30 November 2010 - The Hammers Pound Manchester United

On 30 November 2010, league-leaders Manchester United were dumped out of the League Cup by last-place West Ham, 4-0.

The Red Devils were the cup holders, having won the competition in 2009 and 2010. In fact, they had not lost a League Cup match since September 2007. In 2010, they beat Scunthorpe and Wolverhampton to set up a fifth-round meeting with West Ham, whom they had already beaten in the league back in August en route to their climb to the top of the table.

West Ham, meanwhile, had advanced in the tournament over fellow Premier League teams Sunderland and Stoke City while sinking to the bottom of the league table--they had been in last place since the start of October.

But when they met at Upton Park on 30 November, West Ham were the dominant side, taking a 2-0 lead into the break after a pair of goals from Jonathan Spector (22', 37'). They continued to shine in the second half as Carlton Cole got a brace of his own (56', 66') to stretch the final margin to 4-0.

The win put the Hammers into the semifinals, where they fell to eventual winners Birmingham City. In the league, both Manchester United and West Ham finished in the same respective spots, with the former winning the league and the latter sitting on the bottom.

25 August 2009 - It's Like The Seventies All Over Again

On 25 August 2009, violence marred a match between West Ham and Millwall in their first meeting for over four years.

Separated by only five miles and the River Thames, the two London teams have a longstanding rivalry that dates back to their first meeting in 1897 (when West Ham were still known as Thames Ironworks). Their respective supporter groups have a history of clashes, including an outbreak of fighting at the 1972 testimonial for Harry Cripps, who had played for both teams, and a 1976 clash at New Cross Station that resulted in the death of Millwall supporter Ian Pratt, who fell under a train.

Before the 2009 meeting, the two teams had last played each other in April 2004, the sixth match in an unbeaten run for Millwall that stretched back to November 1992. Then the League Cup paired them for a second-round meeting at West Ham's Upton Park.

Neil Harris gave the visitors a 26th-minute lead, which they held for most of the match. But West Ham's Junior Stanislas equalized in the 87th minute, sending the home supporters into a frenzy and sparking a pitch invasion. In extra time, Stanislas scored again, this time from the penalty spot in the 98th minute, resulting in another invasion. Zavon Hines added a third for West Ham in the 100th minute to set the final margin at 3-1.

Fighting broke out both inside and outside the stadium, with at least twenty people getting injured and a 44-year old Millwall fan going to the hospital with a stab wound. Supporters clashed with each other and the police clashed for several hours, resulting in several arrests.

Afterward, the Football Association found West Ham guilty of failing to restrain their supporters and fined the club £115,000.

13 July 1979 - Bellamy Is Born

On 13 June 1979, former Wales captain and famously volatile striker Craig Bellamy was born in Cardiff. He spent the majority of his career in England, with brief loan spells in Scotland and Wales.

Bellamy began his professional career in 1996 with Norwich City and established himself as a regular first-teamer by his second season. But after 32 goals in 84 league appearances, he drew substantial interest from other clubs, eventually moving to Coventry City in 2000 for a transfer fee of £6.5 million. Then, when Coventry were relegated at the end of his first season there, he moved on Newcastle.

He did well on the pitch at Newcastle, scoring 14 times in his first season, but he fell out with members of the coaching staff and several players, including his strike partner Alan Shearer. Manager Graeme Souness sent him out to Celtic on loan for the second half of the 2004-05 season. Afterward, he spent time with Blackburn Rovers (2005-06), Liverpool (2006-07), West Ham (2007-09), and Manchester City (2009-10) before moving to Cardiff City in 2010. He stayed until his retirement in 2014.

Along the way, Bellamy was accused of assault in four separate instances, though never convicted. Most recently, he was arrested in Cardiff in January 2011 for an alleged assault on two men.

Bellamy debuted for Wales in 1998 and rose to captain the team in 2006. He made 78 national team appearances and has scored 19 goals to place sixth on the list of the Wales national team's top scorers.

5 July 1900 - A Club Reforged

On 5 July 1900, a new club rose from the ashes of Thames Ironworks FC. Calling themselves West Ham United, the new club went on to win three FA Cups and two international trophies while launching the careers of some of football's biggest stars.

Built from the remains of Old Castle Swifts FC, Thames Ironworks served as the works team for the Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Co. The team was successful, winning the London League in 1898 and the Southern League's second division in 1899, but disbanded in June 1900 over disputes about the club's administration and financing. On 5 June 1900, the club was relaunched as West Ham United.

West Ham were elected to the Football League in 1919 and rose to the top tier in 1923. That year, they reached the FA Cup Final, but lost to Bolton Wanderers 2-0. They eventually won their first FA Cup in 1964, led by Bobby Moore and Geoff Hurst. That team went on to win the Cup Winners' Cup in 1965, while Moore and Hurst helped England to World Cup glory in 1966.

Two more FA Cups followed in 1975 and 1980, and they were one of the three winning finalists in the 1999 Intertoto Cup. Meanwhile, they launched the careers of such luminaries as Trevor Brooking, Paul Ince, Rio Ferdinand, Joe Cole, and Frank Lampard.

Since their election to the Football League in 1919, West Ham have moved regularly between the top two tiers of English football. They most recently finished seventh in the Premier League.

19 May 1965 - Sealey Seals The Win

On 19 May 1965, West Ham became the second British team to claim a European trophy, defeating 1860 Munich in the Cup Winners' Cup Final.

Played before a crowd of 98,000 at Wembley, the match was widely regarded at the time as one of the greatest European cup finals in history. With both teams adopting a fast-paced attacking style, only brilliant play from the two goalkeepers--West Ham's Jim Standen and 1860 Munich's Petar Radenković--kept the two sides scoreless in the first half.

Hammers midfielder Ron Boyce sparked the opening goal in the 70th minute when he intercepted a German pass on the edge of the center circle, dribbled up the pitch and played a through ball to midfielder Alan Sealey. Sealey beat Radenković at the near post by slamming the ball over his head into the top of the net. Two minutes later, Sealey scored again as Radenković failed to collect a cross from Bobby Moore, allowing Sealey to knock it over the line.

The match ended as a 2-0 win for West Ham, two years after Tottenham won the same competition. They returned to the Final in 1978, but lost to Anderlecht.

28 April 1923 - Behold A Pale Horse

On 28 April 1923, Bolton Wanderers and West Ham met in the FA Cup Final. It was the first event ever held at the original Wembley Stadium.

The stadium had been built over the course of the previous year at a cost of £750,000 and was ready for business just four days prior to the Final. Approximately 300,000 people turned up for the match, far in excess of the stadium's capacity of 127,000.

Spectators spilled out of the terraces and onto the pitch before the match, requiring mounted police to clear the field for the game. The day's iconic image shows constable George Scorey on a grey horse parting a sea of supporters. His horse, Billie, appeared white on film, giving rise to the match's nickname as the White Horse Final.

The match itself was anticlimactic. Bolton went ahead in the second minute with a goal from forward David Jack. Jack's shot hit a spectator who was standing against the net, knocking him unconscious. Bolton forward Jack Smith doubled their lead in the 53rd minute and Wanderers held on for a comfortable 2-0 victory.

21 April 1986 - Goalkeeping By Committee Doesn't Work

On 21 April 1986, West Ham center back Alvin Martin scored a rare hat-trick against Newcastle--with each goal coming against a different goalkeeper.

Playing before a crowd of almost 25,000 at Upton Park, Newcastle began the day with Martin Thomas, their regular goalkeeper. Thomas had missed their previous match, a 1-1 draw at Chelsea, due to a shoulder injury and was still not completely fit. But Newcastle's back-up keeper had himself gotten injured at Stamford Bridge and did not make the trip to West Ham, so Thomas had to start.

After only four minutes, Martin beat Thomas for his first goal of the day. By halftime, with Thomas having conceded two more West Ham goals and a Newcastle own-goal, he was unable to continue, replaced by midfielder Chris Hedworth for the second half. Hedworth lasted less than 30 minutes in goal after damaging his collarbone on an awkward fall, but not before Martin scored again.

As Hedworth returned to the midfield, forward Peter Beardsley stepped between the pipes and conceded three more goals, the last of which was delivered by Martin in the 84th minute.

The Hammers ended the season in third place, their best-ever finish. Martin remained at Upton Park until 1996, when he moved to Leyton Orient.

13 January 1999 - Swansea's Shock Of The Season

On 13 January 1999, Swansea City upset West Ham in a Third Round FA Cup Replay despite being separated by 73 places in the English football pyramid.

The two sides met at Upton Park 11 days earlier, where Swansea were denied a victory by a late West Ham equalizer three minutes from time. For the replay at Swansea's Vetch Field, the hosts were sitting in 14th place in Division Three, while West Ham were holding down the 8th position in the Premier League, three levels higher.

The Hammers created a handful of early chances, thanks in part to the return of midfielder Frank Lampard, who had missed the previous match. But they were unable to convert, with Lampard's 11th-minute header falling just inches wide of the post. Swansea keeper Roger Freestone then made a brilliant save to deny another shot from the midfielder.

Swansea nearly claimed the lead in the 21st minute when midfielder Martin Thomas beat West Ham keeper Shaka Hislop, but his shot struck the bar. Thomas was not to be denied, however, and 8 minutes later he fired a 25-yarder that curled into the bottom corner of the net. Several home supporters rushed onto the pitch, forcing a few minutes' delay while officials restored order.

West Ham pressed forward, but were repeatedly denied by Freestone as Swansea reaped a deserved 1-0 win.

6 November 2006 - The Professor Prepares To Teach The Sweet Science

On 6 November 2006, Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger lost his customary composure, getting into a touchline scuffle with West Ham boss Alan Pardew after the Hammers won with a late goal.

Played before a crowd of 34,969 at Upton Park, the match displayed signs of tension long before the two managers got into it. It started as a physical battle on the pitch, but soon escalated--as Arsenal forward Robin van Persie prepared to make a first-half throw, he was hit in the head by a coin thrown from a section of the home supporters.

Both sides exchanged scoring opportunities, with both keepers doing well to deny the opposition. In the 62nd minute, Pardew replaced striker Bobby Zamora with Harewood. Harewood rewarded the manager's decision with an 89th-minute match-winner, turning in a cross from close range to beat Arsenal keeper Jens Lehmann. 

Pardew exuberantly celebrated the goal with his management team, drawing the ire of Wenger who appeared to shove Pardew, then refused to shake his hand after the match. The West Ham boss later apologized, saying "Emotions were high but there was nothing dangerous or horrible. That is what happens with last-minute goals."

11 September 2008 - The Hammers Order Italian

On 11 September 2008, former Chelsea star Gianfranco Zola took over as manager of West Ham, making him the Hammers' first boss from outside Britain. Unfortunately for Zola, it didn't work out and the club sacked him after only two seasons.

Previous manager Alan Curbishley had guided West Ham from near-relegation in 2007 to a 10th-place finish in 2008, but resigned in September 2008 after the board sold two key defenders over his objections. The club quickly turned to Zola, an Italian international who had spent seven seasons at Chelsea from 1996 to 2003 and won the Football Writers' Player of the Year Award in 1997. Zola's only prior managerial experience was a brief stint as assistant manager of Italy's U-21 side, but, as a player, he had earned a reputation as an intelligent and creative attacker who understood the game thoroughly.

In his first season at Upton Park, he improved upon Curbishley's record by guiding the Hammers to a 9th-place finish. But the start of the 2009-10 season saw the club beset by financial difficulties and other off-the-field issues, including a near-riot during a League Cup match against rivals Millwall. They limped to a 17th-place finish having taken only 35 points from 38 matches. Two days after season's end, West Ham sacked Zola in favor of former Chelsea and Portsmouth manager Avram Grant.

Zola currently manages Al-Arabi of the Qatar Stars League after joining them earlier this year.

8 September 1958 - Moore Makes His Mark

On 8 September 1958, 17-year old center back Bobby Moore made his debut for the West Ham senior side in a 3-2 win over Manchester United. He would go on to become the club's longest-serving captain while making a total of 646 appearances for the Hammers.

Born in 1941 in the town of Barking in northeast London, Moore joined the West Ham youth academy in 1956 at the age of 15. The next year, West Ham's veteran center back Malcolm Allison developed tuberculosis. His illness opened the door for Moore, who secured the starting position after his appearance on 8 September 1958, with the Hammers finishing in sixth place in the Division One table that season.

Moore, who developed a reputation as an intelligent and technically gifted defender, claimed the captain's armband in 1961 and retained it until his departure in 1974. During that time, the club generally languished mid-table, but won the 1964 FA Cup and 1965 European Cup Winners' Cup. Moore's greatest accomplishment, however, was captaining England to victory in the 1966 World Cup.

In 1974, with his ability declining, but his popularity intact, he moved to Fulham. He later played in the United States and Denmark before retiring in 1978.

23 April 2006 - Once Is A Coincidence, Twice Is A Trend

On 23 April 2006, West Ham defeated Middlesbrough 0-1 in an FA Cup semifinal played at Villa Park in Birmingham before a crowd of 39,148. West Ham went on to lose in the Final to Liverpool - the second of five consecutive FA Cup competitions in which the team to defeat Boro went on to become losing finalists.

That peculiar streak started in 2005, when Manchester United eliminated Boro in the Fourth Round on 29 January, then lost to Arsenal in the Final. It continued on 23 April 2006 when West Ham striker Marlon Harewood scored the match's only goal in the 77th minute to give the Londoners the win. They advanced to the Final at Cardiff's Millenium Stadium, where they fell to Liverpool in a penalty shoot-out, 3-3 (3-1).

Manchester United again fell victim to the "Boro curse" in 2007, beating the Teessiders in the Sixth Round, then losing in the Final to Chelsea. In 2008, second-division Cardiff City made an improbable run to the Final, beating Boro in the Sixth Round then Burnley in the semifinals before losing 0-1 to Portsmouth in the Final. In 2009, Boro suffered another Sixth-Round exit, this time at the hands of Everton, who then lost to Chelsea in the Final.

The streak ended on 24 February 2010, when Manchester City, who had beaten Boro in the Third Round, lost 3-1 to Stoke City in a Fifth Round replay.

24 February 1993 - Bobby Moore No More

On 24 February 1993, 51-year old England and West Ham United legend Bobby Moore died from bowel cancer.

Moore began his professional career in 1958 with West Ham, where he would stay for just over 15 seasons. Despite having fairly average physical talents, he was gifted with an uncanny ability to read the game and anticipate where the ball was going. That, combined with his impeccable timing, made him one of England's top defenders. He earned his first cap for England at 21, and at 22, became the youngest person to captain the English senior side.

He got his first silverware in 1964, when he led the Hammers to the FA Cup trophy, also earning personal accolades as the Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year. He followed by helping West Ham to the 1965 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup with a 2-0 win over 1860 Munich. But he is best remembered for captaining England to the World Cup title in 1966, where Moore set up two of England's goals in the 4-2 win over West Germany in the Final. He would go on to make 108 appearances for England, making him England's most-capped player at the time, though Peter Shilton (125) and David Beckham (currently at 115) would later go on to surpass Moore's total.

Moore left West Ham in 1974 for London rivals Fulham, then in the Second Division. In his first season with Fulham, they met West Ham twice, beating them in the League Cup, but losing to the Hammers in the 1975 FA Cup Final. He also spent some time in the US during the English off-season, playing for the San Antonio Thunder and Seattle Sounders before retiring in 1978.

Afterward, Moore spent a brief period in management before moving on to work as a commentator. He made his last public appearance in the commentators' booth for England's match against San Marino on 17 February 1993, one week before his death.

12 January 1967 - Five Paragraphs And Not A Single Booger Joke

On 12 January 1967, future West Ham striker and reported caravan enthusiast Marco Boogers was born in the Dutch city of Dordrecht.

Boogers started his professional career in 1986 for his hometown side, Drechtsteden '79, then in the Dutch second division. He played for a number of other Dutch clubs before making an ill-fated switch to West Ham in July 1995 for a transfer fee reported to be between £750,000 and £1 million.

In his second match for the Hammers, against Manchester United, Boogers came on as a substitute and was promptly sent off for a rough challenge on Gary Neville. He made only a few more appearances before being sidelined by knee surgery on 19 December 1995. He went home to the Netherlands for his recovery.

Upon learning of his absence, The Sun reported that he had disappeared to a caravan park in the Netherlands. Apparently, they were unable to reach Boogers and asked West Ham's PA announcer, Bill Prosser, where he was. Prosser, who was also responsible for making the players' travel arrangements, responded that he had not booked any flights for Boogers, so "if he's gone back to Holland, he's probably gone by car again." The Sun reporter misheard Prosser as saying "by caravan," thus giving rise to the rumor that Boogers was on permanent holiday.

Boogers never played for West Ham again, but moved back to Holland where he enjoyed a successful career.

29 May 1963 - "... And A Child Shall Lead Them ... "

On 29 May 1963, center back Bobby Moore became England's youngest senior team captain at 22 years, 47 days.

Moore, who played for West Ham from 1958 to 1974, earned his first senior cap for England in May 1962 in a 4-0 friendly victory over Peru. He played a significant role for England in the 1962 World Cup, which ended in a quarterfinal defeat to eventual winners Brazil.

His appearance on 29 May 1963 was only his 12th for the national team. Long-serving captain Johnny Haynes had just retired and his immediate successor, Jimmy Armfield, was injured, leading new manager Alf Ramsey to hand the captain's armband to Moore. He rewarded Ramsey's faith by leading the team to a 4-2 win over Czechoslovakia.

Armfield reclaimed the captaincy upon his return, but Moore received it permanently in 1964. He led England to victory in the 1966 World Cup, which made him an English football icon. He made a total of 108 appearances for the national team, a record at the time that was later surpassed by goalkeeper Peter Shilton (125 caps) and David Beckham (115).

19 October 2008 - Life Imitates Art

On 19 October 2008, Hull City lived up to a famous album title when the Premier League debutants beat their fourth straight London team.

The Tigers were playing in their first top flight season in club history. After opening their league campaign with a 2-1 win over Fulham, they surprised a lot of observers by sitting third in the table eight weeks in. The run that took them there included away wins over Arsenal and Tottenham in the sixth and seventh weeks, respectively, taking their overall record against London clubs to 3-0 on the season.

The eighth week saw them back at home, where they hosted yet another team from the capital--West Ham. Fuelded by the enthusiasm of their recent results, a record crowd of 24,896 turned up at the KC Stadium for the match and witnessed a 1-0 victory courtesy of Michael Turner's header in the 51st minute.

The result drew comparisons to the Housemartins' 1986 album "London 0 Hull 4," which included the top-3 hit "Happy Hour."

Unfortunately for Hull City, their winning form didn't last and they slumped into 17th by the end of the season. Although they avoided relegation by a single point, they were not as lucky the following year and returned to the second tier for the 2010-11 season. They returned to the Premier League in 2013 and currently sit eighth in the table.

9 September 1998 - And Everybody Says A Two-Goal Lead Is The Most Dangerous

On 9 September 1998, Wimbledon rallied from a 3-0 deficit to beat West Ham 3-4 in one of the Premier League's biggest comebacks.

It was the fourth game of the season for both teams, who were undefeated. The hosts, West Ham, had beaten Wimbledon twice the previous season, including a 3-1 victory at Upton Park, and few thought the day's result would be much different.

The Hammers reinforced those thoughts by going up 3-0 midway through the first half, with goals from former Arsenal teammates John Hartson (7') and Ian Wright (14', 27'). Wimbledon's Marcus Gayle pulled one back in the 30th minute to go into the break down by the familiar score of 3-1.

But the second half was all Wimbledon's. In the 64th minute, a defensive miscue from West Ham center back Javier Margas allowed Jason Euell to close the gap to 3-2. Then Gayle struck again in the 77th minute and Wimbledon were back on level terms. That alone was reason for the visitors to celebrate, but four minutes later Wimbledon substitute Efan Ekoku took a pass from Euell and scored the winner.

Unfortunately for Wimbledon, the game was one of the few highlights in a long and difficult season that saw them slump from fourth place after beating West Ham to sixteenth in the final table. West Ham, meanwhile, rallied to a fifth-place finish.

1 September 1904 - The Change In Scenery Did Them Good

On 1 September 1904, West Ham opened their new Boleyn Ground—better known as Upton Park—against a familiar opponent.

Formed in 1895 as Thames Ironworks, the club migrated around in their first couple of seasons, first playing at Hermit Road, then Browning Road before settling in at Plaistow's Memorial Grounds in 1897. But with a capacity of only 10,000, that was another temporary situation. The new ground, named Boleyn Ground after a nearby home rumored to have connections to Anne Boleyn, was located in London's Upton Park neighborhood, giving rise to the new stadium's popular name.

West Ham's first game there was against local rivals Millwall. The two teams had already met 23 times, with Millwall winning fourteen to West Ham's five. The visitors were also on a twelve-game unbeaten streak in the derby. But the change in scenery helped the Hammers, who opened the new stadium with a comfortable 3-0 win.

West Ham have remained there since, though they recently signed a lease to take over London's Olympic Stadium and expect to start playing there in the 2016-17 season.

30 November 2010 - The Hammers Pound United

On 30 November 2010, league-leaders Manchester United were dumped out of the League Cup by last-place West Ham, 4-0.

The Red Devils were the cup holders, having won the competition in 2009 and 2010. In fact, they had not lost a League Cup match since September 2007. In 2010, they beat Scunthorpe and Wolverhampton to set up a fifth-round meeting with West Ham, whom they had already beaten in the league back in August en route to their climb to the top of the table.

West Ham, meanwhile, had advanced in the tournament over fellow Premier League teams Sunderland and Stoke City while sinking to the bottom of the league table--they had been in last place since the start of October.

But when they met at Upton Park on 30 November, West Ham were the dominant side, taking a 2-0 lead into the break after a pair of goals from Jonathan Spector (22', 37'). They continued to shine in the second half as Carlton Cole got a brace of his own (56', 66') to stretch the final margin to 4-0.

The win put the Hammers into the semifinals, where they fell to eventual winners Birmingham City. In the league, both Manchester United and West Ham finished in the same respective spots, with the former winning the league and the latter sitting on the bottom.

25 August 2009 - It's Like The Seventies All Over Again

On 25 August 2009, violence marred a match between West Ham and Millwall in their first meeting for over four years.

Separated by only five miles and the River Thames, the two London teams have a longstanding rivalry that dates back to their first meeting in 1897 (when West Ham were still known as Thames Ironworks). Their respective supporter groups have a history of clashes, including an outbreak of fighting at the 1972 testimonial for Harry Cripps, who had played for both teams, and a 1976 clash at New Cross Station that resulted in the death of Millwall supporter Ian Pratt, who fell under a train.

Before the 2009 meeting, the two teams had last played each other in April 2004, the sixth match in an unbeaten run for Millwall that stretched back to November 1992. Then the League Cup paired them for a second-round meeting at West Ham's Upton Park.

Neil Harris gave the visitors a 26th-minute lead, which they held for most of the match. But West Ham's Junior Stanislas equalized in the 87th minute, sending the home supporters into a frenzy and sparking a pitch invasion. In extra time, Stanislas scored again, this time from the penalty spot in the 98th minute, resulting in another invasion. Zavon Hines added a third for West Ham in the 100th minute to set the final margin at 3-1.

Fighting broke out both inside and outside the stadium, with at least twenty people getting injured and a 44-year old Millwall fan going to the hospital with a stab wound. Supporters clashed with each other and the police clashed for several hours, resulting in several arrests.

Afterward, the Football Association found West Ham guilty of failing to restrain their supporters and fined the club £115,000.