Jimmy Neighbour
"To Jimmy Neighbour"
O Jimmy, taken from us too soon.
At the age of 58,
At home in Woodford Green.
You will not be forgotten.
O Jimmy.
Worthy successor to Harry Redknapp on the Hammers' right wing.
Nifty wide player with Spurs, Norwich, West Ham and, briefly, Bournmeouth.
Later a popular youth coach in the Spurs academy.
After a spell as assistant manager of Doncaster Rovers.
Jimmy, I will never forget February 10, 1981
And the way you darted behind the Coventry City defence, deep into stoppage time,
Ran on to Paul Goddard's pass and scored to sink the Sky Blue hearts and put us through to the League Cup final.
They claimed you were offside.
No way.
The Chicken Run dissolved into ecstasy.
O Jimmy. That night you brought great joy to many people.
Not least one deeply sad, spotty, unemployed Midlands-based adolescent with ridiculous National Health glasses and in desperate need of a life.
What a night.
Funny, though. Even though their team had won, West Ham's supporters chucked bricks at the coaches heading back to the Midlands after the game.
Bless you, Jimmy.
Nifty winger. Nice chap.
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Brian Halford - Brian Halford’s look at Edgbaston.
I used to be a season ticket holder on the Chicken Run..didn't see him play but very sad never the less.
Looking at the forecast for Wednesday onwards I don't think we will be seeing much cricket this week at Taunton.
I was there that night as well Brian. One of the great nights of one of the great seasons.
RIP Jimmy and thanks for one fantastic memory.
Val - wasn't the Chicken Run just magnificent? So sad that Upton Park now has all the atmosphere and exuberance of a district council planning sub-committee meeting.
Beatie80 - please don't say that. If it's another summer as wet as the last two, at some point I'll be doing an "Ives" from the Great Escape and throwing myself on the wire.
(Always thought Angus Lennie was at his best as Shughie McPhee in Crossroads, by the way).
The Chicken Run was one of the best places to watch football from.
I stopped going when they put the seats in as you couldn't change ends then to follow the Hammer's attack.
It was a fortress in those days.
Hi Kim. Yes, what a night. Though my favourite memory of that season is perhaps Grimsby 1 West Ham 5. One of Grimsby's players had warned that they were expecting a bumper crowd, perhaps five-figures, and West Ham's players wouldn't be able to handle the atmosphere. They coped!
Val, a fortress indeed. Fantastic memories. Last time I went was to do a game against Villa a year or two back and you could've heard a pin drop. Such a shame.
Shughie McPhee would have been a giant in these days of celebrity chefs.
I always had a soft spot for Diane Parker.