.
Our last top flight game there also ended in the first defeat of the season when we really should have won it. Having drawn home games against Arsenal and Everton, this was our first away game of the season.
We led through Leighton James in the first half. West Ham drew level on the hour but four minutes later we were back in front when Peter Noble scored. Unfortunately two late goals gave West Ham the points.
The Burnley team was: Alan Stevenson, Mick Docherty, Keith Newton, Peter Noble, Colin Waldron, Jim Thomson, Brian Flynn, Ray Hankin, Mike Summerbee, Doug Collins (Willie Morgan), Leighton James.
Previous 20 Seasons | |||||
Season | Div | Ven | Result | Att | Scorers |
2003/04 | 1 | a | 2-2 | 31,474 | Facey I Moore |
| . | . | h | 1-1 | 12,440 | Branch |
2004/05 | 1 | a | 0-1 | 22,119 | . |
. | . | h | 0-1 | 12,209 | . |