The 2011–12 season was West Ham Uniteds first season back in the Football League Championship, after being relegated from the Premier League at the conclusion of 2010–11 campaign. They also competed in the League Cup and the FA Cup. It was their first season under Sam Allardyce, who was appointed in May 2011 after the sacking of the club's previous manager, Avram Grant. On 19 May 2012, West Ham gained promotion back to the Premier League at the first attempt, as they won the play-off final by defeating Blackpool 2–1 at Wembley.
Season summary Sam Allardyce was appointed as the club's new manager on 1 June 2011, after his predecessor Avram Grant was sacked following the club's relegation with a 3–2 defeat at Wigan Athletic.
For the majority of the season West Ham looked on course for automatic promotion, and even briefly topped the division on 1 March, but eventually finished third, after being beaten to automatic promotion by Southampton on the final day of the season, despite a 2–1 win against Hull City. Failure to win a league game in March saw West Ham overtaken by Reading, who defeated the Hammers 4–2 in a key game at Upton Park, and Southampton. and despite a late rally the team had to settle for a play-off place. West Ham's 13 away wins constituted a club record for any league season. They also recorded the fewest defeats (8) of any team in the Championship this season and had the second best goal difference, but 14 draws saw the club miss out on automatic promotion.
West Ham faced Cardiff City in the semi-finals of the play-offs, with the Hammers comfortably beating the Bluebirds 5–0 on aggregate. West Ham then sealed their promotion back to the Premier League on 19 May 2012, beating Blackpool 2–1 at Wembley with goals from Carlton Cole and Ricardo Vaz Tê. This was West Ham's first appearance at the national stadium since the 1981 League Cup Final.
League table
Squad
Out on loan
Results
Pre-season
Championship
Championship play-offs
Football League Cup
FA Cup
Statistics
Overview CompetitionRecord Championship Play-offs FA Cup League Cup Total
Goalscorers NameChampionshipPlay-offsFA CupLeague CupTotal1ST9Carlton Cole14100152MF4Kevin Nolan12100133ST12Ricardo Vaz Te10200124MF16Mark Noble800085MF10Jack Collison420066ST7Sam Baldock500057DF5James Tomkins40004Own goals400049DF2Winston Reid30003ST8Nicky Maynard2100311ST11John Carew20002ST30Frederic Piquionne20002MF32Gary O'Neil2000214DF3George McCartney10001MF8Scott Parker10001MF14Matthew Taylor10001DF17Joey O'Brien10001DF18Julien Faubert10001MF21Papa Bouba Diop10001MF22Henri Lansbury10001ST24Frank Nouble10001DF25Danny Collins10001MF25Junior Stanislas00011Totals8170189
League position by matchday
Appearances and goals
! colspan=14 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center| Goalkeepers
! colspan=14 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center| Defenders
! colspan=14 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center| Midfielders
! colspan=14 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center| Forwards
Transfers
Summer
In #PosPlayerFromFeeDateNotes15DF Abdoulaye FayeStoke CityFree14 June 20114MF Kevin NolanNewcastle UnitedUndisclosed16 June 201114MF Matt TaylorBolton WanderersUndisclosed23 July 201117MF Joey O'BrienBolton WanderersFree30 July 201111FW John CarewAston VillaFree6 August 20113DF George McCartney SunderlandSeason-long loan10 August 20117FW Sam BaldockMilton Keynes DonsUndisclosed26 August 201126FW Brian Montenegro Deportivo MaldonadoSeason-long loan29 August 201121MF Papa Bouba Diop AEK AthensFree30 August 20118MF David BentleyTottenham HotspurSeason-long loan31 August 201122MF Henri LansburyArsenalSeason-long loan31 August 201120DF Guy Demel Hamburger SVUndisclosed31 August 2011
Out PosPlayerToFeeDateNotesMF Anthony EdgarYeovil TownFree16 June 2011DF Hólmar Örn Eyjólfsson VfL BochumFree16 June 2011DF Danny GabbidonQPRFree24 July 2011DF Lars Jacobsen CopenhagenFree16 September 2011DF Jonathan SpectorBirmingham CityFree1 August 2011DF Matthew UpsonStoke CityFree16 June 2011ST Demba BaNewcastle UnitedFree17 June 2011DF Manuel da Costa Lokomotiv Moscow Undisclosed22 June 2011MF Thomas Hitzlsperger VfL WolfsburgContract terminated22 June 2011MF Radoslav Kováč FC BaselUndisclosed24 June 2011MF Kieron Dyer QPRFree13 July 2011MF Luís Boa Morte AELContract terminated3 August 2011DF Jordan Spence Bristol CitySeason-long loan3 August 2011MF Olly Lee Dagenham & RedbridgeTwo-month loan5 August 2011FW Cristian Montano Notts CountyTwo-month loan5 August 2011FW Zavon Hines BurnleyFee set by tribunal18 August 2011MF Pablo Barrera Real Zaragoza Season-long loan26 August 2011MF Scott Parker Tottenham Hotspur£5 million31 August 2011MF Junior Stanislas BurnleyUndisclosed31 August 2011MF Ahmed Abdulla Swindon TownFour-month loan31 August 2011DF Jordan Brown Aldershot Town One-month loan31 August 2011
Winter
In #PosPlayerFromFeeDateNotes13GK Manuel Almunia ArsenalOne-month emergency loan30 September 201125DF George John FC DallasTwo-month loan13 January 2012N/AST Joe Dixon UnattachedFree18 January 201223MF Ravel Morrison Manchester UnitedUndisclosed31 January 201212MF Ricardo Vaz Tê BarnsleyUndisclosed31 January 20128ST Nicky Maynard Bristol CityUndisclosed31 January 201225DF Danny Collins Stoke CitySeason-long loan9 March 2012
Out PosPlayerToFeeDateNotesDF Callum McNaughton AFC Wimbledon Four-month extended loan9 September 2011FW Robert Hall Oxford United Three-month extended loan12 September 2011FW Frank Nouble Gillingham Three-month extended loan15 September 2011FW Cristian Montaño Swindon Town One-month loan13 October 2011FW Cristian Montaño Dagenham & Redbridge Two-month extended loan17 November 2011GK Péter Kurucz Rochdale One-month loan2 January 2012DF Callum Driver Burton Albion One-month loan5 January 2012DF Callum McNaughton AFC Wimbledon Free6 January 2012MF George Moncur AFC Wimbledon One-month loan6 January 2012MF Olly Lee Gillingham One-month loan17 February 2012GK Marek Štěch Leyton Orient One-month emergency loan24 February 2012FW Frédéric Piquionne Doncaster Rovers One-month loan6 March 2012GK Ruud Boffin Released22 April 2012
References
External links West Ham United FC Official Website