1961-62 Football League : First Division

MANCHESTER UNITED : Football League First Division

Upton Park

1 - 1 (Dick)

19 August 1961

Att: 32,628

Leslie

Kirkup

Bond

Malcolm

Brown

Moore

Scott

Woosnam

Sealey

Dick

Musgrove

LAWRIE LESLIE makes his Hammers debut against MANCHESTER UNITED at Upton Park

Lawrie Leslie made his first League appearance between the sticks for Hammers. We drew this opening day fixture at the Boleyn Ground with Manchester United 1-1; "Nobby" Stiles (17 mins.) and John Dick (37 mins.) were the scorers before a 32,628 attendance.

New ‘Layout’ of Teams

The layout which the club adopted on it’s team page in the match day programme this season is, as far as they knew, a new one for soccer programmes. The old-style “four lines per team” has gone; but, let’s face it, so has much of the old-style play which rigidly divided teams into goalkeepers, full-backs, half-backs and forwards. We often find players in anything but the position indicated on the oldtype of “line-up,” and in consequence the numbers on their backs are the only means of identifying those not known by sight to the spectators. It a modern trend in soccer, and we are hoping by this new method to keep the programme in line with the game.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR : Football League First Division

White Hart Lane

2 - 2 (Musgrove, Woosnam)

23 August 1961

Att: 50,434

Leslie

Kirkup

Bond

Malcolm

Brown

Moore

Scott

Woosnam

Sealey

Dick

Musgrove

WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS : Football League First Division

Molineux

2 - 3 (Musgrove, Sealey)

26 August 1961

Att: 25,471

Leslie

Kirkup

Bond

Malcolm

Brown

Moore

Scott

Woosnam

Sealey

Dick

Musgrove

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR : Football League First Division

Upton Park

2 - 1 (Scott, Sealey)

28 August 1961

Att: 36,274

Leslie

Kirkup

Bond

Malcolm

Brown

Moore

Scott

Woosnam

Sealey

Dick

Musgrove

36,274 were at Upton Park for the return Division One game v Spurs following the sides 2-2 draw at White Hart Lane five days earlier. We led at half-time through a Tony Scott goal; Les Allen got the equaliser but Alan Sealey decided it 13 minutes from the end under our new floodlights.

NOTTINGHAM FOREST : Football League First Division

Upton Park

3 - 2 (Musgrove, Scott, Sealey)

2 September 1961

Att: 23,795

Leslie

Kirkup

Bond

Malcolm

Brown

Moore

Scott

Woosnam

Sealey

Dick

Musgrove

BLACKPOOL : Football League First Division

Bloomfield Road

0 - 2

4 September 1961

Att: 19,838

Leslie

Kirkup

Bond

Hurst

Brown

Moore

Woosnam

Boyce

Sealey

Dick

Scott

ASTON VILLA : Football League First Division

Villa Park

4 - 2 (Dick 2, Scott, Sealey)

9 September 1961

Att: 31,836

Leslie

Kirkup

Bond

Hurst

Brown

Moore

Scott

Woosnam

Sealey

Dick

Crawford

IAN CRAWFORD makes his Hammers debut against ASTON VILLA at Villa Park

The Hammers travelled to Birmingham to take on Aston Villa on this day, having won two, drawn two and lost two in a solid start to the new campaign. Their record would be improved with a strong display at Villa Park, which saw them run in four goals to collect both points. Villa were on target twice themselves, but it would be to no avail as the Hammers responded in kind. John Dick scored twice, while Tony Scott and Alan Sealey were also on target on a successful afternoon for the Londoners. Villa and the Hammers would be locked together for much of the season, with the two claret and blue clubs finishing in seventh and eighth place respectively.

PLYMOUTH ARGYLE : Football League Cup (First Round)

Upton Park

3 - 2 (Crawford 2, Woosnam)

11 September 1961

Att: 12,178

Rhodes

Kirkup

Bond

Hurst

Brown

Moore

Scott

Woosnam

Sealey

Dick

Crawford

CHELSEA : Football League First Division

Upton Park 2 - 1 (Dick, Musgrove) 16 September 1961 Att: 27,530

Leslie

Kirkup

Bond

Hurst

Brown

Moore

Scott

Woosnam

Sealey

Dick

Musgrove

Alan Sealey stretches for the ball

There were only 27,530 present for the home game v. Chelsea - evidently many thought they would not get in! Those not present missed a great deal, for in a very robust game Phil Woosnam was off the field for 19 minutes of the second half and Lawrie Leslie's cut knee put him out of action for the last half-hour. John Dick (8 mins.) and Malcolm Musgrove (20 mins.) had given us a first-half lead, and when Leslie went off Bobby Moore did a great job in goal to keep a clean sheet and bring us a 2-1 win.

BLACKPOOL : Football League First Division

Upton Park

2 - 2 (Boyce, Musgrove)

18 September 1961

Att: 25,925

Rhodes

Kirkup

Bond

Hurst

Brown

Moore

Scott

Boyce

Sealey

Dick

Musgrove

A Monday night game against Blackpool saw the visitors fight back from 0-2 down to score in the 84th and 85th minutes and gain a draw. It would have probably been a different story if acting-skipper John Bond's "goal" had been allowed to stand, but John Dick was adjudged to have obstructed Gordon West when we thought we had made it 3-0. Jimmy Armfield was the visiting cap¬tain; and the Tangerines contributed their share to a fine game that did not have a foul until the 19th minute.

SHEFFIELD UNITED : Football League First Division

Bramall Lane

4 - 1 (Dick 2, Musgrove, Sealey)

23 September 1961

Att: 21,034

Rhodes

Kirkup

Bond

Hurst

Brown

Moore

Scott

Woosnam

Sealey

Dick

Musgrove

John Dick (13 mins) and Malcolm Musgrove (41 mins) put us two up at half-time at Bramall Lane v. Sheffield United. Alan Sealey made it 3 -0 and Dick got another in the last minute, Derek Pace notching the Blades' " consolation" with 30 seconds to go.

LEICESTER CITY : Football League First Division

Upton Park

4 - 1 (Dick 2, Sealey, Woosnam)

30 September 1961

Att: 26,746

Leslie

Kirkup

Bond

Hurst

Brown

Moore

Scott

Woosnam

Sealey

Dick

Musgrove

Leicester City were the unfortunate visitors to Upton Park for this Division One fixture, for the second week running the Hammers inflicted a 4-1 defeat on their opponents; a week earlier Sheffield United were put to the sword at Bramall Lane. John Dick scored twice, Alan Sealey and Phil Woosnam once each. The Filberts' scorer was Frank McLintock - and 'Banksie" was the unfortunate keeper who conceded all four of our goals in the first half. The 4-1 win was sufficient to take us into runners-up spot, four points behind the leaders Burnley who had 19 points from eleven First Division fixtures.

IPSWICH TOWN : Football League First DIvision

Portman Road

2 - 4 (Musgrove, Sealey)

7 October 1961

Att: 28,059

Leslie

Kirkup

Bond

Hurst

Brown

Moore

Scott

Woosnam

Sealey

Dick

Musgrove

ASTON VILLA : Football League Cup (Second Round)

Upton Park

1 - 3 (Musgrove)

9 October 1961

Att: 17,735

Leslie

Kirkup

Bond

Hurst

Brown

Moore

Scott

Woosnam

Sealey

Dick

Musgrove

A shock defeat in the League Cup. The holders of the trophy - Aston Villa - came to Upton Park and returned home with a 3-1 victory; Harry Burrows, Peter McParland and a John Bond "own goal" brought The Villians their first-ever win in 14 visits to Upton Park after Malcolm Musgrove had opened the scoring.

10 October 1961

MARK SMITH (1979) Born this day West Ham, London

A lad who looked destined to follow in the tradition of a long line of Upton Park full-backs, he instead had a career of latent promise cruelly cut short by injury. A West Hammer by birth, he had won rave notices with Newham, Essex and London Boys and was an England trialist before signing for his local club in October 1979. After skippering the Youth team he made his initial senior appearance against Southend United in a 5-1 victory in the League Cup on the 8 October 1979 and his Second Division League bow came against Swansea City before the tragic termination of his career.

BURNLEY : Football League First Division

Upton Park

2 -1 (Crawford, Dick)

14 October 1961

Att: 32,238

Leslie

Kirkup

Bond

Malcolm

Brown

Moore

Crawford

Boyce

Sealey

Dick

Musgrove

How times change! The League leaders Burnely were at Upton Park with a record of 19 points from 11 games. On this occasion the Hammers won by 2-1, Ian Crawford and John Dick netting our two in the opening seven minutes It ended Burnley's remarkable record of 18 successive undefeated games against London clubs.The Clarets finished the season a runners-up, three points behind League Champions Ipswich Town.

14 October 1961

PHIL WOOSNAM 11th WALES cap

ENGLAND an Home Championship Ninian Park, Cardiff 1-1

FULHAM : Football League First Division

Craven Cottage

0 - 2

21 October 1961

Att: 32,375

Leslie

Kirkup

Bond

Malcolm

Brown

Moore

Crawford

Woosnam

Sealey

Dick

Musgrove

Image courtesy of Richard Miller

SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY : Football League First Division

Upton Park

2 - 3 (Bond [pen], Dick)

28 October 1961

Att: 26,453

Leslie

Kirkup

Bond

Malcolm

Brown

Moore

Crawford

Woosnam

Sealey

Dick

Musgrove

MANCHESTER CITY : Football League First Division

Maine Road

5 - 3 (Dick 2, Sealey 2, Musgrove)

4 November 1961

Att: 18,839

Leslie

Kirkup

Bond

Hurst

Brown

Moore

Crawford

Woosnam

Sealey

Dick

Musgrove

Image courtesy of Richard Miller

8 November 1961

PHIL WOOSNAM 12th WALES cap

SCOTLAND an Home Championship at Hampden Park 0-2

WEST BROMWICH ALBION : Football League First Division

Upton Park 3 - 3 (Musgrove, Sealey, Bond) 11 November 1961 Att: 18,213

Leslie

Kirkup

Bond

Hurst

Brown

Moore

Crawford

Woosnam

Sealey

Dick

Musgrove

BIRMINGHAM CITY : Football League First Division

St Andrew's

0 - 4

18 November 1961

Att: 20,682

Leslie

Kirkup

Bond

Hurst

Brown

Moore

Crawford

Woosnam

Sealey

Dick

Musgrove

Image courtesy of Richard Miller

EVERTON : Football League First Division

Upton Park

3 - 1 (Dick 2, Crawford)

25 November 1961

Att: 27,100

Leslie

Kirkup

Bond

Hurst

Brown

Moore

Crawford

Woosnam

Tindall

Dick

Musgrove

RON TINDALL makes his Hammers debut against EVERTON at Upton Park

Everton provided the opposition at Upton Park, and were defeated by 3-1 before a 27,100 attendance. They led at half-time through a goal by captain Roy Vernon, but John Dick with two goals and Ian Crawford one, to turn the game our way. This was a remarkable change of form for Hammers, who had lost 0-4 against Birmingham City at their St. Andrew's enclousure a week earlier.

ARSENAL : Football League First Division

Highbury

2 - 2 (Tindall 2)

2 December 1961

Att: 47,205

Leslie

Kirkup

Bond

Hurst

Brown

Moore

Crawford

Woosnam

Tindall

Dick

Musgrove

Image courtesy of Richard Miller

47,205 saw our League game at Highbury. The Gunners had several near-misses in the first half and Lawrie Leslie put on a great show in goal despite a nasty knock in the early stages; but the North Londoners were leading 2-1 with only four minutes to go. Then Ron Tindall got his second goal of the afternoon for the Hammers to snatch a point.

BOLTON WANDERERS : Football League First Division

Upton Park

1 - 0 (Woosnam)

9 December 1961

Att: 19,492

Leslie

Kirkup

Bond

Hurst

Brown

Bovington

Crawford

Woosnam

Sealey

Dick

Musgrove

Image courtesy of John Northcutt

Skipper Phil Woosnam scored 18 minutes from time for a single-goal victory over Bolton Wan¬derers in a First Division game with a 19,492 attendance. It moved us into fifth place, level at 25 points with Everton, Ipswich Town and Tottenham Hotspur who had a superior goal average; Burnley were five points ahead of the pack.

9th December 1961

LUDEK MIKLOSKO (1990-1998) Born this day Protesov, Ostrava, Czechoslovakia

Czechoslovakian international, signed by manager Lou Macari from Banik Ostrava for a bargain fee of £266,430 on the 9 February 1990. Made his Hammers debut on the 18th against Swindon Town in a Second Division at the County Ground in a 2-2 draw. Brought up in a mining town of Ostrava, Ludek joined Banik as a 16-year-old and was with them for 12 years apart from a two-year stint in Western Bohemia while on national service. Won League championship medal with Banik and played for them in the European Cup. A goalkeeping giant in every sense, the hugely popular "Ludo" stands over 6ft 4ins tall and is a commanding figure in his penalty area. Miklosko was voted Hammer of the Year in 1991 and equalled the club record set by Phil Parkes for keeping 22 clean sheets. After almost nine years at Upton Park, with Shaka Hislop and Craig Forrest heading the pecking order, Ludo joined Queens Park Rangers on a three month loan in the autumn of 1998, finally agreed to a more permanent transfer to the Ranger's for an officially 'undisclosed fee' believed to be in the region of £50,000 on Christmas Day 1998. Glenn Roeder offered him the chance to returned to the club in the summer of 2001 as goalkeeping coach.

MANCHESTER UNITED : Football League First Division

Old Trafford

2 - 1 (Dick 2)

16 December 1961

Att: 29,472

Leslie

Kirkup

Bond

Hurst

Brown

Moore

Crawford

Woosnam

Tindall

Dick

Musgrove

Image courtesy of Richard Miller

WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS : Football League First Division

Upton Park

4 - 2 (Moore 2, Hurst, Musgrove)

18 December 1961

Att: 21,261

Leslie

Kirkup

Bond

Hurst

Brown

Moore

Crawford

Woosnam

Tindall

Dick

Musgrove

Wolves were the visitors for a First Division game brought forward to a Monday evening. The match attracted 21,261 fans, a larger gate than we would have had if the match had been played on the following Saturday (two days before Christmas). It ended in our third successive win, as a couple of days earlier we beat Manchester United at Old Trafford by 2-1. The scorers on this occasion were Malcolm Musgrove in the first min¬ute and two from Bobby Moore playing at left-half and Geoff Hurst.

BLACKBURN ROVERS : Football League First Division

Upton Park

2 - 3 (Dick, Tindall)

26 December 1962

Att: 22,280

Leslie

Kirkup

Bond

Hurst

Brown

Moore

Crawford

Woosnam

Tindall

Dick

Musgrove

Boxing Day 1961. Five goals at Upton Park in the first 24 minutes of Division One game v. Blackburn Rovers. Ron Tindall (11 mins) and John Dick (4 mins) put us two up, but then John Byrom netted three in a five-minute spell on an ice-bound pitch and that ended the scoring.

BLACKBURN ROVERS : Football League First Division

Image courtesy of Mark Waight

Ewood Park

30 December 1961

MATCH POSTPONED

Snow : rearranged for 28 March 1962

SECOND-HALF

Match Tickets courtesy of Richard Miller