# 1978–79 West Ham United F.C. season

For the 1978–79 West Ham United F.C. season in English football, West Ham United played in the Second Division following their relegation the previous season.

## Season summary

West Ham occupied a promotion place at the end of February, but after a loss of form that saw them win just one of their last seven League matches they finished in fifth place. They were knocked out of both domestic cup competitions by lower league opposition in the first round they entered.
In February 1979, West Ham broke the world record transfer fee for a goalkeeper when they signed Phil Parkes from Queens Park Rangers for £565,000.

## League table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 3 | Stoke City (P) | 42 | 20 | 16 | 6 | 58 | 31 | +27 | 56 | Promotion to the First Division |
| 4 | Sunderland | 42 | 22 | 11 | 9 | 70 | 44 | +26 | 55 | |
| 5 | West Ham United | 42 | 18 | 14 | 10 | 70 | 39 | +31 | 50 | |
| 6 | Notts County | 42 | 14 | 16 | 12 | 48 | 60 | −12 | 44 | |
| 7 | Preston North End | 42 | 12 | 18 | 12 | 59 | 57 | +2 | 42 | |

## Results
### Football League Second Division

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| 19 August 1978 | Notts County | H | 5–2 | 25,387 | Cross (3), Blockley (o.g.), Devonshire |
| 23 August 1978 | Newcastle United | A | 3–0 | 27,233 | Devonshire, Cross, Robson |
| 26 August 1978 | Crystal Palace | A | 1–1 | 32,611 | A Taylor |
| 2 September 1978 | Fulham | H | 0–1 | 25,778 | |
| 9 September 1978 | Burnley | A | 2–3 | 12,303 | Cross (2) |
| 16 September 1978 | Bristol Rovers | H | 2–0 | 22,189 | Robson, Brooking |
| 23 September 1978 | Sheffield United | H | 2–0 | 24,361 | Robson (2 pens) |
| 30 September 1978 | Sunderland | A | 1–2 | 23,676 | Cross |
| 7 October 1978 | Millwall | H | 3–0 | 22,000 | Robson (3; 1 pen) |
| 14 October 1978 | Oldham Athletic | A | 2–2 | 10,143 | Robson (2) |
| 21 October 1978 | Stoke City | H | 1–1 | 27,859 | Brooking |
| 28 October 1978 | Brighton & Hove Albion | A | 2–1 | 32,634 | Robson (2) |
| 4 November 1978 | Preston North End | H | 3–1 | 23,579 | Lampard, Devonshire, Cross |
| 11 November 1978 | Notts County | A | 0–1 | 11,002 | |
| 18 November 1978 | Crystal Palace | H | 1–1 | 31,245 | Bonds |
| 21 November 1978 | Fulham | A | 0–0 | 26,556 | |
| 25 November 1978 | Leicester City | A | 2–1 | 16,149 | Cross (2) |
| 2 December 1978 | Cambridge United | H | 5–0 | 21,379 | A Taylor, Robson (2), Bonds, Curbishley |
| 9 December 1978 | Wrexham | A | 3–4 | 15,787 | Cross, Lampard, Robson |
| 16 December 1978 | Charlton Athletic | H | 2–0 | 23,833 | Robson, Cross |
| 26 December 1978 | Orient | H | 0–2 | 29,220 | |
| 30 December 1978 | Blackburn Rovers | H | 4–0 | 21,269 | Robson, A Taylor, Cross, Curtis (o.g.) |
| 20 January 1979 | Bristol Rovers | A | 1–0 | 12,418 | Robson |
| 10 February 1979 | Sunderland | H | 3–3 | 24,998 | Cross (2), Robson |
| 24 February 1979 | Oldham Athletic | H | 3–0 | 26,052 | Holland, Martin, Robson |
| 26 February 1979 | Luton Town | A | 4–1 | 14,205 | Cross (2), Devonshire, Robson |
| 3 March 1979 | Stoke City | A | 0–2 | 24,912 | |
| 10 March 1979 | Brighton & Hove Albion | H | 0–0 | 35,802 | |
| 17 March 1979 | Preston North End | A | 0–0 | 15,376 | |
| 24 March 1979 | Newcastle United | H | 5–0 | 24,650 | Devonshire, Robson, Lampard, McDowell (2) |
| 31 March 1979 | Leicester City | H | 1–1 | 23,992 | Robson |
| 2 April 1979 | Sheffield United | A | 0–3 | 17,720 | |
| 7 April 1979 | Cambridge United | A | 0–0 | 11,406 | |
| 9 April 1979 | Luton Town | H | 1–0 | 25,498 | Carr (o.g.) |
| 14 April 1979 | Orient | A | 2–0 | 17,517 | Holland, Pike |
| 16 April 1979 | Cardiff City | H | 1–1 | 29,058 | Holland |
| 21 April 1979 | Charlton Athletic | A | 0–0 | 22,816 | |
| 24 April 1979 | Burnley | H | 3–1 | 24,139 | Bonds, Pike, Robson |
| 28 April 1979 | Wrexham | H | 1–1 | 28,865 | Bonds |
| 5 May 1979 | Blackburn Rovers | A | 0–1 | 7,585 | |
| 11 May 1979 | Cardiff City | A | 0–0 | 13,140 | |
| 14 May 1979 | Millwall | A | 1–2 | 11,917 | Robson |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R3 | 9 January 1979 | Newport County | A | 1–2 | 14,124 | Robson |

### League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R2 | 30 August 1978 | Swindon Town | H | 1–2 | 19,672 | Robson |

## Players

| Player | Pos | Lge Apps | Lge Gls | FAC Apps | FAC Gls | LC Apps | LC Gls | Date Signed | Previous Club |
| Mervyn Day | GK | 13 | | 1 | | | | 1973 | Academy |
| Bobby Ferguson | GK | 11 | | | | 1 | | 1967 | Kilmarnock |
| Phil Parkes | GK | 18 | | | | | | 1973 | Q.P.R. |
| Phil Brignull | DF | 0 (1) | | | | | | 1978 | Academy |
| Paul Brush | DF | 42 | | 1 | | 1 | | 1977 | Academy |
| Frank Lampard | DF | 28 (1) | 3 | 1 | | 1 | | 1967 | Academy |
| Alvin Martin | DF | 22 | 1 | 1 | | | | 1976 | Academy |
| John McDowell | DF | 26 (2) | 2 | 1 | | | | 1969 | Academy |
| Tommy Taylor | DF | 32 | | | | 1 | | 1970 | Leyton Orient |
| Billy Bonds (Capt) | MF | 39 | 4 | 1 | | 1 | | 1967 | Charlton Athletic |
| Trevor Brooking | MF | 21 | 2 | 1 | | | | 1967 | Academy |
| Alan Curbishley | MF | 26 (1) | 1 | | | 1 | | 1974 | Academy |
| Alan Devonshire | MF | 41 | 5 | 1 | | 1 | | 1976 | Southall |
| Pat Holland | MF | 39 | 3 | | | 1 | | 1969 | Academy |
| Geoff Pike | MF | 10 (4) | 1 | | | 0 (1) | | 1975 | Academy |
| David Cross | FW | 40 | 18 | 1 | | 1 | | 1977 | West Bromwich Albion |
| Billy Jennings | FW | 2 (2) | | | | | | 1974 | Watford |
| Billy Lansdowne | FW | 0 (1) | | | | | | 1979 | Academy |
| Nicky Morgan | FW | 2 | | | | | | 1978 | Academy |
| Pop Robson | FW | 40 | 24 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1976 | Sunderland |
| Alan Taylor | FW | 10 (3) | 3 | 1 | | 1 | | 1974 | Rochdale |