Dawned on me yesterday that whilst the memories today will be of the 'Dowie game' that wasn't the last time a West Ham team turned out at EP. That came a couple of years later.
It was an FA Youth Cup game. And a cracker it was as well. we lost 3-2, but only to the eventual winners of the competition, who beat Coventry 9-0 in the final!!
Turning out for the Hammers were Joe Cole and Michael Carrick.
For us the names who made it as far as the first team were Keith Briggs; Dessie Byrne (!!); Glynn Hancock; Jon Daly and Peter Wild, albeit that only Briggs and Daly played much.
www.57hattersyears.co.uk - the tale of a life following County
Re: A little light reading in advance of tonight's game
And mention of Dessie Byrne reminds me of his departure from EP. Writing in 'Survival of the Fattest 1998/99' I summarised things:
But the most bizarre episode came with Dessie Byrne – a 17 year old just breaking into the first team..An incident in a local club, involving what might allegedly and euphemistically be called a ‘glassing’, left Ian Moore sporting a black eye amongst other things. Dessie had apparently displeased some of the (ahem) tougher elements of the Salford area. Retribution was sought as a vanload of hooded and tooled-up characters descended on a training session.
Showing much of the spirit they did throughout the season, the players fled to the sanctuary of the dressing-room leaving Megson to face the foe. Showing the same oratorical skills he displayed in his on-pitch addresses to the fans, but perhaps with more success, he managed to calm the situation. It led to Byrne’s quick trip to the airport, more for his own safety, but with employment at County terminated. The whole affair was cloaked in secrecy, with all the players under orders not to comment.
There was lots of talk about Byrne being a fall-guy for a more senior player in the episode, but the fundamental question as to why senior professionals were encouraging under-age drinking still remains unanswered – and, given the Tribunal’s verdict that dismissal was not unfair, will presumably remain a mystery.
It was a season of ill discipline - added to the Byrne episode, Wilbraham and Chris Byrne found themselves at odds with the law, and Harry McNally, (Chief Scout), was summarily dismissed after a scouting trip to Scotland which produced no players but a hefty bar bill.
The whole season is summarised - Survival of the Fattest 1998/99www.57hattersyears.co.uk - the tale of a life following County
Re: A little light reading in advance of tonight's game
on 11/1/2021, 12:23 pm
