John Lyall was manager of West Ham from 1974 to 1989. He was the most successful manager in the club's history, winning two FA Cups, reaching the final of the League Cup and the European Cup Winners Cup, and leading the club to finish in its highest ever league position - 3rd - in 1986. And on top of that he was a top bloke. He's one of the few people in football that I've never heard anyone speak ill of. And what an irony that he should die four days before West Ham's FA Cup Semi Final match against Middlesbrough. I heard Billy Bonds on Radio 5 today talking about him. Lyall clearly meant the world to him. All of us West Ham fans will miss him.
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
John Lyall: An Appreciation
John Lyall was manager of West Ham from 1974 to 1989. He was the most successful manager in the club's history, winning two FA Cups, reaching the final of the League Cup and the European Cup Winners Cup, and leading the club to finish in its highest ever league position - 3rd - in 1986. And on top of that he was a top bloke. He's one of the few people in football that I've never heard anyone speak ill of. And what an irony that he should die four days before West Ham's FA Cup Semi Final match against Middlesbrough. I heard Billy Bonds on Radio 5 today talking about him. Lyall clearly meant the world to him. All of us West Ham fans will miss him.
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2 comments:
John Lyall was a super guy without whom I'd never have been a West Ham fan. I'm not a good one, but I check the results and lots of things even though I'm out of the country- all about twenty years since I started supporting them when Mcavennie and Cottee were in tandem up front. One of my favourite keepsakes is a west ham towel of incredibly enduring properties. He put together a team which nearly combined steel with style- thereby completely fulfilling the West Ham tradition!
Not sure if you ever have a look around at Knees Up Mother Brown (Kumb.com), but in among the standard 'RIP John' posts there are a lot of very illuminating anecdotes from posters showing what a thoroughly decent chap he was as well as being a fine manager.
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