It was the clash of the giants, Arsenal v Liverpool. Most neutrals believed that what should have been the FA Cup final came one round too early when the two clubs were drawn to face each other in the semi-finals. It took four games to separate them, the Gunners winning through to their third successive final. They faced West Ham United, who had been relegated to the Second Division two seasons earlier and did not expect to be at Wembley.
“It was surreal to think I played for the youth team at the start of the season and ended it in the FA Cup final,” says Paul Allen, who became the youngest player to appear in a Wembley final at the age of 17 years and 256 days. But being young had its advantages: “I was uninhibited and fearless and once I tasted success I wanted more. We had an incredible draw and it was only when we reached the quarter-final that we played First Division opposition.” While others wrote them off, West Ham had belief.
The Hammers started well and in the 13th minute Trevor Brooking scored with a rare header, which turned out to be enough to win the cup. Allen had a chance to score late in the game when he broke clear but was tripped by Arsenal centre-back Willie Young. “As I got closer to the goal, it seemed to get smaller and smaller and Pat Jennings in goal got bigger and bigger,” he said. “Then I was tackled. People have made a lot of it, but it didn’t change the result.” [The numbers refer to a photograph, which is not carried on the website.]
1 Phil Parkes A carpenter by trade, he made his mark in nine seasons at QPR before joining West Ham in 1979 for £565,000, a world record for a keeper. He played in 436 games. Was a goalkeeping coach at Ipswich and QPR and runs a building company in Reading
2 Trevor Brooking Signed as an apprentice in 1965, he took time to find his feet and at one stage was on the transfer list. But Brooking developed into an elegant midfielder, playing in 635 games and winning 47 England caps. He became a commentator and chairman of Sport England. He was caretaker manager at West Ham and is director of football development at the FA. He was knighted last summer
3 Billy Bonds His tackling and determination won the admiration of the fans. Bonds spent 27 years at the club as defender and manager. He played a record 793 games and steered West Ham to promotion in his first full season as manager in 1991. He was also manager at Millwall. He is a radio football summariser
4 Alvin Martin Partnered Bonds in the centre of defence after making his debut in 1978. Martin was strong in the air and missed only one game when West Ham were promoted in 1981. He won 17 England caps, but injury denied him a place in the squad for the 1982 World Cup. He captained West Ham to third in the First Division in 1986, the club’s highest position in the top flight. He was manager of Southend United for two years and is an after- dinner speaker and football commentator
5 Pat Holland A knee injury denied him a place in the final and ultimately ended his career. Holland was a hard-working right winger who helped West Ham win the 1975 FA Cup. He played 296 games in a 13-season career. He was a player/coach and then manager at Leyton Orient. In 1988 he joined Tottenham, where he is assistant director of the academy
6 Jimmy Neighbour A winger who won a League Cup winners’ medal at Spurs, he also played for Norwich before joining West Ham in 1979. Neighbour played 102 games for West Ham. He worked at Haringey Sports Centre and ran a sports shop. He was a youth development officer at West Ham and coaches at Spurs
7 Paul Brush The 12th man for the final, Brush spent 10 years at Upton Park, playing in 185 games. A full-back who provided cover for Ray Stewart and Frank Lampard, he later moved to Crystal Palace. He was manager at Leyton Orient for two years and is assistant manager at Southend United
8 Bobby Ferguson His performances for Kilmarnock and Scotland persuaded West Ham to pay a then record £65,000 for a goalkeeper in 1967. He played in 276 games, but was regularly a back-up during his 13 years at Upton Park. Ferguson moved to Australia in 1981 and ran a diving firm until a shark killed a friend. He turned 60 this month and is a director of a flooring business in Adelaide
9 David Cross If there was one player who earned his cup medal through hard work, it was Cross. He gave a tireless performance as West Ham’s lone striker on that hot May afternoon. The Hammers paid £180,000 to West Brom in 1977 for the tall, bearded striker and his strength in the air made him an ideal target man. He played for Rochdale, Norwich and Coventry and was a financial adviser for Allied Dunbar before becoming assistant manager at Oldham. He lives in Bury and is a youth coach at Blackburn Rovers
10 Stuart Pearson Made his mark at Manchester United, scoring 66 goals in 178 games. A small striker who won 15 caps for England, he signed for West Ham for £220,000 in 1979, making just 34 appearances in three seasons. Pearson ran a shop selling imported tiles and was assistant manager of Bradford City. He lives in Spain and does media work in Britain
11 Alan Devonshire A fork-lift truck driver for Hoover when he signed for West Ham in 1976, he made 446 appearances in 14 years. An exciting left-sided midfielder who won eight caps for England, Devonshire moved to Watford in 1990. He managed Maidenhead United for seven years, winning five trophies and taking them to promotion to the Ryman Premier League. He took charge at Hampton and Richmond Borough in July 2003
12 Paul Allen His record as the youngest player to appear in an FA Cup final was beaten by Millwall’s Curtis Weston (17 years 119 days) last year, but Allen is still remembered for his performance in that game. However, what thrilled Allen was to appear in two cup finals for Tottenham after a £400,000 move across London in 1985. “I thought my time had passed when I played in the 1991 final 11 years after my first final,” he says. He works in the commercial department of the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA)
13 Ray Stewart He was the most expensive teenager in British football when he joined West Ham from Dundee United for £430,000 in August 1979. Stewart spent 11 seasons at Upton Park, where he made a name as a solid defender. He scored 84 goals in 431 matches, most of them from spot-kicks. He moved back to Scotland in 1991, coaching St Johnstone and Livingston, and was in charge at Forfar Athletic until December
14 Geoff Pike A member of the West Ham team that reached the 1975 FA Youth Cup final, Pike’s boundless energy was a valuable asset in midfield. He was ever-present when the Hammers won the Second Division, and made 367 appearances for them. Moved to Notts County in 1987 and finished at Leyton Orient, where he became a youth coach. He is the southeast regional coach for the PFA
15 Frank Lampard Signed as an apprentice in 1964, Lampard played in 660 games at full-back for West Ham. He broke his leg against Sheffield United and suffered a stomach injury in the Cup Winners’ Cup final loss to Anderlecht. After a spell at Southend, Lampard moved into coaching. He was assistant manager to his brother-in-law, Harry Redknapp, at West Ham, and now deals in property
