by Staff Writer
Wednesday, 28th January 2026
25 years ago today, Harry Redknapp's West Ham United pulled off one of the club's biggest FA Cup shocks when Paolo Di Canio's 77th minute strike downed Alex Ferguson's multi-title-winning Manchester United in their own back yard.
Old Trafford was stunned as West Ham hung on to record a highly unlikely 1-0 victory - while the rest of the nation, thoroughly bored by Man U's domestic dominance is delighted.
Over 9,000 Hammers fans were present to see Di Canio down the reigning Premiership champions, who won the 1999/2000 league title by an incredible 18 points. But West Ham, featuring the likes of Sebastien Schemmel and loanee Hannu Tihinen - who dined out on his performance at Old Trafford for years afterwards - had other ideas.
A resolute defensive performance had kept the game goalless until the closing stages, when Freddie Kanoute's through ball sent Di Canio racing towards goal.
French goalkeeper Fabian Barthez inexplicably pretended that an offside decision was imminent, waving his hand in the air as the Italian approached. But Di Canio was not to be fooled and he passed the ball beyond Barthez into the net, in front of the assembled away contingent.
Naturally mayhem commenced in the away stand, with hundreds of Hammers fans ending several rows below where they began the celebrations due to what would be described today as "limbs".
West Ham would go on to win at Sunderland in the next round, before going down at home to Tottenham in the quarter finals.
* Number one in the music charts on this day in 2001 was Limp Bizkit's 'Rollin'.
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