For the 1989–90 West Ham United F.C. season in English football, West Ham United finished 7th in the league.
Season summary In the second game of the season, the West Ham fans chanted "We hate Paul Ince" after they discovered through a national newspaper of the player's transfer to Manchester United. Ince had reportedly been a transfer target for Alex Ferguson since the end of the previous campaign, the transfer finally being completed on 14 September 1989, by which time Ince had already played a Second Division game for the Hammers.
With the dismissal of long-serving manager John Lyall on 5 June 1989, speculation mounted about who was going to succeed him. AFC Bournemouth manager and former Hammers player Harry Redknapp were strongly linked to the vacancy, but Swindon Town's Lou Macari (who had taken the Wiltshire club to the verge of the First Division just three years after promotion from the Fourth Division) was unveiled as the club's new manager on 3 July 1989.
Macari lasted less than a year as manager. Amid allegations that he was involved in illegal payments at Swindon Town (a scandal which saw Swindon's promotion to the First Division being withdrawn at the end of the 1989–90 season), he resigned on 18 February 1990. Club legend Billy Bonds was appointed manager in his place and saw the Hammers complete their impressive run to the League Cup semi-finals for the second season in succession, but seventh place in the final league table was not quite enough for a play-off place. It could very well have been a different story had key striker Frank McAvennie not been absent for almost all of the campaign, breaking his leg on the opening day of the season against Stoke City and only managing four more league appearances that campaign when he made his comeback.
However, some new signings, including Ludek Miklosko, Trevor Morley and Ian Bishop, went on to become West Ham legends.
Results West Ham United's score comes first
Football League Second Division DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 19 August 1989 Stoke CityA1–116,058Keen 23 August 1989 Bradford CityH2–019,914Slater (2) 26 August 1989 Plymouth ArgyleH3–220,231Kelly, Allen, Keen 2 September 1989 Hull CityA1–19,235Ward 9 September 1989 Swindon TownH1–121,469Allen 16 September 1989 Brighton & Hove AlbionA0–312,689 23 September 1989 WatfordH1–020,728Dicks (pen) 26 September 1989 PortsmouthA1–012,632Rosenior 30 September 1989 West Bromwich AlbionH2–319,842Dolan, Parris 7 October 1989 Leeds UnitedH0–123,539 14 October 1989 Sheffield UnitedA2–020,822Ward (2; 1 pen) 18 October 1989 SunderlandH5–020,901Allen, Slater, Keen, Dolan (2) 21 October 1989 Port ValeA2–28,899Keen, Slater 28 October 1989 Oxford UnitedH3–219,177Parris, Slater, Dicks 1 November 1989 AFC BournemouthA1–19,979Strodder 4 November 1989 Wolverhampton WanderersA0–122,231 11 November 1989 Newcastle UnitedH0–025,892 18 November 1989 MiddlesbroughH2–018,720Slater, Dicks (p) 25 November 1989 Blackburn RoversA4–510,215Brady, Dicks (p), Slater, Ward 2 December 1989 Stoke CityH0–017,704 9 December 1989 Bradford CityA1–29,257Ward 16 December 1989 Oldham AthleticH0–214,960 26 December 1989 Ipswich TownA0–124,365 30 December 1989 Leicester CityA0–116,925 1 January 1990 BarnsleyH4–218,391Allen, Keen (2), Dicks (p) 13 January 1990 Plymouth ArgyleA1–111,671Quinn 20 January 1990 Hull CityH1–216,847Morley 10 February 1990 Brighton & Hove AlbionH3–119,101Quinn, Dicks 18 February 1990 Swindon TownA2–216,105Quinn (2) 24 February 1990 Blackburn RoversH1–120,054Quinn 3 March 1990 MiddlesbroughA1–023,617Allen 10 March 1990 PortsmouthH2–120,961Allen, Dicks (p) 13 March 1990 WatfordA1–015,683Morley 17 March 1990 Leeds UnitedA2–332,536Morley, Chapman (o.g.) 21 March 1990 Sheffield UnitedH5–021,629Morley, Quinn (3), Allen 24 March 1990 SunderlandA3–413,896Quinn (2), Morley 31 March 1990 Port ValeH2–220,507Morley, Gale 4 April 1990 West Bromwich AlbionA3–111,556Quinn, Bishop, Keen 7 April 1990 Oxford UnitedA2–08,371Morley, Quinn 11 April 1990 AFC BournemouthH4–120,202Miller (o.g.), Bishop, Dicks (p), Allen 14 April 1990 BarnsleyA1–110,344Morley 17 April 1990 Ipswich TownH2–025,178Allen, Keen 21 April 1990 Oldham AthleticA0–312,190 28 April 1990 Newcastle UnitedA1–231,496Dicks (p) 2 May 1990 Leicester CityH3–117,939Rosenior, Keen, Morley 5 May 1990 Wolverhampton WanderersH4–022,509Keen, Morley, Robson, Brady
FA Cup
+RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorersR36 January 1990 Torquay UnitedA0–15,342
League Cup
+RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorersR2 1st leg19 September 1989 Birmingham CityA2–110,987Allen, SlaterR2 2nd leg4 October 1989 Birmingham CityH1–1 (won 3–2 on agg)12,187DicksR325 October 1989 Aston VillaA0–020,989R3R8 November 1989 Aston VillaH1–023,833DicksR422 November 1989 WimbledonH1–024,746Allen 81'QF17 January 1990 Derby CountyH1–125,035DicksQFR24 January 1990 Derby CountyA0–0 aet22,510QF2R31 January 1990 Derby CountyH2–125,166Slater, KeenSF 1st leg14 February 1990 Oldham AthleticA0–619,263SF 2nd leg7 March 1990 Oldham AthleticH3–0 (lost 3–6 on agg)15,431Martin, Dicks (pen), Kelly
Squad NumberPlayerPositionLge AppsLge GlsFAC AppsFAC GlsLC AppsLC GlsDate SignedPrevious clubWest Ham United 1989-90 First XI1Phil ParkesGK2219February 1979Queens Park Rangers2Steve PottsRB30(2)18May 1984Academy3Julian Dicks (Hammer of the Year)LB409194March 1988Birmingham City4Tony GaleCB36117August 1983Fulham5Alvin Martin (Captain)CB311101July 1976Academy6Kevin KeenM43(1)1011011986Academy7Liam BradyM25(8)28 (2)March 1987Ascoli8Stuart SlaterF4079 (1)21987Academy9Jimmy QuinnCF18(3)131December 1989Bradford City10Martin AllenM399162August 1989Queens Park Rangers11George ParrisM35(3)2191985AcademyImportant Players5Colin FosterCB20(2)1989Nottingham Forest11Trevor MorleyCF18(1)101December 1989Manchester City1Ludek MikloskoGK181February 1990Banik Ostrava7Mark WardRM17(2)54August 1985Oldham Athletic4Gary StrodderCB1615March 1987Lincoln City8Ian BishopM13(4)21December 1989Manchester City8David KellyCF8 (8)15 (2)11988WalsallOther Players9Eamonn DolanCF8 (2)341986Academy2Stewart RobsonM713January 1987Arsenal1Perry SucklingGK6December 1989Crystal Palace3Tommy McQueenLB5 (2)1 (2)March 1987Aberdeen9Leroy RoseniorCF4 (1)20 (1)2March 1988Fulham6Alan DevonshireLM3 (4)0 (3)October 1976Southall11Justin FashanuF20 (1)November 1989Manchester City12Frank McAvennieCF1 (4)March 1989Celtic11Paul InceCM11986Academy14Paul KellyM0 (1)1989Academy12Ralph MilneM0 (1)January 1990Manchester United
References