HAMMERS travel to the Valley for their final fixture of
2005 hoping to gain
a first victory there since Charlton returned home after a ground
share at
Upton Park.
From four Premiership visits West Ham United have grabbed two
draws in dramatic
fashion, both in fact shown on Sky.
No one will forget the epic 4-4 draw of 2001 in which Paul
Kitson made a
final swansong for the club scoring his last three goals. The
striker put
West Ham ahead after only a few minutes but the Addicks had taken a
2-1 lead
by the half hour.
Kitson struck twice again, either side of the break, before an
equaliser,
but Jermain Defoe restored the lead with six minutes to go, only
for the
Hammers to concede in injury time.
Later that year Paolo Di Canio curled in a marvellous effort
form outside
the box to earn West Ham a point. Paul Konchesky appeared for
Charlton in
both matches, replaced by substitute Chris Powell in the
latter.
In 2003 Glenn Roeder's side went down 4-2, and that was also
the scoreline
against Harry Redknapp's team in 1998.
The last away victory at Charlton came in the FA Cup fifth round
in 1989
courtesy of a Stuart Slater goal and a 1-0 victory. Hammers also
won 1-0 at
Charlton in the FA Cup third round in 1986 through a Tony Cottee
strike.
The first match at Charlton was won 2-0 in 1932 with two goals
from the
legendary Vic Watson. Hammers lost the next match at the Valley a
year
later, but then were not beaten there again until 1979.
Billy Dare, Malcolm Musgrove and John Smith earned West Ham a
3-0 victory
1957, but it proved to be the last visit there for 19 years.
Alan Taylor bagged the only goal in a League Cup clash in 1976,
and David
Cross notched twice at Charlton in the same competition in 1981 to
help West
Ham all the way to Wembley.
The record books show a pretty even history between the sides
over the 73
years. In total the Hammers have won six, lost six and drawn seven
of their
away fixtures versus Charlton.