Happy Hammers: revisiting West Ham's 1980 FA Cup triumph – in pictures

With the coronavirus pandemic putting paid to the plans of 90,000 fans packing out Wembley in this year’s FA Cup final, we’ve had a rummage through the archives to check out West Ham’s win over Arsenal 40 years ago

Main image: West Ham fans celebrate in the streets of east London Photograph: Eamonn McCabe/The Guardian

  • With their team well outside the promotion spots with just one game to go, the FA Cup final was a chance for the Second Division side to finish the season on a high and their fans at Wembley were certainly up for the cup
    With their team well outside the promotion spots with just one game to go, the FA Cup final was a chance for the second division side to finish the season on a high and their fans at Wembley were certainly up for the cup

  • Arsenal were overwhelming favourites, having been in the previous two finals and on their way to finishing fourth in the First Division, However, in the 13th minute West Ham’s Trevor Brooking stooped to head the ball past Arsenal keeper Pat Jennings. ‘I know I wasn’t noted for my heading,’ Brooking said. ‘Some think that Stuart Pearson’s cross simply hit me on the head and bounced in. It wasn’t quite like that … I leaned back to put myself in line with the ball … made contact with my head and tried to steer it into the net … It was one of the great moments of my career’
    West Ham United’s Trevor Brooking (third l) heads the winning goal past Arsenal goalkeeper Pat Jennings (third r)

  • Despite having the majority of the possession, Arsenal were unable to break down the Hammers, with keeper Phil Parkes and his defence holding firm to give West Ham an unlikely victory. West Ham’s manager John Lyall tactically outsmarted his counterpart Terry Neill by playing a 4–5–1 system, stifling Arsenal’s creative midfield talent that included future West Ham signing Liam Brady
    West Ham United players including Paul Allen (right) fall to their knees in celebration after the 1980 FA Cup Final between West Ham United and Arsenal

  • West Ham skipper Billy Bonds holds the trophy aloft. Bonds later recalled: ‘We didn’t really go into the game thinking we were underdogs because, although we were a Second Division side, we had a lot of very good players in that team. If you look through that team a lot of them became legends at the club’
    West Ham skipper Billy Bonds holds aloft the FA Cup to the delight of team mates and the Wembley crowd after The Hammers’ 1-0 win over Arsenal.

  • The victorious players pose with the trophy. Back row (left-right): Phil Parkes, goalscorer Trevor Brooking, Billy Bonds, Alvin Martin, Pat Holland, Jimmy Neighbour, Paul Brush, Bobby Ferguson. Front row: David Cross, Stuart Pearson, Alan Devonshire, Paul Allen, Ray Stewart, Geoff Pike and Frank Lampard.
    The West Ham United team posing with the trophy after their FA Cup Final victory over Arsenal at Wembley Stadium

  • Geoff Pike and Paul Allen, right, parade the FA Cup during their lap of honour
    West Ham United’s Geoff Pike and Paul Allen, right parade the FA Cup during the celebrations

  • The West Ham fans took the the streets the next day to celebrate a famous win via convertible …
    The West Ham fans took the the streets the next day to celebrate a famous win, via convertible ...

  • … van ...
    West Ham United fans celebrate down the streets of East London after their team won the FA Cup Final

  • … and on foot
    West Ham United fans celebrate down the streets of East London after their team won the FA Cup Final

  • East London homes were decorated in celebration of the Hammers’ win
    West Ham United fans celebrate in the streets of East London after their team won the FA Cup Final on May 11, 1980.

  • And adorned with banners
    A house in East London after their team won the FA Cup Final on May 11, 1980 in East Ham, London, England

  • After many fans had waited patiently for the celebrations to begin in earnest
    West Ham United fans celebrate in the streets of East London after their team won the 1980 FA Cup Final

  • …the streets soon filled up with an estimated 200,000 people lining the route of the victory parade
    West Ham United fans celebrate in the streets of East London after their team won the 1980 FA Cup Final

  • This fan and his stein put in some miles while out celebrating
    West Ham United fans celebrate in the streets of East London after their team won the 1980 FA Cup Final

  • Fans crowded the streets as they wait to see the team …
    Ham United fans wait to see the team during their victory parade after their team won the 1980 FA Cup final

  • … and clambered to any vantage point in order to get a better view
    Ham United fans crowd the streets as they wait to see the team during their victory parade

  • The players boarded the coach at Stratford Broadway and then took a route to get to East Ham town hall, a few miles away. It took hours to get there due to the number of fans lining the route
    The West Ham team parades the FA Cup from a coach near Upton Park the morning after beating Arsenal at Wembley

  • Players on top of the coach, Ray Stewart is holding the trophy, behind him Alan Devonshire is waving with both hands and Paul Brush is seated at the back (far left)
    West Ham United players on top of the bus during the parade of the trophy around East London

  • David Cross at East Ham Town Hall. Cross told the club website earlier this month: ‘I wanted to remember the whole thing. I remember our celebrations, then the next day the parade past the town hall was just a fantastic occasion. The good thing about that was that we were able to share it with all those fans. It wasn’t just about us. It was about the fans as well. It was just the whole weekend, it was fantastic. I was really pleased that I made that decision not to get over excited and forget about everything. I do recall everything vividly’
    West Ham striker David Cross at East Ham Town Hall.

  • Devonshire lifts the trophy above his head at the civic reception to celebrate the club’s third FA Cup triumph
    Alan Devonshire lifts the FA Cup over his head at the civic reception to celebrate the club’s third FA Cup triumph
Topics