13 May will mark 20 years since West Ham United last reached the FA Cup Final. That gloriously sunny day in Cardiff, where we produced a superb display but ultimately failed to get the better of Liverpool.
A day we helped breathe life into a historic competition, showing signs of cracks as money began to speak more than glory for many clubs. A day we can look back on with misty-eyed pride. A day and game I refuse to fully delve back into, because to this day, as proud as I was of my club, it hurts. It hurts a lot.
The FA Cup still holds a magical allure for many football fans. The world’s oldest cup competition, one that delivers magical moments that live long in the psyche. That iconic trophy, a goal. While cash, Europe and survival may mean more to players and chairmen today, to us supporters the desire to lift a trophy in some god forsaken part of north west London, is a thing of beauty and desire.
This is our 20th attempt to get to the final since that fateful day in which we saw a certain LA Galaxy legend break hearts. So far this season we’ve scraped through. Twice needing extra time to despatch clubs lower down the footballing food chain. But we’re West Ham. Simple isn’t an option, and the key thing isn't aesthetically-pleasing performances, it’s making sure your name is in the hat for the next round. And that we have achieved. The 5th round, the last 16. We’re still there.
But what of our attempts in the interim? Some linger longer in the memory than others, while some were painfully put to the back of the mind. Let’s recap on the efforts since our last visit to the final...
2006/07
Now, being drawn against Brighton would draw a few groans. In recent years they’ve become thorns in our side, but back then they were a League One outfit playing in an athletics stadium. Being drawn at home to them was no cause for concern. Despite a troubled start to the season, three second half goals saw off the Seagulls at the Boleyn. We were drawn at home to Watford in Round 4. Traditionally a team we’ve had favourable results against. We went down 1-0 to a first half Anthony McNamee goal, one of only three goals he scored for the club.. It was the season of Tevez, the great escape and a pulsating end to the season. In January though, it was just apathy and misery.
Match report: https://www.kumb.com/report.php?id=337
2007/08
Manchester City were our opponents in Round 3. At the time owned by Thais, managed by Sven Goran Eriksson. Still proper Manchester City, not the petrol rich behemoths they are now. Did they mean we would beat them? No of course not. After a goalless draw in E13, we had a replay 11 days later - an Elano goal knocking us out and ruining the dream for another year.
Match report: https://www.kumb.com/report.php?id=401
2008/09
Changes were afoot in east London. Off field issues caused havoc. Alan Curbishley resigned early on to be replaced by Gianfranco Zola. Our Icelandic owners were hit by the country’s banking crisis, throwing themselves and us into financial peril. Sponsors collapsed. Kits were patched up. The season was more erratic than erotic amidst the chaos. Round 3 saw us pitted against Barnsley, then in the Championship. A comfortable 3-0 win including a first goal by Henrita Ilunga. Next up we were sent to the bleak north, Hartlepool the destination. Then a League One side. Ignoring time-honoured tradition we came through the tie, with two goals in rapid succession by Valon Behrami and Mark Noble enough to see us through. Round 5 beckoned. Excitement began to stir, only to be presented with a tie against Middlesbrough. Ilunga notched a late equaliser following a Stewart Downing goal at home leaving us with another long trip to the North East. Two goals in the opening 20 minutes ended our hopes and left those who travelled questioning their sanity.
Match report: https://www.kumb.com/story.php?id=124013
2009/10
In a season best remembered as largely painful, our FA Cup journey encapsulated it nicely. On the plus side we were drawn at home again. On the negative, it was against Arsenal. Despite opening the scoring on half time through Alessandro Diamanti, two late goals knocked us out. The visitors line-up included four players who went on to feature for us in Fabianski, Song, Wilshere and Nasri.
Match report: https://www.kumb.com/report.php?id=511
2010/11
Well what a run this was. In the grips of new owners (Booo! No More BS), and under the stewardship of Avram Grant it was a horrendous season in the league. Cup competitions helped lighten the mood for a bit, at least, with West Ham reaching the semi finals of the League Cup and this assault on the FA Cup. Assault being the key word, given how it ended. Yet again a 5th consecutive home tie in the 3rd Round: Barnsley again, seen off through goals from Spector and Piquionne. In the 4th Round, Nottingham Forest were to visit us. A rollercoaster game saw us prevail 3-2 thanks to a Victor Obinna hat-trick - a real one for the purists being a header, a miss hit cross and a penalty. Our reward was another home tie against another championship side in Burnley. To make things easy for the travelling support it was played on a Monday night. A West Ham side struggling in the league banged in five goals to complete the misery, with Thomas Hitzlsperger scoring on his long awaited return. Carlton Cole added two with Winston Reid and Freddie Sears rounding off a 5-1 romp. Our prize? A trip to Stoke. Tony Pulis had a somewhat ‘robust’ side. Eight days before we had beat them 3-0 in the League. Spirits were high as we made our trip to the Potteries. Fiery is the best way to describe the game. Elbows were used, Matty Etherington dived for his new side, blatant penalties for us were turned down. Woodwork was hit. Ultimately Stoke's shithousery and Mike Jones' refereeing ineptness prevailed and we went home after a Danny Higginbottom free kick consigned us to a 2-1 defeat.
Match report: https://www.kumb.com/report.php?id=101141
2011/12
Our season in the Championship under Big Sam. We got our first away tie in the 3rd Round for just the third time since our last run to the final. Hillsborough the destination against a third tier Sheffield Wednesday. We lost, Sam Baldock missing a second half penalty before the home side smashed home an 88th-minute winner.
Match report: https://www.kumb.com/story.php?id=125914
2012/13
Back In the top flight and back making waves. The start of a worrying precedent dawned. Drawn at home after the previous year's glitch, only for it to be against a Manchester United side who we would face in Cup games in the coming seasons far too frequently to be random. They were on their way to regaining the title. We came so close to dumping them out of the FA Cup. Two James Collins headers were undone by a stoppage time, Van Persie equaliser. The replay saw Wayne Rooney scoring the only goal as we went out.
Match report: https://www.kumb.com/story.php?id=126670
2013/14
An FA Cup campaign best filed in the ‘what the hell?’ category. Drawn at the City Ground, we lost 5-0 to a Forest side a division below. Perhaps making a statement to the board over lack of investment, we fielded a young, inexperienced line-up. The decision backfired badly and was the catalyst to the ultimately doomed relationship between Allardyce and our support.
Match report: https://www.kumb.com/story.php?id=127253
2014/15
Sam’s last tilt at the FA Cup for us. It brought us an iconic moment never to be forgotten, but ended with a horrific Valentine’s Day massacre that saw me depart early for the sanity of a pub, for the first time in my supporting life. First up we were drawn at Goodison. Then it was never a happy hunting ground where Romelu Lukaku scored against us every single time. James Collins put us in front only for Lukaku (who else?) to fire an equaliser in stoppage time. The replay at the Boleyn was a classic. One-each at full time, Lukaku (again) and Carlton Cole exchanged strikes in extra time to bring a penalty shoot out. With those at eight each, up steps our keeper Adrian throwing his gloves to the deck to signify let’s get this over. He slots home to send the crowd into ecstasy. Our run never got better. Next up a trip to Bristol City, a late Diafra Sakho goal nudging us through. Then that day at the Hawthorns. Oh dear. Awful wouldn’t come close to describing us. A 4-0 loss and a(nother) day out with good company soured.
Match report: https://www.kumb.com/report.php?id=101363
2015/16
Our last campaign at the Boleyn. A magical place and magical attempt to progress in the competition to give the old girl a fitting farewell. The 3rd Round draw did its best to quell the drama of the season, however. A late Nikola Jekavic strike seeing off Championship side Wolves in a dire encounter. Our reward in the 4th round was a trip to Anfield, another that would prove to happen far too regularly. Now this would usually signify a swift exit, but such was the 2015/16 campaign that nothing felt impossible. An away win in the League for the first time in over 50 years, earlier in the season with a team containing the mercurial Dimitri Payet. Well, there was magic in the air. After a goalless draw, we came back to the Boleyn for the replay. At 1-1 with 131 minutes on the clock, penalties were looming. We won a free kick on the right. Payet foisted it in. Ogbonna nodded home and the crowd went ballistic. Next up, a trip to Ewood Park. Blackburn were dismantled as Payet ran amok. A majestic free kick and a dazzling run sealed a 5-1 rout. The whole club was loving life. Another tough tie. Drawn at Old Trafford again. But we went up in numbers and full of anticipation and hope. After Payet despatched yet another long range free kick, arguably his best, we were on the road to a famous victory - only for match official Martin Atkinson to deny us a worthy victory, clearly missing Bastisn Schweinsteiger blatantly impeding Darren Randolph as Antony Martial equalised with seven minutes remaining. Back at the Boleyn for the replay we ran out of steam, losing 2-1 in the final FA Cup game at one of the nation's most beloved football stadiums.
Match report: https://www.kumb.com/report.php?id=101539
2016/17
Our first season at the London Stadium. It wasn’t a happy first FA Cup game at our new abode. Drawn at home in the 3rd Round to a now increasingly pimped up, cash rich and dominant Manchester City, we lost 5-0. They had Aguero and Toure. We had apathy and tension and our worst home FA Cup result in history.
Match report: https://www.kumb.com/report.php?id=10185
2017/18
The season when the divisions between Sullivan and Gold and the support came to a head. Slaven Bilic was let go in November so our Cup run was in the hands of David Moyes. At the time, his managerial stock was at a low after dismal tenures in charge of Sunderland and Real Sociedad. Drawn away in Round 3 we were handed a trip to Shrewsbury. We couldn’t finish the League One team off at their place and it took 112 minutes of the replay to finally break the deadlock, Reece Burke notching his only ever goal for us. Our reward? A trip to Wigan. A phrase never uttered before or indeed since. Two divisions below us, but on the day a class above. Two Will Grigg goals and an Arthur Masuaku loss of discipline ending the cup campaign in very tense circumstances.
Match report: https://www.kumb.com/story.php?id=132110
2018/19
After Moyes kept us up, he was immediately let go with Manuel Pellegrini allegedly offering a sexier and more stylistic approach. The legacy is now in the history books, as is the largely uninspiring FA Cup campaign. At home to Birmingham in Round 3 a lethargic 2-0 victory was achieved through goals from a grumpy Arnautovic and a back-from-injury Andy Carroll, easing us through. Being drawn away to League strugglers AFC Wimbledon didn’t put fear in the bones, but West Ham being West Ham we contrived to make a mockery of status and ultimately lose 4-2 to a side we had already knocked out of the League Cup earlier that season.
Match report: https://www.kumb.com/story.php?id=133224
2019/20
After Pellegrini was relieved of his duties, back bounced boomerang Moyes. We were drawn away to Gillingham in Round 3. A nervy performance early on, matched by having to sit in the rickety, scaffolded away end. Goals for the two Pablos, Zabaletta and Fornals earning our passage to the 4th round - only for us to be faced with a PTSD-inducing visit from West Brom which we predictably lost 1-0. To a team one division below us and managed by Slaven Bilic and Julian Dicks.
Match report: https://www.kumb.com/report.php?id=121260
2020/21
On the pitch we finished 6th in the League, qualifying for the Europa League while setting club Premier League records for points achieved, games won and away games won. Off it, we were largely resigned to watching this unfold on TV or, if you were lucky, Eyes Up Mother Brown on KUMB TV, as the globe was in the grips of COVID-19. Whilst in the league we flourished, we managed to reach round 5 of the FA Cup. Round 3 saw us visit Stockport’s Edgeley Park, the ghosts of Dowie’s past exorcised as we eventually managed to find a way past the spirited National League side thanks to an 83rd-minute Craig Dawson effort (this before he acquired the Balon D’Awson moniker). Round 4 gave us a home tie against league one Doncaster. We triumphed 4-0 with an uncharacteristically professional display, including Dapo Agolayan’s only ever appearance and goal. In order to quell any form of good spirits in east London, we were given a draw away at Old Trafford. A flat and dull match ended with Scott McTominay scoring in the first period of extra time. Of course this was the derided, lumbering version of McTominay long before he moved to Italy, discovered tomatoes and footballing prowess.
Match report: https://www.kumb.com/report.php?id=121309
2021/22
Crowds were back. European campaigns lapped up. Amidst the backdrop of such jollity was a largely frustrating cup campaign. Drawn at home to Leeds in round 3, we edged through 2-0 - before capitulating 3-2 at home a week later in the league. The 4th round paired us with Kidderminster Harriers. The performance given was not befitting a side of our them stature. It took a Declan Rice solo strike to spare the blushes - his 91st minute equaliser earning us extra time, where a Jarrod Bowen 121st minute tap-in prevented further embarrassment. A sixth tier side should not be making life this difficult for us. Next up a trip to Southampton. A midweek 5th round tie - and defeat ending the run in an underwhelming manner.
Match report: https://www.kumb.com/report.php?id=121354
2022/23
Ahh 2022/23. That night in Prague. That Paqueta pass. That Bowen goal. That masking of the awful rot that set in domestically around November. The FA Cup offered little respite. Brentford away in round 3. By now the west London outfit had become a bit of a bogey side for us, but Said Benrahma bucked the trend and got us through to a 4th round trip to Derby. In a weird evening encounter, Bowen and Antonio saw us through to round 5 - only to land yet another trip to old Trafford. We duly conceded three goals in the last 13 minutes to exit with a disappointing flourish.
Match report: https://www.kumb.com/report.php?id=121416
2023/24
The final season of Moyes' tenure. We couldn’t navigate our way into the 4th round despite two cracks at it. Drawn at home to Bristol City we only drew, despite an early Bowen opener. Looking flatter and flatter as the game went on. Tthe replay saw us concede after three minutes, Benrahma dismissed after 51 and barely a glove laid on the opposition. Maybe next season, eh lads?
Match report: https://www.kumb.com/report.php?id=121500
2024/25
Another season, another exit in our first attempt. To be fair, in what was an awful season we actually gave a decent show in this game. Drawn to play a very good Aston Villa side away in unusual circumstances, this being our new manager, at the time, Graham Potter's first game in charge of us. An early Lucas Paqueta goal and a buccaneering Ollie Scarles performance gave much early cheer to a boisterous away following only for injury and inertia to strike and end any hope of progression, as we lost 2-1.
Match report: https://www.kumb.com/report.php?id=121557
2025/26
At home to Queens Park Rangers in Round 3, we squeaked a 2-1 win, new boy Taty Castellanos getting on extra time winner. A much-changed side then squeezed past League One strugglers Burton Albion. What next? Well probably to a 5th round tie against Manchester City or Liverpool if the exchanges between my sons and I are to be believed. But we’re still in the Cup and still dreaming. So until that changes, who knows?
Match report: https://www.kumb.com/report.php?id=121594
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