# 1975–76 West Ham United F.C. season

In the 1975–76 season, West Ham United finished in 18th position in the First Division and reached the final of the European Cup Winners' Cup.

## Season summary

West Ham United were unbeaten in their first nine League games of the 1975–76 season and occupied second place in the autumn of 1975. However, in an abrupt downturn in form they collected just eight points and won only one League match after Christmas, leaving them in 18th, only six points away from the relegation places. Their FA Cup defence ended in the third round, when they lost at home to Liverpool.
West Ham saved their best form for their third foray into European competition. Despite failing to win any of their away fixtures, they reached the final of the Cup Winners' Cup, losing 4–2 to Anderlecht.

## League table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 16 | Aston Villa | 42 | 11 | 17 | 14 | 51 | 59 | 0.864 | 39 | |
| 17 | Arsenal | 42 | 13 | 10 | 19 | 47 | 53 | 0.887 | 36 | |
| 18 | West Ham United | 42 | 13 | 10 | 19 | 48 | 71 | 0.676 | 36 | |
| 19 | Birmingham City | 42 | 13 | 7 | 22 | 57 | 75 | 0.760 | 33 | |
| 20 | Wolverhampton Wanderers (R) | 42 | 10 | 10 | 22 | 51 | 68 | 0.750 | 30 | Relegation to the Second Division |

## Results
### Football League First Division

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| 16 August 1975 | Stoke City | A | 2–1 | 23,744 | Gould, A Taylor |
| 19 August 1975 | Liverpool | A | 2–2 | 40,564 | A Taylor (2) |
| 23 August 1975 | Burnley | H | 3–2 | 28,048 | A Taylor (2), Paddon |
| 25 August 1975 | Tottenham Hotspur | H | 1–0 | 36,567 | Robson |
| 30 August 1975 | Queens Park Rangers | A | 1–1 | 28,408 | Jennings |
| 6 September 1975 | Manchester City | H | 1–0 | 29,752 | Lampard |
| 13 September 1975 | Leicester City | A | 3–3 | 21,413 | Bonds, Lampard, Holland |
| 20 September 1975 | Sheffield United | H | 2–0 | 28,744 | T Taylor, Best |
| 27 September 1975 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | 1–0 | 18,455 | Paddon |
| 4 October 1975 | Everton | H | 0–1 | 31,005 | |
| 11 October 1975 | Newcastle United | H | 2–1 | 30,400 | Curbishley, A Taylor |
| 18 October 1975 | Middlesbrough | A | 0–3 | 25,831 | |
| 25 October 1975 | Manchester United | H | 2–1 | 38,528 | A Taylor, Gould |
| 1 November 1975 | Birmingham City | A | 5–1 | 28,474 | Brooking, Pendrey (o.g.), Lampard, A Taylor (2) |
| 8 November 1975 | Coventry City | H | 1–1 | 29,501 | Robson |
| 15 November 1975 | Derby County | A | 1–2 | 31,172 | Brooking |
| 22 November 1975 | Middlesbrough | H | 2–1 | 26,914 | Jennings, Holland |
| 29 November 1975 | Arsenal | H | 1–0 | 31,012 | A Taylor |
| 6 December 1975 | Norwich City | A | 0–1 | 27,020 | |
| 13 December 1975 | Burnley | A | 0–2 | 14,907 | |
| 20 December 1975 | Stoke City | H | 3–1 | 21,135 | Jennings (3) |
| 26 December 1975 | Aston Villa | A | 1–4 | 51,300 | Jennings |
| 27 December 1975 | Ipswich Town | H | 1–2 | 32,741 | T Taylor (pen) |
| 10 January 1976 | Leicester City | H | 1–1 | 24,615 | A Taylor |
| 17 January 1976 | Manchester City | A | 0–3 | 32,147 | |
| 24 January 1976 | Queens Park Rangers | H | 1–0 | 26,677 | A Taylor |
| 31 January 1976 | Liverpool | H | 0–4 | 26,741 | |
| 7 February 1976 | Tottenham Hotspur | A | 1–1 | 32,832 | Brooking |
| 14 February 1976 | Coventry City | A | 0–2 | 16,173 | |
| 21 February 1976 | Derby County | H | 1–2 | 24,941 | Brooking |
| 23 February 1976 | Leeds United | H | 1–1 | 28,025 | A Taylor |
| 28 February 1976 | Manchester United | A | 0–4 | 57,240 | |
| 6 March 1976 | Birmingham City | H | 1–2 | 19,868 | Curbishley |
| 9 March 1976 | Leeds United | A | 1–1 | 28,453 | Jennings |
| 13 March 1976 | Newcastle United | A | 1–2 | 32,842 | Jennings |
| 20 March 1976 | Arsenal | A | 1–6 | 34,011 | Jennings |
| 27 March 1976 | Norwich City | H | 0–1 | 20,628 | |
| 3 April 1976 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | 0–0 | 16,769 | |
| 10 April 1976 | Sheffield United | A | 2–3 | 18,797 | Jennings (2) |
| 17 April 1976 | Aston Villa | H | 2–2 | 21,642 | Robson, Brooking |
| 19 April 1976 | Ipswich Town | A | 0–4 | 28,217 | |
| 24 April 1976 | Everton | A | 0–2 | 26,101 | |

### Charity Shield

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| 9 August 1975 | Derby County | N | 0–2 | 59,000 | |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R3 | 3 January 1976 | Liverpool | H | 0–2 | 32,363 | |

### League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R2 | 9 September 1975 | Bristol City | H | 0–0 | 19,837 | |
| R2 replay | 24 September 1975 | Bristol City | A | 3–1 | 19,643 | Brooking, Best, A Taylor |
| R3 | 8 October 1975 | Darlington | H | 3–0 | 19,844 | Paddon, Robson, Bonds (pen) |
| R4 | 12 November 1975 | Tottenham Hotspur | A | 0–0 | 49,126 | |
| R4 replay | 24 November 1975 | Tottenham Hotspur | H | 0–2 | 38,443 | |

### European Cup Winners' Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R1 1st leg | 17 September 1975 | Reipas Lahti | A | 2–2 | 4,587 | Brooking, Bonds |
| R1 2nd leg | 1 October 1975 | Reipas Lahti | H | 3–0 (5–2 agg.) | 24,131 | Robson, Holland, Jennings |
| R2 1st leg | 22 October 1975 | Ararat Yerevan | A | 1–1 | 66,662 | A Taylor |
| R2 2nd leg | 5 November 1975 | Ararat Yerevan | H | 3–1 (4–2 agg.) | 30,399 | Paddon, Robson, A Taylor |
| QF 1st leg | 3 March 1976 | Den Haag | A | 2–4 | 26,000 | Jennings (2) |
| QF 2nd leg | 17 March 1976 | Den Haag | H | 3–1 (5–5 agg.) | 29,829 | A Taylor, Lampard, Bonds |
| SF 1st leg | 31 March 1976 | Eintracht Frankfurt | A | 1–2 | 45,000 | Paddon |
| SF 1st leg | 14 April 1976 | Eintracht Frankfurt | H | 3–1 (4–3 agg.) | 39,202 | Brooking (2), Robson |
| F | 5 May 1976 | Anderlecht | N | 2–4 | 58,000 | Holland, Robson |

### Anglo-Italian League Cup

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result |
| 3 September 1975 | Fiorentina | A | 0–1 |
| 10 December 1975 | Fiorentina | H | 0-1 (0–2 agg.) |

## Players

| Number | Player | Pos | Eur Apps | Eur Gls | Lge Apps | Lge Gls | FAC Apps | LC Apps | LC Gls | CS Apps | Date Signed | Previous Club |
| Cup Winners Cup Final Team ||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Mervyn Day | GK | 9 | | 41 | | 1 | 5 | | 1 | 1973 | Academy |
| 2 | Keith Coleman | RB | 6 (1) | | 26 | | 1 | 1 | | 0 (1) | 1973 | Sunderland |
| 3 | Frank Lampard | LB | 9 | 1 | 37 | 3 | 1 | 4 | | 1 | 1967 | Academy |
| 4 | Billy Bonds (Capt) | CM | 9 | 2 | 17(1) | 1 | | 5 | 1 | | 1967 | Charlton Athletic |
| 5 | Tommy Taylor | D | 9 | | 42 | 2 | | 5 | | 1 | 1970 | Leyton Orient |
| 6 | John McDowell | D | 7 | | 36(1) | | | 5 | | 1 | 1970 | Academy |
| 7 | Pat Holland | M | 7 | 2 | 35 | 2 | 1 | 5 | | 1 | 1969 | Academy |
| 8 | Graham Paddon | M | 9 | 2 | 39 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1973 | Norwich City |
| 9 | Billy Jennings | F | 5 (2) | 3 | 26(4) | 11 | 1 | 1 (2) | | 1 | 1974 | Watford |
| 10 | Trevor Brooking (Hammer of the Year) | CM | 7 | 3 | 34 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1967 | Academy |
| 11 | Keith Robson | W | 9 | 4 | 33 | 3 | | 4 | 1 | 0 (1) | 1974 | Newcastle United |
| Substitute ||||||||||||||||
| 12 | Alan Taylor | CF | 6 (1) | 3 | 33(2) | 13 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1974 | Rochdale |
| Important Players ||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Kevin Lock | CH | 4 | | 26 | | 1 | 5 | | 1 | 1971 | Academy |
| 10 | Alan Curbishley | M | 1 (1) | | 12(2) | 1 | 1 | | | | 1974 | Academy |
| 6 | Mick McGiven | CH | 1 (1) | | 6 (1) | | 1 | | | | 1973 | Sunderland |
| 9 | Bobby Gould | F | 1 | | 4 (1) | 2 | | | | 1 | 1973 | Bristol City |
| Other Players ||||||||||||||||
| 9 | Clyde Best | F | | | 5 (2) | 1 | | 2 | 1 | | 1969 | Academy |
| 12 | Johnny Ayris | RW | | | 3 (6) | 1 | | 0 (1) | 1 | | 1970 | Academy |
| 11 | Yılmaz Orhan | F | | | 5 | | | | | | 1975 | Aveley |
| 1 | Bobby Ferguson | GK | | | 1 | | | | | | 1967 | Kilmarnock |
| 6 | Alan Wooler | M | | | 1 | | | | | | 1973 | Reading |
| 12 | Geoff Pike | M | | | 0 (3) | | | | | | 1975 | Academy |