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The following season we played them in the League Cup but the less said about that the better, and we weren’t to meet again until our 2-2 draw at the Boleyn Ground back in October.
That day West Ham’s new manager elect Alan Pardew was on the pitch before kick off as Trevor Brooking took place for the last time.
Things didn’t start too well for Pardew as they failed to win any of his first six matches in charge but that all changed in November when they beat nine man Wigan 4-0 at home.
Pardew has certainly made some changes and they are certainly a lot more physical than they were. Their squad will look a whole lot different to the one that we played just a few months ago with eleven new players added, seven permanent and four on loan.
The first of the signings was Hayden Mullins from Crystal Palace, he arrived almost as soon as Pardew had his feet under the desk, and a week later he signed Leicester’s experienced striker Brian Deane on a free transfer.
A month later another striker followed when Marlon Harewood was signed from Nottingham Forest for half a million.
That was it until the Premiership window and they were just about as busy as any club with four more in permanently, four on loan and almost as many leaving.
Bobby Zamora arrived from Spurs after a less than successful time in North London but he was part of a deal that saw Jermain Defoe move to White Hart Lane. Also out went goalkeeper David James to KKMC and Ian Pearce to Fulham.
To complete the incoming transfers Pardew raided English football’s franchise and came back with Nigel Reo-Coker, Jobi McAnuff and Adam Nowland.
To add to that lot both John Harley and Andy Melville from Fulham, Sebastien Carlow from Monaco and Portsmouth’s former Newcastle goalkeeper Pavel Srnicek have all signed on loan deals.
It has seen an upturn in form and they have lost only one league game since Boxing Day and that was at home to Preston in mid-January.
Because of cup commitments they played just three league games last month with two won and one (at league leaders Norwich) drawn. The last of these was Saturday when they beat Cardiff 1-0 at home courtesy of a goal from Zamora, his second for them in three appearances.
West Ham lined up on Saturday: Stephen Bywater, Hayden Mullins, Tomas Repka, Christian Dailly, Jon Harley, Marlon Harewood (Adam Nowland 80), Nigel Reo-Coker, Michael Carrick, Matthew Etherington, Bobby Zamora (Jobi McAnuff 80), David Connolly (Brian Deane 80). Subs not used: Pavel Srnicek, Andy Melville.
Manager Pardew admitted to being disappointed with the first half performance and was critical of Zamora’s play up front. But it was the Londoner who scored the winner for him and the win has taken them back into the top six at the expense of Sheffield United.
It will be good to see West Ham at the Turf again just as it was to play them at the Boleyn Ground back in October.
Click HERE to see all West Ham’s results this season.season.
Past Results in the last 20 years
Season | Div | Ven | Result | Att | Scorers |
a | |||||
2003/04 | 1 | a | 2-2 | 31,474 | Facey I Moore |
Click HERE
to see all our previous results against West Ham right back to a 5-1 win in November 1923.