Product Description

West Ham United has employed only 11 full-time managers in its 112-year history. But managing the East London club has never been easy right from the very early days when their first boss, Syd King, committed suicide.

None of King's successor's ever felt quite that desperate when results and events conspired against them but there have certainly been traumatic times along the way.
Glenn Roeder, who admitted he was lucky to be given the job, nearly died from a stroke shortly before his team was relegated.

Alan Pardew was sacked just six months after taking the club to its first Cup final in 25 years and a strong first season back in the Premiership.

Billy Bonds, a playing legend for 21 years before taking charge, twice led his beloved Hammers to promotion to the top flight, but was unable to avoid the dreaded drop in a year plagued by off the field unrest and supporters' protests sparked by the notorious bond scheme. He walked away in bitter disgust after claiming his former No.2 Harry Redknapp was offered his job behind his back. These two former best mates have never spoken since and Bonzo and `H' explain why.

Teetotal Scot Lou Macari, who tried in vain to ban his players from drinking alcohol and eating chips, suddenly resigned in mid-season following a relentless national newspaper campaign against him, alleging he had previously placed bets on his former club to LOSE matches.The Scot's arrival had ended almost three decades of stability and success under the much-revered Ron Greenwood, who went on to manage England, and his protégé John Lyall. Between them, these two highly respected coaches and men of integrity guided the Irons to their greatest achievements two European finals, three FA Cup victories, a couple of League Cup final appearances and their highest-ever league positions while upholding the club's tradition for playing an entertaining brand of football.

Now it is the turn of Alan Curbishley to try and bring success and Premiership stability to West Ham United. Having narrowly saved the club from relegation on a nerve-wracking final day of the 2006-07 season, Curbs is under no illusions about the size of the task facing him on his return to the club where he first made his name as a player. He had been given an unprecedented transfer budget by the club's new Icelandic owners but that in itself brings added pressure to a job where the fans' expectations usually exceed actual achievements.

West Ham United -The Managers examines in depth the life and times of all 11 men who have managed the Hammers
In addition to the above mentioned nine, we also look at the contributions of East Enders Charlie Paynter and Ted Fenton, who laid the foundations for progress in the 50s, plus the legendary Trevor Brooking, who has twice stepped in as caretaker boss in recent years.

With candid contributions from most of the managers themselves, close members of their families and the thoughts of many others who have played for and worked closely with them, this book provides a unique and compelling insight into the men who have occupied the West Ham hotseat and the many factors that have determined both their successes and failures.
Read about the West Ham manager who . . .
*Made a court plea to save one of his stars from a prison sentence.

*Tried to sack his captain and star player but was prevented from doing so by the Board.

*Threatened to resign when six of his players broke a hotel curfew.

*Lost his leading scorer after a stabbing incident.

*Persuaded one of his injured stars to place a bet for him on the horses . . . just minutes before kick-off!

*Was accused of masterminding a betting scam involving his own players against Manchester United.

*Refused to co-operate with the club's PR department when fans turned against the club.

*Deducted money from his players' pay packets and, allegedly, kept it for himself.

*Put England skipper Bobby Moore on the transfer list.

*Failed to turn up for the team bus and had to be talked out of resigning.

*Resigned in anger after suspecting a boardroom plot to oust him.

*Saw two of his players admitted to rehab to try and cure their drink and gambling addictions and another arrested on charges of committing affray.

*Turned down all invitations to return to the club he once loved.

All this and much more in West Ham United -The Managers

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #223102 in Books
• Published on: 2007-12-07
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 384 pages

Customer Reviews

Alvin Martin talks about West Ham United: The Managers
Alvin Martin is unique in that he is the only past or present West Ham United player to have served under five of the 11 full-time managers featured in this book, including Ron Greenwood who coached him when he first joined the Hammers as an apprentice.

A West Ham United legend, centre-half Alvin made 595 first team appearances for the Hammers and gained 17 full England caps between 1978 and 1996. He is now a respected radio pundit for TalkSPORT.

Martin said about West Ham United: The Managers:

"In all the years I've been associated with West Ham, this is the only book I've picked up that has given me a genuine insight into what really happened during my 21 years at the club. Much of what I read came as a surprise to me.

"The book covers many issues that were clouded in mystery when I was there, so to read the comments and views of my fellow professionals - fascinating and revealing quotes from the horse's mouth, if you like - was something that I found very enlightening. A lot of the time players don't divulge that sort of thing - the modern footballer usually responds to probing questions with a straight bat - but it was nice to read how other people viewed so many different aspects of the managers and how they went about their job.
"This book covers everything that happened at West Ham in a factual, knowledgeable and revealing way.
"I gave a copy to my dad and he loved it. Like me, he couldn't put it down."

West Ham The Inside Story
I thoroughly recommend this book to all Hammers fans. It is compelling reading as Tony McDonald reveals the inside stories from his many interviews with the managers. Controversy and hard hitting comments are in plentiful supply The club has only had 11 managers in its entire history but you will be enthralled to read about chirpy cockney Harry Redknapp, the fans hero Billy Bonds, the great John Lyall and finally what has present manager Alan Curbishley have to say about his first roller coaster season. A superb read and one that all West Ham supporters will enjoy