Hammers’ Europa clash revives Memories of 1976 mud and thunder tie
Germans are being tamed wherever you look at West Ham’s training ground in romford.
Inside the media room, the old boys are watching footage of the night they defeated eintracht Frankfurt 3-1 in their european Cup-Winners’ Cup semi-final second leg in april 1976, considered by many the greatest win in Upton Park’s history.
There are chuckles when you see how wet it was, with goalkeeper mervyn Day saying there was a ‘lake’ in his penalty box. a collective ‘Oof’ as Keith robson watches himself whip the ball into the top-left corner. admiration as Trevor Brooking bags their third goal. a sigh of relief as the referee blows the final whistle, confirming West Ham had completed a comeback after losing the first leg in Frankfurt.
Outside the media room and at that very moment, club captain mark noble is walking by with his two German shepherds. a cute coincidence as West Ham bid to repeat history tomorrow night at the London stadium.
This is the club’s first european semi-final since 1976. They beat Frankfurt back then and, as fate would have it, David moyes’s men will need to do so again if they are to reach the europa League final in seville on may 18.
Day, robson and Pat Holland gathered to reminiscence about the soggy night they got the better of the Germans. Brooking could not make the reunion and nor could Billy Bonds, captain for that famous win 46 years ago.
as they watch the game, they are struck by nostalgia.
‘When the draw came through, we were gobsmacked at the weirdness,’ says Day.
‘We’ve got a connection with it. From our point of view, it’s a better game than Barcelona and one West Ham have a better chance of winning. It’s a long time.
‘For a club like this, which has a cup-winning and european history, it is disappointing. Forty-six years is too long.’
The first leg in Frankfurt did not go to plan as West Ham lost 2-1. ‘Their ground was quite open with a running track around it,’ Day adds. ‘But they came to Upton Park and everyone was squeezed in. The Chicken run was literally a yard away from the pitch.
‘It was a really hostile, horrible night — tipping down with rain and a pitch like you’d see over Hackney marshes. It all conspired to give us an advantage.
‘The crowd were massive for us on the night.’
The stands were so close to the pitch that an opposition player taking a throw-in might have the ball snatched from his hands.
‘You looked around at your opponents in the tunnel and they were frightened,’ says robson. ‘You go over to the Chicken run to take a throw and suddenly they’d have the ball. The Germans weren’t used to that. It was so compact.’
‘Old pros who played at Upton Park found it really intimidating,’ Holland adds. ‘They were so close to you. That area was so narrow.
‘That was a major influence on the game. It was like “Whoosh”. The fans were really up for it.’
It was 0-0 at half-time in that second leg, but soon West Ham led 3-0 thanks to two goals from
Brooking and Robson’s rocket. Klaus Beverungen set up a nervy finish in the East End mud, but the Hammers held on to secure a final with Anderlecht, which they lost 4-2 in Brussels. ‘The quality of some of the play was exceptional,’ says Day. ‘The one and two-touch passing, the movement off the ball, to do that on a pitch like that was fantastic. ‘In the first leg, Graham Paddon’s 30-yard shot swerved into the top corner. All four goals we scored were top quality.’ Patting his friend on the back, he adds: ‘Robbo’s was the best, though, I have to say. I mean it.’ The record books say there were 39,202 fans in attendance but these former Hammers suspect a few more sneaked in.
Is the London Stadium capable of recreating that atmosphere? ‘The Sevilla game was absolutely incredible,’ Robson says. ‘I had hairs standing up on the back of my neck. That was like Upton Park. You could see we wanted a goal and when we got it, you wouldn’t have believed it.’
There is some ribbing between Robson and Holland over missed chances against Frankfurt, at which point Day jokingly rolls his eyes and starts to snore. Cue laughter. ‘It just took over you, that night,’ says Robson smiling. ‘I can’t remember another night like that,’ adds Holland.
None of these men’s houses are filled with memorabilia though, that is not their style. ‘Was it Loyd
Grossman who did Through the Keyhole?’ Robson says. ‘If he came in my house he’d think I was a dog trainer!
‘I’ve just got pictures of my labrador and my kids, and me getting married!
I gave my shirt away from the European Cup-Winners’ Cup final. I tried to give my medal away, too. I said, “Nobody remembers losers”.’
With that, the men head into the main building to meet Moyes for a chat. They will be at the London Stadium tomorrow night to see if West Ham can beat Frankfurt like they did.
Achieve that and maybe Declan Rice and Co can immortalise themselves by going one better than the 1976 side and winning the whole competition. TV: West Ham v Eintracht Frankfurt, Europa League semi-final, 1st leg. Tomorrow 8pm — on BT Sport.