# 1991–92 West Ham United F.C. season

During the 1991–92 English football season, West Ham United F.C. competed in the Football League First Division.

## Season summary

1991–92 was West Ham United's first season back in the First Division following promotion, ending a two-year absence from the top flight.
However, their return to the First Division lasted just one season and they were relegated in bottom place, missing out on a place in the new FA Premier League, which would be created for the 1992-93 season. Their chances of survival were not helped by the fact that key players Trevor Morley and Julian Dicks missed large stretches of the season due to injury and off-field issues, such as the infamous Bond Scheme, which exacerbated the club's poor league form.
The few bright spots of the season came in the final stages – after relegation was confirmed – in the shape of a 1–0 win over Manchester United which effectively ended the opposition's title hopes, and then came a 3–0 demolition of eighth-placed Nottingham Forest in which striker Frank McAvennie ended his second spell at Upton Park by scoring a hat-trick. The season could have ended very differently for the Hammers had they been able to show such fine form on a more regular basis.

## Final league table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 18 | Norwich City | 42 | 11 | 12 | 19 | 47 | 63 | −16 | 45 | |
| 19 | Coventry City | 42 | 11 | 11 | 20 | 35 | 44 | −9 | 44 | |
| 20 | Luton Town (R) | 42 | 10 | 12 | 20 | 38 | 71 | −33 | 42 | Relegated |
| 21 | Notts County (R) | 42 | 10 | 10 | 22 | 40 | 62 | −22 | 40 | Relegated |
| 22 | West Ham United (R) | 42 | 9 | 11 | 22 | 37 | 59 | −22 | 38 | Relegated |
* ↑ From the 1992–93 season, the first tier became the Premier League, and the second tier, then known as the Second Division, was renamed to the First Division.

## Results

West Ham United's score comes first

### Legend

| Win | Draw | Loss |

### Football League First Division

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 17 August 1991 | Luton Town | H | 0–0 | 25,079 | |
| 20 August 1991 | Sheffield United | A | 1–1 | 21,463 | Small |
| 24 August 1991 | Wimbledon | A | 0–2 | 10,081 | |
| 28 August 1991 | Aston Villa | H | 3–1 | 23,644 | Small, Rosenior, Brown |
| 31 August 1991 | Notts County | H | 0–2 | 20,093 | |
| 4 September 1991 | Queens Park Rangers | A | 0–0 | 16,616 | |
| 7 September 1991 | Chelsea | H | 1–1 | 18,875 | Small |
| 14 September 1991 | Norwich City | A | 1–2 | 15,348 | Small |
| 17 September 1991 | Crystal Palace | A | 3–2 | 21,363 | Morley, Thomas, Small |
| 21 September 1991 | Manchester City | H | 1–2 | 25,558 | Brown |
| 28 September 1991 | Nottingham Forest | A | 2–2 | 25,613 | Small (2) |
| 5 October 1991 | Coventry City | H | 0–1 | 21,817 | |
| 19 October 1991 | Oldham Athletic | A | 2–2 | 14,365 | Small, McAvennie |
| 26 October 1991 | Tottenham Hotspur | H | 2–1 | 23,946 | Thomas, Small |
| 2 November 1991 | Arsenal | A | 1–0 | 33,539 | Small |
| 17 November 1991 | Liverpool | H | 0–0 | 23,569 | |
| 23 November 1991 | Manchester United | A | 1–2 | 47,185 | McAvennie |
| 30 November 1991 | Sheffield Wednesday | H | 1–2 | 24,116 | Breacker |
| 7 December 1991 | Everton | A | 0–4 | 21,563 | |
| 21 December 1991 | Sheffield United | H | 1–1 | 19,287 | Dicks (pen) |
| 26 December 1991 | Aston Villa | A | 1–3 | 31,959 | McAvennie |
| 28 December 1991 | Notts County | A | 0–3 | 11,163 | |
| 1 January 1992 | Leeds United | H | 1–3 | 21,766 | Dicks (pen) |
| 11 January 1992 | Wimbledon | H | 1–1 | 18,485 | Morley |
| 18 January 1992 | Luton Town | A | 1–0 | 11,088 | Small |
| 1 February 1992 | Oldham Athletic | H | 1–0 | 19,012 | Thomas |
| 22 February 1992 | Sheffield Wednesday | A | 1–2 | 24,150 | Small |
| 29 February 1992 | Everton | H | 0–2 | 20,976 | |
| 3 March 1992 | Southampton | A | 0–1 | 14,548 | |
| 11 March 1992 | Liverpool | A | 0–1 | 30,821 | |
| 14 March 1992 | Arsenal | H | 0–2 | 22,640 | |
| 21 March 1992 | Queens Park Rangers | H | 2–2 | 20,401 | Breacker, Small |
| 28 March 1992 | Leeds United | A | 0–0 | 31,101 | |
| 1 April 1992 | Tottenham Hotspur | A | 0–3 | 31,809 | |
| 4 April 1992 | Chelsea | A | 1–2 | 20,684 | C Allen |
| 11 April 1992 | Norwich City | H | 4–0 | 16,896 | Bishop, Rush (2), Dicks (pen) |
| 14 April 1992 | Southampton | H | 0–1 | 18,298 | |
| 18 April 1992 | Manchester City | A | 0–2 | 25,601 | |
| 20 April 1992 | Crystal Palace | H | 0–2 | 17,710 | |
| 22 April 1992 | Manchester United | H | 1–0 | 24,197 | Brown |
| 25 April 1992 | Coventry City | A | 0–1 | 15,398 | |
| 2 May 1992 | Nottingham Forest | H | 3–0 | 20,629 | McAvennie (3) |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R3 | 4 January 1992 | Farnborough Town | A | 1–1 | 23,449 | Dicks |
| R3R | 14 January 1992 | Farnborough Town | H | 1–0 | 23,869 | Morley |
| R4 | 25 January 1992 | Wrexham | H | 2–2 | 24,712 | Morley, Dicks |
| R4R | 4 February 1992 | Wrexham | A | 1–0 | 17,995 | Foster |
| R5 | 15 February 1992 | Sunderland | A | 1–1 | 25,475 | Small |
| R5R | 26 February 1992 | Sunderland | H | 2–3 | 25,830 | M Allen (2) |

### League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R2 1st leg | 24 September 1991 | Bradford City | A | 1–1 | 7,034 | Small |
| R2 2nd leg | 9 October 1991 | Bradford City | H | 4–0 (won 5–1 on agg) | 17,232 | Small, Morley, Keen, Parris |
| R3 | 29 October 1991 | Sheffield United | A | 2–0 | 11,144 | McAvennie, Small (pen) |
| R4 | 4 December 1991 | Norwich City | A | 1–2 | 16,325 | Small |

### Full Members Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R2 | 22 October 1991 | Cambridge United | H | 2–1 | 7,812 | McAvennie, Parris |
| R3 | 26 November 1991 | Brighton & Hove Albion | H | 2–0 | 8,146 | McAvennie (2) |
| S Area SF | 7 January 1992 | Southampton | A | 1–2 | 6,861 | Bishop 34' |

## Squad

| Number | Player | Position | Lge Apps | Lge Gls | FAC Apps | FAC Gls | LC Apps | LC Gls | Date signed | Previous club |
| 1991–92 West Ham United First XI ||||||||||||
| 1 | Ludek Miklosko | GK | 36 | | 3 | | 4 | | February 1990 | Banik Ostrava |
| 2 | Kenny Brown | D | 25(2) | 3 | 4 | | 1 | | August 1991 | Plymouth Argyle |
| 3 | Julian Dicks (Hammer of the Year) | D | 23 | 3 | 6 | 2 | | | March 1988 | Birmingham City |
| 4 | Tim Breacker | D | 33(1) | 1 | 6 | | 4 | | October 1990 | Luton Town |
| 5 | Steve Potts | D | 34 | | 5 | | 3 | | May 1984 | Academy |
| 6 | Mitchell Thomas | D | 34(1) | 3 | 4 | | 4 | | 1991 | Tottenham Hotspur |
| 7 | Ian Bishop (captain) | M | 41 | 1 | 3 | | 4 | | December 1989 | Manchester City |
| 8 | Frank McAvennie | F | 16(4) | 6 | 4 | | 2 (1) | 1 | March 1989 | Celtic |
| 9 | Mike Small | F | 37(3) | 13 | 4 (1) | 1 | 4 | 4 | 1991 | Brighton |
| 10 | Kevin Keen | M | 20(9) | | 5 | | 2 | 1 | 1986 | Academy |
| 11 | Stuart Slater | M | 41 | | 6 | | 4 | | 1987 | Academy |
| Important Players ||||||||||||
| 4 | Tony Gale | CB | 24(1) | | 2 | | 3 (1) | | August 1983 | Fulham |
| 5 | Colin Foster | CB | 24 | | 5 | 1 | 2 | | 1989 | Nottingham Forest |
| 6 | George Parris | D/M | 20(1) | | | | 4 | 1 | 1985 | Academy |
| 11 | Trevor Morley | CF | 13(11) | 2 | 2 (3) | 2 | 2 | 1 | December 1989 | Manchester City |
| 10 | Martin Allen | M | 14(5) | | 2 | 2 | 1 (1) | | August 1989 | Queens Park Rangers |
| 8 | Matthew Rush | M | 3 (7) | 2 | | | | | 1990 | Academy |
| Other Players ||||||||||||
| 10 | Leroy Rosenior | CF | 5 (4) | 1 | | | | | March 1988 | Fulham |
| 5 | Alvin Martin | CB | 7 | | | | | | July 1976 | Academy |
| 1 | Tony Parks | GK | 6 | | 3 | | | | 1991 | Fulham |
| 10 | Clive Allen | CF | 4 | 1 | | | | | March 1992 | Chelsea |
| 6 | Ray Atteveld | CB | 1 | | | | | | February 1992 | Everton |
| 10 | Dean Martin | CF | 1 (1) | | 0 (1) | | | | 1991 | Fisher Athletic |
| 12 | Simon Clarke | F | 0 (1) | | | | | | 1990 | Academy |
| 14 | Chris Hughton | LB | 0 (1) | | | | | | 1990 | Tottenham Hotspur |

## Reserve squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | GK | ENG | Steve Banks |
| — | MF | NIR | Kevin Horlock |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | FW | ENG | Tony Cottee |
| — | FW | NIR | Iain Dowie |

## Transfers
### In

| Date | Pos | Name | From | Fee |
| 3 June 1991 | MF | Dean Martin | Fisher Athletic | £25,000 |
| 2 August 1991 | DF | Kenny Brown | Plymouth Argyle | £175,000 |
| 7 August 1991 | DF | Mitchell Thomas | Tottenham Hotspur | £525,000 |
| 27 March 1992 | FW | Clive Allen | Chelsea | £275,000 |

### Out

| Date | Pos | Name | To | Fee |
| 5 August 1991 | FW | Jimmy Quinn | AFC Bournemouth | £40,000 |
| 3 September 1991 | FW | Iain Dowie | Southampton | £500,000 |
| 1 January 1992 | FW | Mike Macari | Stoke City | Signed |
    Transfers in: £1,000,000
    Transfers out: £540,000
    Total spending: £460,000