1920-21 Football League : Division II

The Hammers would once again rely on Syd Puddefoot to score the goals and he was on target in the opening game with Hull City and then scored three goals in home and away victories over Wolverhampton Wanderers. October was a poor month, with only one win in six matches, this being a 1-0 success at Coventry City. The goals flowed in November, however, with nine goals netted in two home games. Sheffield Wednesday were beaten 4-0, with Puddefoot scoring all four goals and netting two more in the 5-0 defeat of Stockport County. In this game Alf Leafe was also on target with a hat-trick. The team seemed to play well in alternate months, as there were no wins in December but on New Year’s Day Coventry City were thrashed 7-0 at the Boleyn, with Puddefoot claiming four goals.

A week later the Hammers were knocked out of the FA Cup after losing 1-0 at Sheffield Wednesday. In the league the side were still inconsistent; four wins, which included a Puddefoot hat-trick against Leeds, were followed by three defeats with no goals being scored. The season continued in a similar vein with the side relying too much on Puddefoot scoring. The campaign ended with a respectable fifth-place finish, some ten points behind champions Birmingham City.

LAWS of the GAME:

Rule change: Players cannot now be "Off-side" from a "thrown-in"

HULL CITY : Football League Division II

Upton Park 1 - 1 (Puddefoot) 28 August 1920 Att: 26,000

Hufton Cope Burton Tresadern Kay McCrae Cumming Shea Puddefoot Simmons Young

JIM SIMMONS makes his Hammers debut against HULL CITY at Upton Park

WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS : Football League Division II

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Molineux 2 - 1 (Puddefoot 2) 30 August 1920 Att: 20,000

Hufton Cope Burton Tresadern Kay McCrae Cumming Shea Puddefoot Simmons Young

HULL CITY : Football League Division II

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Boothferry Park 1 - 2 (Simmons) 4 September 1920 Att: 12,000

Hufton Cope Burton Tresadern Kay McCrae Cumming Shea Puddefoot Simmons Young

WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS : Football League Division II

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Upton Park 1 - 0 (Puddefoot) 6 September 1920 Att: 15,000

Hufton Cope Burton Tresadern Kay McCrae Simmons Shea Puddefoot Crowther Young

GEORGE CROWTHER makes his Hammers debut against WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS at Upton Park

FULHAM : Football League Division II

Craven Cottage 0 - 0 11 September 1920 Att: 30,000

Hufton Cope Burton Tresadern Kay McCrae Simmons Shea Puddefoot Crowther Bradshaw

THE YORKSHIRE POST

Monday, September 13, 1920

FULHAM : Football League Division II

Upton Park

2 - 0 (Kay, Puddefoot)

18 September 1920 Att: 20,000

Hufton Cope Burton Tresadern Kay McCrae Simmons Shea Puddefoot Crowther Young

CARDIFF CITY : Football League Division II

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Ninian Park

0 - 0

25 September 1920 Att: 30,000

Hufton Cope Burton Tresadern Kay McCrae Simmons Shea Puddefoot Watson Young

VICTOR WATSON makes his Hammers debut against CARDIFF CITY at Ninian Park

CARDIFF CITY : Football League Division II

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Upton Park

2 - 0 (Kay, Puddefoot) 18 September 1920 Att: 20,000

Hufton Cope Burton Tresadern Kay McCrae Simmons Shea Puddefoot Watson Young

COVENTRY CITY : Football League Division II

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Highfield Road

1 - 0 (Watson) 4 October 1920 Att: 8,000

Hufton Cope Burton Tresadern Kay McCrae Simmons Shea Puddefoot Watson Young

LEICESTER CITY : Football League Division II

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Filbert Street

0 - 1 9 October 1920 Att: 17,000

Hufton Cope Burton Tresadern Kay McCrae Simmons Shea Puddefoot Watson Young

CLAPTON ORIENT : London Challenge Cup (First Round)

Upton Park

0 - 1 11 October 1920 Att:

Hufton Cope Burton Tresadern Kay McCrae Smithurst Shea Puddefoot Butcher Young

LEICESTER CITY : Football League Division II

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Upton Park

0 - 1 16 October 1920 Att: 25,000

Hufton Cope Burton Tresadern Kay McCrae Smithurst Shea Puddefoot Butcher Young

BLACKPOOL : Football League Division II

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Bloomfield Road

0 - 1 23 October 1920 Att: 10,000

Hufton Cope Lee Tresadern Kay McCrae Cumming Bailey Puddefoot Shea Young

BLACKPOOL : Football League Division II

Upton Park

1 - 1 (Puddefoot) 30 October 1920 Att: 20,000

Hufton Lane Cope Tresadern Kay McCrae Cumming Shea Puddefoot Bailey Young

SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY : Football League Division II

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Hillsborough

1 - 0 (Puddefoot) 6 November 1920 Att: 30,000

Hufton Lane Cope Tresadern Burton McCrae Carter Shea Puddefoot Bailey Young

SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY : Football League Division II

Upton Park

4 - 0 (Puddefoot 4 [1 pen]) 13 November 1920 Att: 20,000

Hufton Lane Cope Allen Burton McCrae Carter Shea Puddefoot Bailey Young

STOCKPORT COUNTY : Football League Division II

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Edgeley Park 0 - 2 20 November 1920 Att: 9,000

Hufton Lane Cope Allen Burton Tresadern Carter Shea Puddefoot Bailey Young

STOCKPORT COUNTY : Football League Division II

Upton Park

5 - 0 (Leafe 3, Puddefoot 2) 27 November 1920 Att: 20,000

Hufton Lane Cope Allen Kay Tresadern Carter Simmons Puddefoot Leafe Young

STOKE CITY : Football League Division II

Image courtesy of Richard Miller

Victoria Ground

0 - 1 4 December 1920 Att: 10,000

Hufton Lane Cope Allen Kay Tresadern Carter Simmons Puddefoot Leafe Young

THE YORKSHIRE POST

Monday, December 6, 1920

STOKE CITY : Football League Division II

Upton Park

1 - 0 (Puddefoot) 11 December 1920 Att: 18,000

Hufton Cope Lane Allen Kay Tresadern Carter Bailey Puddefoot Leafe Young

BIRMINGHAM : Football League Division II

Upton Park

1 - 1 (Bishop) 25 December 1920 Att: 23,000

Hufton Lane Cope Allen Kay Tresadern Carter Simmons Puddefoot Bishop Young

SYD BISHOP makes his Hammers debut against BIRMINGHAM at Upton Park

BIRMINGHAM : Football League Division II

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St Andrews

1 - 2 (Puddefoot) 27 December 1920 Att: 65,000

Hufton Burton Cope Allen Kay Tresadern Simmons Bishop Puddefoot Leafe Young

SECOND-HALF