1960-61 Football Combination (Division One)

NORWICH CITY : Football Combination

Upton Park 4 - 1 (Dear 2, Brett, Lyall) 20 August 1960

Shearing Kirkup Lyall Bovington Lansdowne Hurst Woodley Cartwright Brett Smillie Dear

Our Reserves made a successful start to the season by beating Norwich City Reserves by 4-1 in the opening Football Combination match at Upton Park. Until half-time the Canaries were at a slight advantage and were just about deserving their single-goal lead. However, after the interval the youthful Hammers' formation started to click and an opportunist goal by Bryan Dear put us on level terms. An opening provided by John Cartwright enabled Ron Brett to put us ahead with a good goal and then John Lyall came up from the left-back position to ram home an angled shot in a penalty-area melee. Dear got his second and our final goal by fastening on to a rebound to set the seal on a deserved victory.

CHARLTON ATHLETIC : Football Combination

The Valley 0 - 3 27 August 1960

Shearing Kirkup Lyall Bovington Lansdowne Hurst Woodley Cartwright Obeney Brett Dear

Visiting Charlton Athletic Reserves at The Valley our line-up had a good first half and kept the Babes at bay to be level at the interval, but after the resumption the home side went on to gain a comfortable 3-0 victory.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR : Football Combination

Upton Park

2 - 3 (Brett, Dear)

29 August 1960

Shearing

Kirkup

Lyall Bovington Lansdowne Perters Woodley Cartwright Obeney Brett Dear

On the Monday night against Tottenham Hotspur Reserves at Upton Park our only change was Peters for Hurst at left-half. 4,000 spectators saw us open extremely well to be two up in 17 minutes; Ron Brett took a through ball from John Cartwright to hit the ball home with a hard drive (7 mins.) and an angled shot by Bryan Dear went inside the far post after Harry Obeney, Brett and Cartwright had made the lead-up move. Unfortunately we could not maintain our grip on the game, and the visitors equalised with well-taken goals by young Frank Saul (53 and 70 mins.); the winner came with nine minutes to go and again Saul had a hand when he made the opening for Collins to score with a ground shot. Ex-Hammer John Smith had a good game for Spurs and put in several scoring attempts in typical style.

LEYTON ORIENT : Football Combination

Upton Park

6 - 2 (Cartwright, Hurst, Obeney, Smillie, Woodley, [og])

3 September 1960

Rhodes

Kirkup

Lyall

Bovington

Lansdowne

Hurst

Woodley

Cartwright

Obeney

Smillie

Dear

Against a poor Orient defence our forwards had a "field day." Andy Smillie put us ahead after five minutes and an "own goal" followed soon afterwards; the best goal of the match was our third, Geoff Hurst running, on to a pass to bang the ball home. Further goals came from Harry Obeney and Derek Woodley to give us five in the first 25 minutes. The Hammers eased off after that and although defensive errors allowed the O's to net twice, John Cartwright added another to make it a 6-2 victory.

CHELSEA : Football Combination

Upton Park

0 - 2

10 September 1960

Rhodes

Kirkup

Lyall

Bovington

Lansdowne

Hurst

Woodley

Boyce

Obeney

Smillie

Dear

Although the strong Chelsea side retained its 100% record in this game we could have taken at least a point from the Pensioners had our forwards shown a little steadiness in front of goal. However, our defence must take its share of the blame for a 2-0 defeat, as a bad blunder led to the first goal and the second followed a quick free-kick which caught our defenders "on one leg." There was a 1,600 attendance.

PORTSMOUTH : Football Combination

Fratton Park

2 - 2 (Beesley, Grice)

17 September 1960

Rhodes

Cripps

Lyall

Bovington

Lansdowne

Hurst

Grice

Cartwright

Beesley

Smillie

Dear

Playing attractive football between the penalty-areas the Hammers provided excellent entertainment which received considerable applause from the spectators, and but for below-par finishing could have been easy winners. Even though Pompey were twice in the lead we never really looked like losing, and the final 2-2 draw was not flattering to us. The Sailors took the lead after about 20 minutes, but ten minutes later Mike Grice levelled the scores with a low drive. A penalty awarded for a foul was the means of the home side again going ahead, but we once more got on level terms when the opposing 'keeper failed to hold a cross by Grice and Mike Beesley was on the spot to tap home the ball.

BRISTOL CITY : Football Combination

Upton Park

2 - 2 (Hurst [pen], Obeney)

24 September 1960

Rhodes

Kirkup

Lyall

Bovington

Lansdowne

Hurst

Grice

Cartwright

Brett

Obeney

Dear

A very scrappy game in which the opposition had the most chances but could not do better than share four goals. Not much real football was displayed and exchanges throughout were pretty scrappy. It was as well for us that in defence Brian Rhodes was in top form between the sticks, and that once again Bill Lansdowne showed the steadiness which has made him a success as skipper of our Combination side. Our goals came from Geoff Hurst (via a penalty) and Harry Obeney.

BOURNEMOUTH & BOSCOMBE : Football Combination

Image courtesy of Mark Waight

Dean Court

1 - 1 (Smillie)

1 October 1960

Shearing

Kirkup

Burkett

Bovington

Lansdowne

Peters

Woodley

Cartwright

Obeney

Smillie

Dear

Our second-string drew their third successive game, the Dean Court score being 1-1. The Hammers' defence gave a good showing throughout and had the forwards put more bite into their finish we might have ended as winners; however, by and large it was a fair result. There were vastly contrasting styles between the two teams, the Cherries playing a very open game and the Hammers using short passing; it was most attractive to watch and several goalmouth scrambles all combined to give the spectators full value. Our scorer was Andy Smillie.

CRYSTAL PALACE : London Challenge Cup (First Round)

Selhurst Park

3 - 3 (Brett, Dear, Smillie)

5 October 1960

Shearing

Kirkup

Cripps

Bovington

Lansdowne

Hurst

Woodley

Cartwright

Brett

Smillie

Dear

Although 1-3 down at the interval the Hammers fought back very well in the second half and a last-minute goal by Andy Smillie earned a replay. The 4,970 attendance saw Palace play some nice "push and run" soccer in the first half and Barnett opened their score after 16 minutes; Ron Brett equalised six minutes later, but goals by Easton and Kerrins in a two-minute spell just on half-time made it an uphill fight for us. However, the Hammers matched the homesters' style in the second half and at the end of an hour's play Bryan Dear made it 2-3 ; then came Smillie's jinking run to even it up.

WATFORD : Football Combination

Vicarage Road

2 - 3 (Dear 2)

8 October 1960

Shearing

Kirkup

Cantwell

Bovington

Lansdowne

Hurst

Woodley

Beesley

Brett

Smillie

Dear

Watford's play in this game was not of much higher standard than their bottom-of-the-table position, but as they deservedly gained a 3-2 victory we have no other comment to make on the Hammers' showing except that it was not very impressive. The only real fact worth mentioning was that Bryan Dear scored both our goals.

SOUTHAMPTON : Football Combination

Upton Park

4 - 3 (Brett 2, Barrett, Hurst)

15 October 1960

Shearing

Kirkup

Cripps

Bovington

Lansdowne

Hurst

Woodley

Barrett

Obeney

Brett

Burkett

An early headed goal by Ron Brett seemed likely to start a one-sided score in our favour, but the Saints got over this bad start to equalise before half-time and then take a 3-1 lead in the second half. However, all was not lost, and the Hammers fought back to reduce the arrears through another score by Brett, his shot from the wing deceiving the opposing 'keeper. A close-range success by Jimmy Barrett levelled the count once more, and almost on the stroke of time a penalty award converted by Geoff Hurst enabled the Hammers to snatch a 4-3 victory.

CRYSTAL PALACE : London Challenge Cup (First Round Replay)

Upton Park

6 - 2 (Brett 2, Boyce, Scott, Smillie, [og])

17 October 1960

Reader

Kirkup

Cantwell

Bovington

Lansdowne

Hurst

Woodley

Boyce

Brett

Smillie

Scott

Although Crystal Palace scored ten minutes after the start to equalise Ron Boyce's first-minute goal, they were rarely in the picture after that. Two minutes later a barrage of shots concluded with Tony Scott finding the net and three minutes before half-time Ron Brett got up well to head home a Derek Woodley corner. Following another onslaught five minutes after the resumption Brett scored his second goal against his former club-mates though a 25-yarder by the Palace centre-forward a minute later reduced the Glaziers' arrears again. An "own goal" in the 67th minute concluded the scoring and we won by 6-2. We now meet Leyton Orient in the Second Round at Leyton Stadium.

NOTTINGHAM FOREST : Football Combination

City Ground

2 - 3 (Brett, Hurst [pen])

22 October 1960

Shearing

Kirkup

Burkett

Bovington

Lansdowne

Hurst

Woodley

Cartwright

Brett

Smillie

Dear

We began very well, and good approach work led to a series of raids on the Forest goal. When Ron Brett scored after a quarter-of-an-hour's play it seemed likely that the Hammers would gain a useful lead, but missed chances prevented this and the Nottingham team drew level before the interval. Soon after the resumption Brett pulled a thigh muscle and was a passenger for the rest of the second half ; this cave the home side a considerable advantage and they went into a 3-1 lead. Geoff Hurst reduced our arrears with a penalty near the end, but the final score was 2-3 against us.

ARSENAL : Football Combination

Upton Park

5 - 2 (Obeney 3, Boyce, Smillie)

29 October 1960

Shearing

Kirkup

Cantwell

Bovington

Lansdowne

Hurst

Brett

Boyce

Obeney

Smillie

Dear

We got away to a fine start, Ron Boyce volleying the ball past the 'keeper from the edge of the penalty-area. When Harry Obeney added a second goal soon afterwards from a right-wing pass it looked as if we were before the interval. We had rather a slack period at the start of the second half, but then Obeney got two more to complete his hat-trick and another goal by Andy Smillie put the game well in hand. Arsenal did manage to get another, but they were well beaten by the finish for a final score of 5-2.

LEYTON ORIENT : London Challenge Cup (Second Round)

Leyton Stadium

0 - 1

8 November 1960

Shearing

Kirkup

Burkett

Bovington

Lansdowne

Hurst

Woodley

Boyce

Obeney

Cartwright

Scott

A foggy night in Leyton . . . and six minutes from the end of extra time Joe Elwood popped out of the gloom to net the only goal that put his club into the Semi-Final against Chelsea. The majority of the 3,600 spectators did not see that goal, as many left the ground at the end of 90 minutes unaware that the agreement had been reached to play an extra half-hour in an effort to reach a decision in this twice-postponed tie. The mist made it a difficult game to report, but it was apparent to everyone that Peter Shearing gave a good display between the sticks for the Hammers.

IPSWICH TOWN : Football Combination

Upton Park

7 - 4 (Hurst 2, Obeney 2, Kirkup, Smillie, [og])

12 November 1960

Shearing

Kirkup

Burkett

Bovington

Lansdowne

Hurst

Woodley

Boyce

Obeney

Smillie

Scott

After a week without a game our Reserves were evidently "goal hungry," and they ended up as 7-4 winners in a game played on a mud-bound pitch. Despite the conditions we gave a display of man-to-man along-the-ground play with defenders joining in the goal-spree, as a result of which we over-ran Ipswich in the first-half for a 5-I lead. We scored again immediately after the interval, but then became over-confident and too casual in defence to almost give away three goals before making certain of our win.

Worthy of special mention was Eddie Bovington, who gave a top-rate performance at right-half, and to complete the record our scorers were Geoff Hurst (2), Harry Obeney (2). Joe Kirkup, Andy Smillie and " own goal."

CARDIFF CITY : Football Combination

Upton Park

26 November 1960

MATCH POSTPONED

Unfit Pitch : rearranged for 9 March 1961

WATFORD : Football Combination

Upton Park

3 - 1 (Boyce, Hurst, Woodley)

10 December 1960

Shearing

Kirkup

Burkett

Bovington

Lansdowne

Hurst

Woodley

Boyce

Brett

Smillie

Dear

After having Combination matches postponed on three successive weekends our Reserves were able to resume their fixtures at Upton Park, although the ground was still in a very heavy condition. Although never being in absolute control our second-string always looked a little too good for the opposition, and deserved their 3-1 victory; our scorers were Ron Boyce, Geoff Hurst and Derek Woodley. Watford had few chances to score, due largely to the excellent work of full-backs Joe Kirkup and Jack Burkett, who covered each other well and prevented possible dangerous raids from coming to naught. However, the mud was distinctly to the advantage of both defences, and the forwards had to make the most of their opportunities.

NORWICH CITY : Football Combination

Carrow Road

4 - 0 (Hurst, Scott, Smillie, Woodley)

17 December 1960

Shearing

Kirkup

Burkett

Bovington

Lansdowne

Hurst

Woodley

Cartwright

Obeney

Smillie

Scott

Our Reserves continued on their winning way by recording a 4-0 victory over Norwich City Reserves at Carrow Road on December 17th. This put them in sixth place, with 17 points from 15 matches and games in hand of all those above them. The play of our second-string brought complimentary remarks from all present, and the Canaries' fans gave us full credit for the victory. Everyone of our side had a good performance, playing at a tremendous pace throughout. The ball moved smoothly from defence to forwards, and the use of through-ball passing played havoc with the home defence. The goals were shared between Geoff Hurst, Tony Scott, Andy Smillie and Derek Woodley.

CHARLTON ATHLETIC : Football Combination

Upton Park

4 - 2 (Obeney 3, Woodley)

31 December 1960

Shearing

Kirkup

Burkett

Bovington

Lansdowne

Peters

Woodley

Boyce

Obeney

Beesley

Scott

Resuming their Football Combination programme after a blank Christmas fixture-list, our Reserves registered a 4-2 victory over Charlton Athletic Reserves at Upton Park to retain sixth place in the table with games in hand of all teams above them.

The outstanding performer in our line-up was Harry Obeney, mainly through his notching of a hat-trick bv capitalising on opportunities; Derek Woodley was our other scorer. Eddie Bovington showed up well at right-half and worked very hard, but with conditions underfoot not conducive to clever soccer it became a battle of stamina towards the finish with the Hammers proving the better of the two.

SECOND-HALF