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Leicester City
Preston North End
Burnley
Preston North End
Leeds United
Tottenham Hotspur
Bolton Wanderers
Tottenham Hotspur
Chelsea
Leyton Orient
West Bromwich Albion
Newcastle United
Luton Town
Millwall
Everton
Blackpool
Reading
Fulham
Manchester City
Arsenal
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Sheffield Wednesday
Nottingham Forest
Leyton Orient
Blackburn Rovers
Leicester City
Birmingham City
Birmingham City
Burnley
Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town
Leeds United
Bolton Wanderers
Chelsea
Newcastle United
Nottingham Forest
Everton
West Bromwich Albion
Blackpool
Blackburn Rovers
Manchester City
Arsenal
Arsenal
Colchester United
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Manchester United
Fulham
Manchester United
Luton Town
Coventry City
Sheffield Wednesday
H 3-0
A 1-1
A 3-1
H 2-1
H 1-2
A 2-2
A 1-5
H 1-2
A 4-2
H 4-1
H 4-1
A 0-0
H 3-1
H 3-1
A 1-0
H 1-0
H 6-1
A 0-1
H 4-1
A 3-1
H 3-2
A 0-7
H 4-1
H 4-3
A 2-6
A 1-2
A 0-2
H 3-1
H 2-5
A 1-1
H 1-5
A 0-3
H 1-2
H 4-2
H 3-5
A 1-3
H 2-2
A 2-3
A 2-3
H 2-1
A 1-3
H 0-0
A 3-1
H 4-3
A 0-5
H 2-1
H 1-2
A 3-5
A 1-3
A 1-2
H 1-1
Upton Park
3-0 (Smith, Keeble, Grice)
22nd August 1959
Dwyer
Bond
Cantwell
Malcolm
Brown
Smith
Grice
Woosnam
Keeble
Dick
Musgrove
Mike Grice is foiled by visiting custodian MacLaren
3 GOALS .... 2 POINTS .... AND ALL SO SEDATE
There was precious little to be gleaned from this sedentary opening game at Upton Park on Saturday - except perhaps that unlucky Leicester are yet again in for a tough time retaining their First Division toe-hold. West Ham? They won easily enough in the end, but at times made terribly hard work of it. Have they stepped from the peak to which last season's excitement swept them? It is, of course, too early for such judgement, but few of the Hammers fans could have gone home full of confidence after Saturday's mediocrity.
In the opening minutes Leicester looked the more dangerous, and outside left Wills sharpened their attacks. A break down the middle saw Wills boot the final pass over the Hammers bar, and after MacLaren had done well to hold a John Dick shot at the other end, Wills again got in a good effort, which went just wide after Hines had made the opening. Dwyer then came out courageously to save what looked like a certain goal by diving at the feet of Hines.
West Ham slowly began to settle down into something like their normal form, and MacLaren was forced to make a fine save to keep out a fierce drive from Johnny Dick. In the next minute, the 24th however, the Leicester goalkeeper was beaten for the first time. Dick put Musgrove away on the left, the winger came inside the pain¬fully one footed Chalmers and squared a neat pass across to Smith, who raced up through the middle and tore on unchallenged to crack a low drive home from the edge of the penalty area. A well made and a well taken goal. This goal put West Earn in control for the first time, and before the interval Malcolm, Keeble and Grice all went near. The early second half play was nearly all West Ham's and MacLaren distinguished himself quickly with saves from shots from Bond and Musgrove. Leicester almost got on equal terms, when a poor Musgrove corner kick led to a breakaway on the right, but Dwyer timed a full length dive perfectly to cut out the winger's centre brilliantly. Keeble, working hard and going to meet the ball much more in this half then beat the centre-half in the air to put Grice clean away. Grice neatly rounded MacLaren but saw his angled shot booted from under the bar by a defender.
Hammers second goal demonstrated that the home side had been hold a lot in hand. Woosnam fed Grice neatly and the wing-man turned the ball quickly wing-wards, where Bond had already raced up in anticipation of the move, and unhampered, the back ploughed on and carefully lobbed his centre over a packed goalmouth to Keeble whose sure forehead guided the ball swiftly past MacLaren.
Leicester wilted badly after this and there might have been several more goals before Mike Grice closed Hammers account five minutes before time. John Dick took a free-kick for a foul on himself, well to the left of the goal, and Grice dashed in at top speed to head the ball almost from MacLaren's arms for a fine opportunist goal.
This bright finish did much to gloss over the earlier failings by West Ham and showed that despite comparatively poor form by Woosnam and Dick and Musgrove, the team as a whole had been playing well within its capabilities.
Both Roger Hugo and Mick Beesley hit the woodwork before the Young Gunners went two up by converting a free-kick and a penalty, and although Beesley headed home Bernie Maxted’s pass the opposition scored again before the interval. The same combination reduced our arrears after an hour’s play to put us in with a chance, but five minutes from time Arsenal made the final score 4-2.
Although the Hammers showed the better soccer, lack of shooting ability caused them to be in arrears at half-time, the homesters netting from a free-kick after Brian Rhodes had been adjudged to have handled outside the penalty-area. However, we levelled the scores five minutes from time when Ron Brett scored his first goal in our colours, Tony Scott making the final pass after good work on the left wing.
PRESTON NORTH END : Football League
Deepdale
1-1 (Musgrove)
25th August 1959
SHOOT ON SIGHT ACT SHOCKS PROUD PRESTON
Hammers well deserved their point at Preston on Tuesday evening. They pleased the 25,000 crowd with their smooth, slick, progressive football, but annoyed themselves by finishing impetuously. Without this failing their thrustful attack might have had the game won by three-quarters time.
For the first half hour Hammers had to grapple with the clever, but rather involved home attack, cleverly led once more by Tom Finney. This they did very well, and with Smith and Malcolm breaking up numerous attacks initiated in mid-field by Thompson and Davie Sneddon, Preston's new schemer from Dundee, appeared to be in a comfortable position. Ken Brown at centre-half was not in the least overawed by Tom Finney's reputation. He played the centre-forward fairly and well, and soon realised that the old England centre-forward star had lost a yard or two of pace.
Consequently the Preston leader was forced to function mainly as a schemer. Where Preston went wrong was in failing to give Finney close and direct support. Wingers Mayers and Taylor fiddled with every opportunity which they had, and the inside men were just as hesitant and got themselves hopelessly involved. It was if someone slammed on the brakes whenever the home attack reached Hammers penalty area, and West Ham's composed, well balanced defence took advantage of this hesitant fiddling and dawdling.
Progressive and purposeful Hammers concentrated on keen marksmanship. They shot on sight and after 32 minutes a tremendous left-footer from winger Malcolm Musgrove left goalkeeper Fred Else standing to put them ahead. Three minutes later, Johnny Smith unluckily slipped, and let in Mayers. Goalkeeper Noel Dwyer cleverly put this forward off his stride, but Thompson, for once acting decisively, slipped in to take a short pass and equalise.
It looked a certain draw until towards the finish, when Mike Grice missed a great chance by blazing over the bar, while an unmarked Keeble gazed reproachfully at him ten yards out of goal. An accurate square pass would have left him with a simple goal. Then West Ham had a similar fright. Sneddon suddenly broke into dynamic action and whipped in a fierce shot which Johnny Smith coolly headed from the line with goalkeeper Noel Dwyer out of position. Seconds later, Sneddon burst through again, but Noel Dwyer crowned a delightful display of anticipation and clean handling by making the best save of the match.
WINDSOR & ETON : Metropolitan League
Stag Meadow
4-2
26th August 1959
Reader, Cripps, Burkett, Bovington, Obeney, Lansdowne, Woodley, Brooks, Beesley, Hills, Scott
SORRY NO IMAGE
The match was personal triumph for Mick Beesley who netted a “hat-trick” in a 4-2 win (after we had led by 2-1 at half-time).
All three were well-taken efforts, especially the first which was a typical “Vic Watson type” header from a beautiful cross-pass by Tony Scott after the left-winger had made a fine run. On the other wing Derek Woodley also shone, and he netted the first Hammers’ score when sheer speed took him past the home defence. The margin might have been greater, for we missed a penalty-kick.
BURNLEY : Football League
Turf Moor
3-1 (Woosnam, Smillie, Grice)
29th August 1959
LEICESTER CITY : Football Combination
Upton Park
0-4
29th August 1959
BEXLEYHEATH & WELLING : South East Counties League
At the age of 18 Eddie Bovington was the senior member of the side and on the score of experience the homesters could be expected to win. They did so by 2—0, but it was no easy win. This youthful Hammers' team put on a very classy display, and in the words of Bill Robinson who watched the game: " If they always played like that, we'd have no complaints."
BOLTON WANDERERS : Football League
Burnden Park
1-5 (Keeble)
12th September 1959
Dwyer
Bond
Cantwell
Malcolm
Brown
Smith
Grice
Woosnam
Keeble
Smillie
Musgrove
Three goals in the last eight minutes at Burnden Park helped Bolton Wanderers to more than double their total of goals for this season, their 5—1 margin making their victory look easier than it actually was.
24,191 spectators saw the Wanderers make amends for their mid-week defeat by Arsenal, and we were the unfortunate victims of their revival. Up till half-time there was little to choose between the sides and we deservedly equalised through Vic Keeble a minute before the interval after Malcolm Musgrove's shot had been blocked; Fred Hill had opened the scoring for the homesters when his shot was deflected past Noel Dwyer.
The second half was only eight minutes old when Tommy Banks netted his first-ever League goal—a 40-yard drive that blasted its way past our defence; this was followed by further successes from Neville Bannister, Dennis Stevens and Bannister again.
Our Colts scored a very good 2.—1 victory over Arsenal Colts in the South East Counties League at Wanstead. In a keen exciting tussle two of the Hammers' new triallists emerged very creditably. Sydney Palmer (from Uxbridge) made only one mistake (leading to a 55th minute Arsenal goal), but apart from that he showed some excellent form ; in the front line Michael Wright (a Newmarket youngster) was also impressive.
Following a corner by John Patten in the 28th minute Roger Hugo put us ahead, and the latter also had a hand in the winning goal scored by Roger Hall ten minutes from the end.
Dunstable were the better side in front of goal, but our own forwards did not have a great deal of fortune ; they twice had the ball in the net but had goals disallowed, whilst two of the Town's tallies had a semblance of offside about them but still counted. Although only one goal up at half-time Dunstable went further ahead and ended with a 5—1 margin that was not a true reflection of the play. Mick Beesley scored our goal.
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR : Upton Park
Upton Park
1-2 (Bond)
14th September 1959
The return game against Tottenham Hotspur at Upton Park last Monday it can only be said that we felt most disappointed at the end of that local derby watched by a 37,500 attendance. Apart from the fact that our forward-line changes did not turn the scales in our favour and that the visitors notched two opportunist goals, we had the added mortification of being deprived of a penalty-kick at a most vital stage of the game. In our opinion there was no doubt that Mike Grice was fouled inside the penalty-area when he was tackled by Maurice Norman, and the placing of the ball for a free-kick almost on the penalty-area line was not justice even allowing for " local derby atmosphere." From the resultant goalmouth scramble the ball was cleared upfield for Bobby Smith to make it 2—0, and we feel sure that for many almost all the- interest went out of what might have been a memorable game. True enough we were later awarded a spot-kick (for which many reports called a harsh decision !), but although John Bond converted the penalty well and truly it came too late to make a great deal of difference to the eventual outcome.
Dwyer
Bond
Cantwell
Malcolm
Brown
Smith
Wragg
Woosnam
Keeble
Brett
Grice
CHELSEA "A" : Metropolitan League
Spotted Dog Ground
2-4 (Beesley, Boyce)
14th September 1959
In a hard game Chelsea went two up early in the game, but the Hammers reduced the arrears prior to the interval and then drew level after the resumption. It was then again the Pensioners' turn to shine, and they made certain of victory with two further goals. Our scorers were Mick Beesley and Ron Boyce.
CHELSEA : Football League
Stamford Bridge
4-2 (Dick, Musgrove, Woosnam)
19th September 1959
Dwyer
Bond
Cantwell
Malcolm
Brown
Smith
Grice
Woosnam
Keeble
Dick
Musgrove
For our League game at Stamford Bridge we were pleased to welcome back Johnny Dick to the line-up. Inside-left John signalled his return with two goals, the first after 20 minutes when he went past three men to beat the advancing Reg Matthews with a right-foot shot and the second in the 87th minute when he netted from close in; on both occasions Vic Keeble made the opening, despite the handicap of a pulled ligament which slowed him down after two minutes' play. Those goals were but two of the highlights of a thrilling encounter watched by the second highest " gate" of the day (54,349), for although we held a comfortable 2—0 lead at the interval a certain amount of slackening off by the Hammers aided the Blues to come back into the game later.
Malcolm Musgrove quickly hit the form which makes him dangerous when he converted Dick's back-heel into an along-the-ground shot in the sixth minute, and Phil Woosnam was another to net an unusual goal when he caught Matthews out of position with a long lob.
Chelsea's replies were firstly a scrambled goal by Frank Blunstone (59 mins.) and secondly a powerful shot by Charlie Livesey (60! mins.), these and Woosnam's counter making three goals in the space of a little under as many minutes.
To the remainder of our XI we also give a full measure of praise, especially to Andy Malcolm whose shadowing tactics completely blotted Jimmy Greaves out of an enthralling " local derby." A very good performance indeed and one which showed a welcome recovery from a lean spell.
CHELSEA : Football Combination
Upton Park
2-1 (Brett 2)
19th September 1959
Rhodes
Kirkup
Lyall
Obeney
Moore
Hurst
Wragg
Cartwright
Brett
Smillie
Scott
There was an attendance of 1,700 at Upton Park for the Combination fixture v Chelsea Reserves. There was a tremendous improvement in the Hammers' display as compared with the previous week, for they were much quicker on the ball and played very good soccer; indeed the Pensioners were over-run during the first quarter-of-an-hour. Failue to finish off good moves and goal-line clearances kept the final score down to 2-1 in our favour, but it could well have been larger. Ron Brett rounded off a good afternoon by netting both our goals.
