# 1989–90 West Ham United F.C. season

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was involved in illegal payments at Swindon Town (a scandal which saw Swindon's promotion to the First Division being withdrawn at the end of the 1989–90 season), he resigned on 18 February 1990.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

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 19 August 1989 | Stoke City | A | 1–1 | 16,058 | Keen |
| 23 August 1989 | Bradford City | H | 2–0 | 19,914 | Slater (2) |
| 26 August 1989 | Plymouth Argyle | H | 3–2 | 20,231 | Kelly, Allen, Keen |
| 2 September 1989 | Hull City | A | 1–1 | 9,235 | Ward |
| 9 September 1989 | Swindon Town | H | 1–1 | 21,469 | Allen |
| 16 September 1989 | Brighton & Hove Albion | A | 0–3 | 12,689 | |
| 23 September 1989 | Watford | H | 1–0 | 20,728 | Dicks (pen) |
| 26 September 1989 | Portsmouth | A | 1–0 | 12,632 | Rosenior |
| 30 September 1989 | West Bromwich Albion | H | 2–3 | 19,842 | Dolan, Parris |
| 7 October 1989 | Leeds United | H | 0–1 | 23,539 | |
| 14 October 1989 | Sheffield United | A | 2–0 | 20,822 | Ward (2; 1 pen) |
| 18 October 1989 | Sunderland | H | 5–0 | 20,901 | Allen, Slater, Keen, Dolan (2) |
| 21 October 1989 | Port Vale | A | 2–2 | 8,899 | Keen, Slater |
| 28 October 1989 | Oxford United | H | 3–2 | 19,177 | Parris, Slater, Dicks |
| 1 November 1989 | AFC Bournemouth | A | 1–1 | 9,979 | Strodder |
| 4 November 1989 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | 0–1 | 22,231 | |
| 11 November 1989 | Newcastle United | H | 0–0 | 25,892 | |
| 18 November 1989 | Middlesbrough | H | 2–0 | 18,720 | Slater, Dicks (p) |
| 25 November 1989 | Blackburn Rovers | A | 4–5 | 10,215 | Brady, Dicks (p), Slater, Ward |
| 2 December 1989 | Stoke City | H | 0–0 | 17,704 | |
| 9 December 1989 | Bradford City | A | 1–2 | 9,257 | Ward |
| 16 December 1989 | Oldham Athletic | H | 0–2 | 14,960 | |
| 26 December 1989 | Ipswich Town | A | 0–1 | 24,365 | |
| 30 December 1989 | Leicester City | A | 0–1 | 16,925 | |
| 1 January 1990 | Barnsley | H | 4–2 | 18,391 | Allen, Keen (2), Dicks (p) |
| 13 January 1990 | Plymouth Argyle | A | 1–1 | 11,671 | Quinn |
| 20 January 1990 | Hull City | H | 1–2 | 16,847 | Morley |
| 10 February 1990 | Brighton & Hove Albion | H | 3–1 | 19,101 | Quinn, Dicks |
| 18 February 1990 | Swindon Town | A | 2–2 | 16,105 | Quinn (2) |
| 24 February 1990 | Blackburn Rovers | H | 1–1 | 20,054 | Quinn |
| 3 March 1990 | Middlesbrough | A | 1–0 | 23,617 | Allen |
| 10 March 1990 | Portsmouth | H | 2–1 | 20,961 | Allen, Dicks (p) |
| 13 March 1990 | Watford | A | 1–0 | 15,683 | Morley |
| 17 March 1990 | Leeds United | A | 2–3 | 32,536 | Morley, Chapman (o.g.) |
| 21 March 1990 | Sheffield United | H | 5–0 | 21,629 | Morley, Quinn (3), Allen |
| 24 March 1990 | Sunderland | A | 3–4 | 13,896 | Quinn (2), Morley |
| 31 March 1990 | Port Vale | H | 2–2 | 20,507 | Morley, Gale |
| 4 April 1990 | West Bromwich Albion | A | 3–1 | 11,556 | Quinn, Bishop, Keen |
| 7 April 1990 | Oxford United | A | 2–0 | 8,371 | Morley, Quinn |
| 11 April 1990 | AFC Bournemouth | H | 4–1 | 20,202 | Miller (o.g.), Bishop, Dicks (p), Allen |
| 14 April 1990 | Barnsley | A | 1–1 | 10,344 | Morley |
| 17 April 1990 | Ipswich Town | H | 2–0 | 25,178 | Allen, Keen |
| 21 April 1990 | Oldham Athletic | A | 0–3 | 12,190 | |
| 28 April 1990 | Newcastle United | A | 1–2 | 31,496 | Dicks (p) |
| 2 May 1990 | Leicester City | H | 3–1 | 17,939 | Rosenior, Keen, Morley |
| 5 May 1990 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | 4–0 | 22,509 | Keen, Morley, Robson, Brady |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R3 | 6 January 1990 | Torquay United | A | 0–1 | 5,342 | |

### League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R2 1st leg | 19 September 1989 | Birmingham City | A | 2–1 | 10,987 | Allen, Slater |
| R2 2nd leg | 4 October 1989 | Birmingham City | H | 1–1 (won 3–2 on agg) | 12,187 | Dicks |
| R3 | 25 October 1989 | Aston Villa | A | 0–0 | 20,989 | |
| R3R | 8 November 1989 | Aston Villa | H | 1–0 | 23,833 | Dicks |
| R4 | 22 November 1989 | Wimbledon | H | 1–0 | 24,746 | Allen 81' |
| QF | 17 January 1990 | Derby County | H | 1–1 | 25,035 | Dicks |
| QFR | 24 January 1990 | Derby County | A | 0–0 aet | 22,510 | |
| QF2R | 31 January 1990 | Derby County | H | 2–1 | 25,166 | Slater, Keen |
| SF 1st leg | 14 February 1990 | Oldham Athletic | A | 0–6 | 19,263 | |
| SF 2nd leg | 7 March 1990 | Oldham Athletic | H | 3–0 (lost 3–6 on agg) | 15,431 | Martin, Dicks (pen), Kelly |

## Squad

| Number | Player | Position | Lge Apps | Lge Gls | FAC Apps | LC Apps | LC Gls | Date Signed | Previous Club |
| West Ham United 1989-90 First XI ||||||||||||
| 1 | Phil Parkes | GK | 22 | | 1 | 9 | | February 1979 | Queens Park Rangers |
| 2 | Steve Potts | RB | 30(2) | | 1 | 8 | | May 1984 | Academy |
| 3 | Julian Dicks (Hammer of the Year) | LB | 40 | 9 | 1 | 9 | 4 | March 1988 | Birmingham City |
| 4 | Tony Gale | CB | 36 | 1 | 1 | 7 | | August 1983 | Fulham |
| 5 | Alvin Martin (Captain) | CB | 31 | | 1 | 10 | 1 | July 1976 | Academy |
| 6 | Kevin Keen | M | 43(1) | 10 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 1986 | Academy |
| 7 | Liam Brady | M | 25(8) | 2 | | 8 (2) | | March 1987 | Ascoli |
| 8 | Stuart Slater | F | 40 | 7 | | 9 (1) | 2 | 1987 | Academy |
| 9 | Jimmy Quinn | CF | 18(3) | 13 | 1 | | | December 1989 | Bradford City |
| 10 | Martin Allen | M | 39 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 2 | August 1989 | Queens Park Rangers |
| 11 | George Parris | M | 35(3) | 2 | 1 | 9 | | 1985 | Academy |
| Important Players ||||||||||||
| 5 | Colin Foster | CB | 20(2) | | | | | 1989 | Nottingham Forest |
| 11 | Trevor Morley | CF | 18(1) | 10 | 1 | | | December 1989 | Manchester City |
| 1 | Ludek Miklosko | GK | 18 | | | 1 | | February 1990 | Banik Ostrava |
| 7 | Mark Ward | RM | 17(2) | 5 | | 4 | | August 1985 | Oldham Athletic |
| 4 | Gary Strodder | CB | 16 | 1 | | 5 | | March 1987 | Lincoln City |
| 8 | Ian Bishop | M | 13(4) | 2 | 1 | | | December 1989 | Manchester City |
| 8 | David Kelly | CF | 8 (8) | 1 | | 5 (2) | 1 | 1988 | Walsall |
| Other Players ||||||||||||
| 9 | Eamonn Dolan | CF | 8 (2) | 3 | | 4 | | 1986 | Academy |
| 2 | Stewart Robson | M | 7 | 1 | | 3 | | January 1987 | Arsenal |
| 1 | Perry Suckling | GK | 6 | | | | | December 1989 | Crystal Palace |
| 3 | Tommy McQueen | LB | 5 (2) | | | 1 (2) | | March 1987 | Aberdeen |
| 9 | Leroy Rosenior | CF | 4 (1) | 2 | 0 (1) | 2 | | March 1988 | Fulham |
| 6 | Alan Devonshire | LM | 3 (4) | | | 0 (3) | | October 1976 | Southall |
| 11 | Justin Fashanu | F | 2 | | | 0 (1) | | November 1989 | Manchester City |
| 12 | Frank McAvennie | CF | 1 (4) | | | | | March 1989 | Celtic |
| 11 | Paul Ince | CM | 1 | | | | | 1986 | Academy |
| 14 | Paul Kelly | M | 0 (1) | | | | | 1989 | Academy |
| 12 | Ralph Milne | M | | | | 0 (1) | | January 1990 | Manchester United |