1973–74 West Ham United F.C. season

In the 1973–74 season West Ham United played in the First Division for the sixteenth consecutive season.

West Ham United

1973–74 season
Chairman	Reg Pratt
Manager	Ron Greenwood
Stadium	Boleyn Ground
First Division	18th
FA Cup	Third round
League Cup	Second round
Top goalscorer	League: Billy Bonds (13) All: Clyde Best, Bonds (13)
Highest home attendance	38,416 (vs Leeds United, 30 March 1974)
Lowest home attendance	16,513 (vs Stoke City, 22 December 1973)
Average home league attendance	28,388
← 1972–73 1974–75 →

Season summary

They made a poor start to the season, failing to win any of their first eleven League matches, and were bottom of the table at Christmas after losing at home to Stoke City. However, they rallied in the second half of the season and a draw with Liverpool in their last fixture left them in 18th place, just one point ahead of relegated Southampton.^[1]

West Ham were knocked out of the FA Cup in a third round replay by Third Division Hereford United. Hereford's team included Dudley Tyler, who had re-signed for them after leaving West Ham earlier in the season. West Ham had been within two minutes of defeat at home, before a solo goal by Pat Holland took the tie to a replay at Edgar Street, where Hereford came from behind to win 2–1.^[1]

West Ham's captain Bobby Moore, who had been dropped the previous autumn, played his last match for the first team in the first FA Cup match against Hereford before moving to Fulham.^[2] The 1973–74 season was also Ron Greenwood's last full season as West Ham's manager.^[1]

League table

Main article: 1973–74 Football League § First Division

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GAv	Pts	Qualification or relegation
16	Coventry City	42	14	10	18	43	54	0.796	38
17	Chelsea	42	12	13	17	56	60	0.933	37
18	West Ham United	42	11	15	16	55	60	0.917	37
19	Birmingham City	42	12	13	17	52	64	0.813	37
20	Southampton (R)	42	11	14	17	47	68	0.691	36	Relegation to the Second Division

Source: World Football
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal average; 3) Goals scored
(R) Relegated

Results

Football League First Division

Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Goalscorers
25 August 1973	Newcastle United	H	1–2	28,169	Robson
27 August 1973	Ipswich Town	H	3–3	23,335	Bonds, Brooking, Best
1 September 1973	Norwich City	A	2–2	25,706	Best, Robson
4 September 1973	Queens Park Rangers	A	0–0	28,360
8 September 1973	Tottenham Hotspur	H	0–1	30,888
10 September 1973	Queens Park Rangers	H	2–3	26,042	Robson, Bonds (pen)
15 September 1973	Manchester United	A	1–3	44,757	Bonds (pen)
22 September 1973	Leicester City	H	1–1	23,567	Robson
29 September 1973	Stoke City	A	0–2	16,395
6 October 1973	Burnley	H	0–1	23,604
13 October 1973	Everton	A	0–1	34,708
20 October 1973	Coventry City	A	1–0	21,097	McDowell
27 October 1973	Derby County	H	0–0	31,237
3 November 1973	Leeds United	A	1–4	36,869	MacDougall
10 November 1973	Sheffield United	H	2–2	21,243	Bonds, Brooking
17 November 1973	Wolverhampton Wanderers	A	0–0	19,587
24 November 1973	Arsenal	H	1–3	28,287	Bonds
1 December 1973	Liverpool	A	0–1	34,857
8 December 1973	Manchester City	H	2–1	20,790	Brooking, Doyle (o.g.)
15 December 1973	Birmingham City	A	1–3	23,787	Gould
22 December 1973	Stoke City	H	0–2	16,513
26 December 1973	Chelsea	A	4–2	26,982	Lampard, Gould, Best (2)
29 December 1973	Tottenham Hotspur	A	0–2	33,172
1 January 1974	Norwich City	H	4–2	32,259	Gould, Paddon (2), Brooking
12 January 1974	Manchester United	H	2–1	34,147	Bonds, Holland
19 January 1974	Newcastle United	A	1–1	27,216	Holland
2 February 1974	Birmingham City	H	0–0	27,948
5 February 1974	Ipswich Town	A	3–1	25,747	Mills (o.g.), McDowell, Best
9 February 1974	Leicester City	A	1–0	27,032	Best
16 February 1974	Everton	H	4–3	29,347	Paddon, Best (2), Bonds
23 February 1974	Burnley	A	1–1	18,216	Paddon
2 March 1974	Chelsea	H	3–0	34,043	Bonds (3)
9 March 1974	Derby County	A	1–1	24,684	Bonds
16 March 1974	Coventry City	H	2–3	26,502	Bonds (2; 1 pen)
23 March 1974	Sheffield United	A	0–1	19,467
30 March 1974	Leeds United	H	3–1	38,416	Best, Robson, Brooking
6 April 1974	Arsenal	A	0–0	37,868
12 April 1974	Southampton	H	4–1	24,163	Robson (2), Best (2)
13 April 1974	Wolverhampton Wanderers	H	0–0	29,488
15 April 1974	Southampton	A	1–1	26,515	Best
20 April 1974	Manchester City	A	1–2	29,700	Gould
27 April 1974	Liverpool	H	2–2	36,160	Lampard, Brooking

FA Cup

Main article: 1973–74 FA Cup

Round	Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Goalscorers
R3	5 January 1974	Hereford United	H	1–1	23,087	Holland
R3 replay	8 January 1974	Hereford United	A	1–2	17,423	Best

League Cup

Main article: 1973–74 Football League Cup

Round	Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Goalscorers
R2	8 October 1973	Liverpool	H	2–2	25,840	MacDougall, Robson
R2 replay	29 October 1973	Liverpool	A	0–1	26,002

Players

	Player	Pos	Lge Apps	Lge Gls	FAC Apps	FAC Gls	LC Apps	LC Gls	Date Signed	Previous Club
	Mervyn Day	GK	33		2		2		1973	Academy
	Bobby Ferguson	GK	9						1967	Kilmarnock
	Clive Charles	DF	1						1970	Academy
	Keith Coleman	DF	31 (2)		1		2		1973	Sunderland
	Frank Lampard	DF	42	2	2		2		1967	Academy
	Kevin Lock	DF	9 (2)				2		1971	Academy
	John McDowell	DF	33	2	1		2		1969	Academy
	Mick McGiven	DF	21		2				1974	Sunderland
	Bobby Moore	DF	22		1		1		1958	Academy
	Tommy Taylor	DF	40		2		2		1970	Orient
	Billy Bonds	MF	40	13	2		1		1967	Charlton Athletic
	Trevor Brooking	MF	38	6			2		1967	Academy
	Pat Holland	MF	20 (3)	2	1 (1)	1	0 (2)		1969	Academy
	Bertie Lutton	MF	4 (2)		1				1973	Brighton & Hove Albion
	Graham Paddon	MF	24	4	2				1973	Norwich City
	Dudley Tyler	MF	8				1		1972	Hereford United
	Alan Wooler	MF	1 (1)		1				1973	Reading
	Johnny Ayris	FW	5				1		1970	Academy
	Clyde Best	FW	34	12	2	1	2		1969	Academy
	Ade Coker	FW	0 (1)		1				1971	Academy
	Bobby Gould	FW	11 (1)	4	1				1973	Bristol City
	Ted MacDougall	FW	14	1			1	1	1973	Manchester United
	Pop Robson	FW	22	7			1	1	1971	Newcastle United

References

1. Helliar, John (2009). West Ham United: The Elite Era (4th ed.). Bodmin & King's Lynn: MPG Books Group. ISBN 978-1-905328-68-0.
2. "Year By Year: West Ham United". whufc.com. Retrieved 19 December 2019.