BLACKBURN Rovers are the first team that the Hammers will face for
the second time in the league this season, and everyone will be
hoping for a repeat of that fantastic opening day victory at Upton
Park!
The last visit to Ewood Park saw Jermain Defoe snatch a point in 2002 five minutes from time with Hammers second equaliser. Amazingly, that was only the Hammers second ever score-draw at Blackburn - the first was 3-3 in 1929, but there have been four 0-0's.
Hammers have only won once in the Premiership, the first meeting in 1993 courtesy of Lee Chapman and Trevor Morley either side of half-time. In 2001 Hammers went down 7-1 with Michael Carrick the scorer.
Hammers were victorious in the FA Cup in 1998 after a 2-2 draw at the Boleyn Ground. John Hartson thought he'd settled the tie after a 104 minute stalemate, but Stuart Ripley sent the match to penalties. After eight successful kicks, Colin Hendry missed and Steve Lomas sent West Ham through.
Between 1966 and 1993 the sides only met four times at Ewood Park, and West Ham United never won. In the 1950's and 60's however, it was a regular fixture.
West Ham were beaten 8-2 at home by Rovers on Boxing day 1963 and had to take the trip up to Lancashire only two days later. Ron Greenwood dropped Martin Peters for Eddie Bovington and the Hammers won 3-1, with goals from Geoff Hurst and Johnny Byrne.
That result proved to be the catalyst the struggling Hammers had needed, and the successful formation employed that day took them all the way to Wembley for their first ever FA Cup triumph over Preston.
The season before West Ham had also won away, 4-0. Hurst and Byrne again, plus Peters and Malcolm Musgrove. The first ever league meeting at Ewood Park was won 1-0 by West Ham with a goal from Stanley Earl in 1924.
Hammers visited Rovers twice in 1956, and were victorious on
both occasions.
The first meeting came in an FA Cup fifth round replay. John Dick
struck twice, as well as Harry Hooper to put West Ham United in to
the next round.
The second meeting, in Division Two, saw West Ham United win 2-1. John Dick scored again, and ironically Alan Blackburn, who only managed three goals for the Hammers in three years.