1971–72 West Ham United F.C. season
# 1971–72 West Ham United F.C. season

In the 1971–72 season West Ham United played in the First Division of English football, finishing 14th.

## Season summary

The highlight of West Ham's season came in reaching the semi-finals of the League Cup. After beating title challengers Leeds United and Liverpool, they faced Stoke City in the last four. West Ham won the first leg 2–1 away, but were beaten 1–0 at Upton Park, with Geoff Hurst having a late penalty saved by his England international team-mate Gordon Banks three minutes from the end. The teams then drew 0–0 after extra time in a replay at Hillsborough, and the tie was eventually decided when Stoke won a dramatic second replay 3–2 at Old Trafford, seven weeks after the sides had first met. The game was memorable for Bobby Moore having a stint in goal after West Ham's goalkeeper Bobby Ferguson went off injured, and saving a penalty from Stoke's Mike Bernard, only for Bernard to score from the rebound.

West Ham's form suffered after the League Cup defeat, and they won just four more League matches before the end of the season. In the FA Cup, they struggled past non-League Hereford United in a replay, but were then eliminated by relegation-threatened Huddersfield Town in the fifth round.

This season was the last as West Ham players for club stalwarts Hurst and Harry Redknapp.

## League table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 12 | Leicester City | 42 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 41 | 46 | 0.891 | 39 |
| 13 | Ipswich Town | 42 | 11 | 16 | 15 | 39 | 53 | 0.736 | 38 |
| 14 | West Ham United | 42 | 12 | 12 | 18 | 47 | 51 | 0.922 | 36 |
| 15 | Everton | 42 | 9 | 18 | 15 | 37 | 48 | 0.771 | 36 |
| 16 | West Bromwich Albion | 42 | 12 | 11 | 19 | 42 | 54 | 0.778 | 35 |

## Results

### Football League First Division

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 14 August 1971 | West Bromwich Albion | H | 0–1 | 27,420 | |
| 18 August 1971 | Derby County | A | 0–2 | 30,583 | |
| 21 August 1971 | Nottingham Forest | A | 0–1 | 17,185 | |
| 23 August 1971 | Ipswich Town | H | 0–0 | 25,714 | |
| 28 August 1971 | Everton | H | 1–0 | 26,878 | Best |
| 30 August 1971 | Coventry City | H | 4–0 | 28,176 | Best (2), Hurst, Robson |
| 4 September 1971 | Newcastle United | A | 2–2 | 31,910 | Hurst, Robson |
| 11 September 1971 | Chelsea | H | 2–1 | 36,866 | Best (2) |
| 18 September 1971 | Manchester United | A | 2–4 | 53,334 | Best, Brooking |
| 25 September 1971 | Stoke City | H | 2–1 | 29,193 | Best, Moore |
| 2 October 1971 | Leeds United | A | 0–0 | 30,942 | |
| 9 October 1971 | Leicester City | H | 1–1 | 31,060 | Hurst |
| 16 October 1971 | West Bromwich Albion | A | 0–0 | 20,740 | |
| 23 October 1971 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | 1–0 | 33,883 | Best |
| 30 October 1971 | Crystal Palace | A | 3–0 | 41,540 | Coker, Bonds, Best |
| 6 November 1971 | Sheffield United | H | 1–2 | 36,595 | Robson |
| 13 November 1971 | Huddersfield Town | A | 0–1 | 14,177 | |
| 20 November 1971 | Manchester City | H | 0–2 | 33,694 | |
| 27 November 1971 | Liverpool | A | 0–1 | 43,399 | |
| 4 December 1971 | Arsenal | H | 0–0 | 35,155 | |
| 11 December 1971 | Southampton | A | 3–3 | 20,506 | Bonds, Best, Brooking |
| 18 December 1971 | Newcastle United | H | 0–1 | 21,991 | |
| 27 December 1971 | Tottenham Hotspur | A | 1–0 | 53,868 | Best |
| 1 January 1972 | Manchester United | H | 3–0 | 41,892 | Robson, Best, Hurst (pen) |
| 8 January 1972 | Everton | A | 1–2 | 38,482 | Hurst (pen) |
| 22 January 1972 | Derby County | H | 3–3 | 31,045 | Lampard, Robson, Brooking |
| 29 January 1972 | Ipswich Town | A | 0–1 | 22,766 | |
| 12 February 1972 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | 0–1 | 26,852 | |
| 19 February 1972 | Crystal Palace | H | 1–1 | 28,209 | Best |
| 29 February 1972 | Sheffield United | A | 0–3 | 24,034 | |
| 4 March 1972 | Huddersfield Town | H | 3–0 | 18,521 | Best (2), Robson |
| 11 March 1972 | Leicester City | A | 0–2 | 23,345 | |
| 18 March 1972 | Nottingham Forest | H | 4–2 | 20,960 | Robson (2), Hurst, Brooking |
| 21 March 1972 | Coventry City | A | 1–1 | 18,640 | Best |
| 25 March 1972 | Chelsea | A | 1–3 | 45,137 | Best |
| 31 March 1972 | Leeds United | H | 2–2 | 41,003 | Bonds, Hurst |
| 1 April 1972 | Tottenham Hotspur | H | 2–0 | 30,763 | Brooking, Coker |
| 4 April 1972 | Stoke City | A | 0–0 | 24,688 | |
| 8 April 1972 | Manchester City | A | 1–3 | 38,491 | Hurst |
| 15 April 1972 | Liverpool | H | 0–2 | 32,660 | |
| 22 April 1972 | Arsenal | A | 1–2 | 42,251 | Brooking |
| 1 May 1972 | Southampton | H | 1–0 | 18,479 | Robson |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| R3 | 15 January 1972 | Luton Town | H | 2–1 | 32,099 | Hurst, Best |
| R4 | 9 February 1972 | Hereford United | A | 0–0 | 15,000 | |
| R4 replay | 14 February 1972 | Hereford United | H | 3–1 | 42,271 | Hurst (3) |
| R5 | 26 February 1972 | Huddersfield Town | A | 2–4 | 27,080 | Robson, Best |

### League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| R2 | 8 September 1971 | Cardiff City | H | 1–1 | 24,432 | Bonds |
| R2 replay | 22 September 1971 | Cardiff City | A | 2–1 | 30,100 | Hurst (2) |
| R3 | 6 October 1971 | Leeds United | H | 0–0 | 35,890 | |
| R3 replay | 20 October 1971 | Leeds United | A | 1–0 (aet) | 26,504 | Best |
| R4 | 27 October 1971 | Liverpool | H | 2–1 | 40,878 | Hurst, Robson |
| R5 | 17 November 1971 | Sheffield United | H | 5–0 | 36,834 | Robson (3), Best (2) |
| SF 1st leg | 8 December 1971 | Stoke City | A | 2–1 | 36,400 | Hurst (pen), Best |
| SF 2nd leg | 15 December 1971 | Stoke City | H | 0–1 (aet; 2–2 on agg) | 38,771 | |
| SF replay | 5 January 1972 | Stoke City | N | 0–0 (aet) | 49,427 | |
| SF 2nd replay | 26 January 1972 | Stoke City | N | 2–3 | 49,427 | Bonds, Brooking |

## Players

| Player | Pos | Lge Apps | Lge Gls | FAC Apps | FAC Gls | LC Apps | LC Gls | Date Signed | Previous Club |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Bobby Ferguson | GK | 36 | | 4 | | 10 | | 1967 | Kilmarnock |
| Peter Grotier | GK | 6 | | | | | | 1969 | Academy |
| Clive Charles | DF | 4 | | | | | | 1970 | Academy |
| Paul Heffer | DF | 0 (1) | | | | 0 (1) | | 1966 | Academy |
| Frank Lampard | DF | 39 | 1 | 4 | | 10 | | 1967 | Academy |
| Kevin Lock | DF | 1 (2) | | | | | | 1971 | Academy |
| John McDowell | DF | 40 | | 4 | | 10 | | 1969 | Academy |
| Bobby Moore | DF | 40 | 1 | 4 | | 10 | | 1958 | Academy |
| Alan Stephenson | DF | 3 (1) | | | | | | 1968 | Crystal Palace |
| Tommy Taylor | DF | 42 | | 4 | | 10 | | 1970 | Orient |
| Billy Bonds | MF | 42 | 3 | 4 | | 10 | 2 | 1967 | Charlton Athletic |
| Ronnie Boyce | MF | 0 (1) | | | | | | 1959 | Academy |
| Trevor Brooking | MF | 40 | 6 | 4 | | 10 | 1 | 1967 | Academy |
| Peter Eustace | MF | 2 | | 0 (1) | | 0 (1) | | 1970 | Sheffield Wednesday |
| Pat Holland | MF | 4 | | | | | | 1969 | Academy |
| Bobby Howe | MF | 1 (4) | | | | 0 (2) | | 1966 | Academy |
| Dave Llewellyn | MF | 1 (1) | | | | | | 1969 | Academy |
| Harry Redknapp | MF | 22 | | 4 | | 9 | | 1965 | Academy |
| Johnny Ayris | FW | 11 (1) | | | | 1 | | 1970 | Academy |
| Clyde Best | FW | 42 | 17 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 4 | 1969 | Academy |
| Ade Coker | FW | 5 | 2 | | | | | 1971 | Academy |
| Joe Durrell | FW | 5 (1) | | | | | | 1970 | Academy |
| Geoff Hurst | FW | 34 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 4 | 1959 | Academy |
| Pop Robson | FW | 42 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 4 | 1971 | Newcastle United |
