TIMELINE of the HAMMERS

There were various departures, among them Peter Eustace, Harry Redknapp and Alan Stephenson, but the big shock came when Geoff Hurst was transferred to Stoke City for a fee of £80,000.

It was a decent start to the season with just three losses in the first nine games. Bryan Robson was the man in form, scoring eight goals in those games.

The League Cup began with a narrow 2–1 home victory against Bristol City but the next round was a disaster as the Hammers were humbled 2–1 away to Fourth Division Stockport County. 

After winning 1–0 at Port Vale in the FA Cup, a trip to Hull City in the fourth round brought a 1–0 defeat. In March centre-forward Ted MacDougall was signed for £150,000 from Manchester United, and his four goals in his first five appearances helped the team to a nine-game unbeaten run. Bryan Robson scored a hat-trick against Southampton to take his tally of goals to 28, which made him the league’s top scorer. ​​

1972-73

29 August 1972

West Ham United concede the fastest penalty in soccer history when Alan Ball stroked home a spot-kick just 40 seconds after the start to give Arsenal a one-nil win at Highbury

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25 November 1972

Bobby Moore’s 500th league appearance was the subject of huge embarrassment in November 1972. The West Ham captain stood on the pitch at Everton and was presented with a magnificent cut-glass decanter by the Goodison Park club.

The Press were there in force to record what everyone thought was his historic 500th appearance for the Hammers. West Ham were planning a big occasion themselves for the home game with Chelsea on January 27 when they calculated, Moore would set a new club record of 509 League appearances. 

The Football League had given permission for a special presentation and the current holder, Jimmy Ruffell would be there to congratulate his successor. Everything arranged perfectly, until Hammers’ enthusiast and ‘theyflysohigh’ contributor Richard Miller consulted his own records, the Club and the entire football world were one out in their calculations. 

In 1963-64 Moore made 37 League appearances, not 38 as printed in the records. The error was further compounded when Moore was credited with beating Jimmy Ruffell’s record of 508 League games set in 1937 in the away fixture at Norwich on 10 February 1973 - however, further investigations have revealed that Ruffell in fact only appeared in 505 League games for West Ham United.

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6 January 1973

Bobby Moore exceeds Jimmy Ruffell's 505 appearances for the Club in the home match with Liverpool.

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FOOTBALLLEAGUE (Division One)

Position: 6th

Played: 42, Won: 17, Drawn: 12, Lost 13, F: 67, A: 53, Pts: 46

FOOTBALL LEAGUE (Division One)