1907-08 Friendlies

Match extracts from the excellent book "IRONS of the SOUTH West Ham United in the Southern League" By kind permission of author JOHN POWLES and published by Soccer Data

FIRST PUBLIC PRACTICE MATCH

Upton Park August 1908

When the first public practice match took place in late August it would be seen that some players had moved on. Aubrey Fair and James Blyth had not been retained, Arthur Winterhalder had signed for Everton, and Dave Gardner and William Taylor had been picked up by Croydon Common. Amongst those that came into the club were three Scots, namely William Brown, a forward from Scottish side Vale of Leven, James Gault, a full-back from Aberdeen and Robert Young, a defender from St Mirren. Other signings were Alf Harwood, a forward from Leeds City. Tommy Lee. a forward from Woolwich Arsenal, and Archie Taylor, a gutsy full-back from Brentford. Apart from the latter, none of these signings, at the time, appeared to be of any significance, which must have been something of a disappointment to the assembled crowd of 3,500, who would have noticed the ground alterations that had been implemented due to the previous season's FA Commission recommendations.

SECOND PUBLIC PRACTICE MATCH

Upton Park September 1908

The club arranged a second public practice match which attracted over 5,500 to the Boleyn ground, and all the players appeared in the peak of fitness, which augured well for the opening Southern League fixture against Swindon Town at home in the late afternoon on Monday September 2nd.

MIDDLESBROUGH

Upton Park 4 - 1 (Kemp 3, Watson) 9 March 1908

Clarke, Wildman, Hammond, Allison, Piercy, Woodards, Featherstone, Lindsay, Watson, Kemp, Blackburn

CHELSEA

Upton Park 1 - 2 (?) 11 March 1908

HOSPITAL CUP CLUB TEAM

Upton Park 3 - 3 (Brown, Lee, Shea) 30 April 1908

1906-07 Friendlies Season 1907-08 1908-09 Friendlies