West Ham United

1934-35

The opening four games saw one 3-1 home victory against Nottingham Forest and three defeats. It was a poor start, with defeats at Burnley by 5-2 and a 4-1 loss at Brentford. After another poor showing at Hull City where the home side won 4-0, Hugh Mills was drafted into the side at centre-forward with dramatic effect.

He scored eleven goals in the following nine games with the Hammers winning seven of them. In the tenth game he did not score and never played for West Ham in the league again. In his place came Vic Watson, who also went on a goal spree with a hat-trick in the 4-0 home win over Notts County and another two in the 4-1 home victory against Bolton Wanderers. The Christmas period saw a double over Bury and hoisted West Ham to second place in the table.

The FA Cup brought a home tie against Third Division Stockport County. Winning 1-0 with three minutes left, it was a shock when Jim Barrett scored an own-goal equaliser. In the replay the Hammers conceded after just three minutes and finally lost the tie 1–0. During February there were home wins over Bradford Park Avenue and Norwich City but these were followed by a 3–0 defeat at Newcastle United. In a dramatic match at Swansea Town the Hammers scored four times but Swansea scored five. Two new forwards were purchased: James Marshall from Arsenal and Dave Mangnall from Birmingham City. The new boys were soon on target as they both scored on their debuts in the 2–2 draw at Port Vale. Six wins in the next seven games saw West Ham on course for promotion, being third in the table, a point behind Bolton Wanderers. On the final day of the season Oldham Athletic were beaten 2–0 at the Boleyn Ground and Bolton drew at Blackpool. Both teams finished on 56 points but Bolton were promoted by virtue of a much better goal difference. A settled side was the main reason for success: defenders Chalkley, Cockroft and Walker were ever-present while goalkeeper Conway and centre-half Barrett only missed one game.

14 July 1934

IAN CRAWFORD (1961-1963) Born this day Edinburgh, Scotland

Scotland Under-23 international signed from Hearts for £7,000 in July 1961 after he had won every possible club honour North of the Border. Made his Hammers debut in the 4-2 victory over Aston Villa at Villa Park on the 9 September 1961. Equally at home on either wing, Ian was unlucky not to have been given an extended run in the First Division, and surprisingly transferred to the then Second Division Scunthorpe United on 15 March 1963, just 20 months after arriving at Upton Park. Crawford later joined joined Peterborough United. Began his career in football administration as player-manager of Stamford F.C. in the Midland League towards the end of the 1969-70 season and later had coaching posts at Everton and Arsenal as Youth coach.

BURNLEY : Football League Division II

Upton Park

1 - 2 (Watson)

27 August 1934

Att: 18,070

Conway

Chalkley

Walker A.

Walker R.

Barrett

Cockroft

Wood Morton

Watson

Goulden

Ruffell

HERMAN CONWAY and RICHARD WALKER both make their Hammers debut against BURNLEY at Upton Park

NOTTINGHAM FOREST : Football League Division II

Upton Park

3 - 1 (Wood 2, Morton)

1 September 1934

Att: 18,549

Conway

Chalkley

Walker A.

Collins

Barrett

Cockroft

Wood Morton

Watson

Goulden

Ruffell

BURNLEY : Football League Division II

Turf Moor

2 - 5 (Fenton 2)

3 September 1934

Att: 13,562

Conway

Chalkley

Walker A.

Walker R.

Barrett

Cockroft

Wood

Collins

Fenton E.

Goulden

Morton

SORRY NO IMAGE

BRENTFORD : Football League Division II

Griffin Park

1 - 4 (Fenton)

8 September 1934

Att: 20,818

Conway

Chalkley

Walker A.

Collins

Barrett

Cockroft

Wood Morton

Fenton E.

Goulden

Ruffell

12 September 1934

DOUG WRAGG (1956-1959) Born this day Nottingham, Nottinghamshire

Nicknamed "Oily" by the fans, this popular winger was spotted by Hammers playing in the "Star" Youth Final at Wembley in 1953, and was duly signed as a professional in June the same year. Doug was prominent in Schools football and played for Nottingham and England Boys. He was also a fair boxer, being a former Hyson Green and England representative in his native Nottinghamshire. His career benefited enormously when he was demobbed from the Army in 1955 and able to return to full-time training. Doug made his initial debut against Colchester United at Layer Road in the Semi-Final of the Essex Pro Cup on the 11 November 1954 which resulted in a 3-2 Hammers win, made his Football League debut in the 2-0 away victory at Blackburn Rovers on the 27 August 1956. After proving himself a capable First XI deputy and nearly seven years with Hammers, Doug was transferred back to his home county via Mansfield Town in March 1960. He later moved on to Rochdale and then Chesterfield, before going out of the League with Grantham.

FULHAM : Football League Division II

Upton Park

2 - 1 (Morton, Ruffell)

15 September 1934

Att: 17,956

Conway

Chalkley

Walker A.

Collins

Barrett

Cockroft

Wood Morton

Fenton E.

Goulden

Ruffell

Fenton heads towards goal

HULL CITY : Football League Division II

SORRY NO IMAGE

Boothferry Park

0 - 4

17 September 1934

Att: 5,338

Conway

Chalkley

Walker A.

Collins

Barrett

Cockroft

Wood

Fenton E.

Watson

Goulden

Ruffell

BRADFORD PARK AVENUE : Football League Division II

SORRY NO IMAGE

Park Avenue

3 - 1 (Mills 2, Fenton)

22 September 1934

Att: 7,089

Conway

Chalkley

Walker A.

Young

Barrett

Cockroft

Wood

Fenton E.

Mills

Goulden

Foxall

JOSEPH FOXALL makes his Hammers debut against BRADFORD PARK AVENUE at Park Avenue

PLYMOUTH ARGYLE : Football League Division II

Upton Park

2 - 1 (Barrett [pen], Mills)

29 September 1934

Att: 20,484

onway

Chalkley

Walker A.

Collins

Barrett

Cockroft

Foreman

Morton

Mills

Goulden

Ruffell

JOHN FOREMAN makes his Hammers debut against PLYMOUTH ARGYLE at Upton Park

NORWICH CITY : Football League Division II

Carrow Road

2 - 1 (Foreman, Mills)

6 October 1934

Att: 16,316

Conway

Chalkley

Walker A.

Collins

Walker R.

Cockroft

Foreman

Morton

Mills

Goulden

Ruffell

NEWCASTLE UNITED : Football League Division II

Upton Park

3 - 2 (Barrett [pen], Mills, Ruffell)

13 October 1934

Att: 26,799

Conway

Chalkley

Walker A.

Collins

Barrett

Cockroft

Foreman

Morton

Mills

Goulden

Ruffell

Burns saves from Len Goulden

SWNSEA TOWN : Football League Division II

Upton Park

2 - 0 (Mills, Morton)

20 October 1934

Att: 21,227

Conway

Chalkley

Walker A.

Collins

Barrett

Cockroft

Foreman

Morton

Mills

Watson

Ruffell

Gloucestershire Echo

24 October 1934

MANCHESTER UNITED : Football League Division II

SORRY NO IMAGE

Old Trafford

1 - 3 (Mills)

27 October 1934

Att: 31,950

Conway

Chalkley

Walker A.

Collins

Barrett

Cockroft

Foreman

Morton

Mills

Goulden

Ruffell

PORT VALE : Football League Division II

Upton Park

3 - 1 (Mills 2, Ruffell)

3 November 1934

Att: 19,391

Conway

Chalkley

Walker A.

Collins

Barrett

Cockroft

Foreman

Morton

Mills

Goulden

Ruffell

BARNSLEY : Football League Division II

SORRY NO IMAGE

Oakwell

1 - 1 (Mills)

10 November 1934

Att: 7,878

Conway

Chalkley

Walker A.

Collins

Barrett

Cockroft

Foreman

Fenton E.

Mills

Morton

Ruffell

SHEFFIELD UNITED : Football League Division II

Upton Park

2 - 0 (Goulden, Mills)

17 November 1934

Att: 20,178

Conway

Chalkley

Walker A.

Fenton E.

Barrett

Cockroft

Foreman

Morton

Mills

Goulden

Ruffell

18 November 1934

FRED COOPER (1953-1958) Born this day West Ham, London

Frederick John Cooper joined the ground staff from school, 1949. Reserve team skipper who made his initial First Team appearance against Colchester United away in the Essex Professional Cup in a 1-5 defeat on the 22 October 1953, his League appearance was made against Fulham at Craven Cottage on the 18 August 1956 in a 4-1 victory. Had progressed through the junior ranks at Upton Park earning honours with West Ham, London and Essex Boys. Fred, incidentally, played in the first Schoolboy International to be played a Wembley, between England and Scotland; conceding a penalty in the opening minutes when he saved a "cert," by catching the ball on the goal-line. Luckily the incident didn't effect the final outcome too much, as England eventually won 8-2. He retired from the professional ranks after playing two games in the promotion season of 1957-58 to become the full-time licensee of the Essex Arms, Stratford.

19 November 1934

ROBERT ‘Gordon’ JOHNSTONE (1956-1957) Born this day Edinburgh, Scotland

A fine wing-half in the best Scottish tradition, ‘Gordon’ played his early soccer with Edinburgh Schoolboys and East of Scotland Select while with junior side Ormiston Primrose. Came to the Boleyn for a trial, and impressed sufficiently to sign professional forms on 13 April 1953 and as a gesture the Hammers paid Ormiston a £100 donation. National Service commitments interrupted his soccer career. Made his initial appearance for the Hammers on the 31 August 1955, in the Final of the Essex Professional Cup against Southend United, the game having been postponed from the previous April to allow it to take place on the Shrimpers new ground at Roots Hall. 2-2 at full time the game was abandoned at the interval of extra time as it was too dark to continue the score ended 3-3, both clubs sharing the cup for 6 months. His League debut came against Doncaster Rovers at Belle Vue in a 0-3 reverse on the 3rd November 1956. He made only one more Second Division showing before being transferred to Ipswich Town in July 1957. Served the Suffolk club well until 1959, when he gave up the game to embark on a professional singing career in Canada..

BRADFORD CITY : Football League Division II

SORRY NO IMAGE

Valley Parade

2 - 0 (Foreman, Morton)

24 November 1934

Att: 8,150

Conway

Chalkley

Walker A.

Fenton E.

Barrett

Cockroft

Foreman

Morton

Mills

Goulden

Ruffell

NOTTS COUNTY : Football League Division II

Upton Park

4 - 0 (Watson 3, Ruffell)

1 December 1934

Att: 18,390

Conway

Chalkley

Walker A.

Fenton E.

Barrett

Cockroft

Foreman

Morton

Watson

Goulden

Ruffell

SOUTHAMPTON : Football League Division II

SORRY NO IMAGE

The Dell

2 - 2 (Ruffell, Watson)

8 December 1934

Att: 28,752

Conway

Chalkley

Walker A.

Fenton E.

Barrett

Cockroft

Foreman

Morton

Watson

Goulden

Ruffell

12 December 1934

FRED WALLBANKS signs from BRADFORD CITY

BOLTON WANDERERS : Football League Division II

Upton Park

4 - 1 (Ruffell 2, Watson 2)

15 December 1934

Att: 27,489

Conway

Chalkley

Walker A.

Fenton E.

Barrett

Cockroft

Wood Morton

Watson

Goulden

Ruffell

With the Wanderers at the top of the table (28 pts. from 18 games) and the Hammers in fourth place (24 pts.) it was no surprise that this " promotion duel" attracted the largest gate of the day despite the inclement weather. Those who braved the elements certainly had full reward for their ardour, and the subsequent report on the match said "we will write it down as one of the best exhibitions seen at Upton Park." Two goals apiece by Vic Watson and Jimmy Ruffell were sufficient to give the Hammers a 4-1 win, Atkinson scoring for the visitors

OLDHAM ATHLETIC : Football League Division II

SORRY NO IMAGE

Boundary Park

2 - 1 (Ruffell, Watson)

22 December 1934

Att: 17,290

Conway

Chalkley

Walker A.

Fenton E.

Barrett

Cockroft

Wood Morton

Watson

Goulden

Ruffell

23 December 1934

NOEL DWYER (1959-1960) Born this day Dublin, Republic of Ireland

Courageous Eire international goalkeeper, signed from Wolverhampton Wanderers in December 1958 succeeding long-serving Ernie Gregory in West Ham’s goal. Noel made his Hammers debut in the 4-3 victory over Bolton Wanderers at Upton Park on the 21 March 1959. Could be brilliant in one match and infuriating the next. It was this inconsistency which prompted his transfer to Swansea Town in August 1960. He was an important figure as Swansea won the Welsh Cup in 1960-61 and reached the FA Cup semi-finals in 1963-64. Capped 14 times by his country, 4 whilst with the Hammers, he later had spells with Plymouth Argyle under Malcolm Allison in January 1965 and later Charlton Athletic in December 1965.

BURY : Football League Division II

Image Courtesy of Andrew Conway

Gigg Lane

4 - 2 (Ruffell 2, Wood 2)

25 December 1934

Att: 15,155

Conway

Chalkley

Walker A.

Fenton E.

Barrett

Cockroft

Wood Morton

Watson

Goulden

Ruffell

BURY : Football League Division II

Upton Park

3 - 0 (Ruffell 2, Watson)

26 December 1934

Att: 34,496

Conway

Chalkley

Walker A.

Fenton E.

Barrett

Cockroft

Wood Morton

Watson

Goulden

Ruffell

HULL CITY : Football League Division II

Upton Park

1 - 2 (Ruffell)

29 December 1934

Att: 25,344

Conway

Chalkley

Walker A.

Fenton E.

Barrett

Cockroft

Wood

Morton

Watson

Goulden

Ruffell

SECOND-HALF