Anniversary
Ken Brown
Date of birth: 16 February 1934
Clubs: West Ham United, Torquay United
Born in Forest Gate on 16 February 1934, Ken Brown was signed from Dagenham-based Neville United in October 1951. A superb centre-half, Brown made his first-team debut in a 1-1 draw at Rotherham United on 21 February 1953.
Brown enjoyed many highlights during his West Ham career, first proving to be a stalwart during the 1957/58 Division Two promotion season. He also collected winners' medals in the FA Cup in 1964 and European Cup Winners' Cup a year later.
The defender would go on to make 468 league and cup appearances for the club, scoring four goals. Brown also won a single England cap as one of six debutants in the 2-1 Home Championship win over Northern Ireland at Wembley on 18 November 1959.
Following his final West Ham appearance in February 1967, Brown joined former team-mate John Bond at Torquay United before going on to have an equally successful career in management, leading Norwich City to the League Cup in 1985. Brown went on to take charge at Plymouth Argyle before moving back to Norwich to help to run a leisure centre.
Classic Match
West Ham United 2-0 Swansea City
FA Cup fifth round
16 February 1980
Two late goals saw West Ham United sneak past Swansea City into the FA Cup quarter-finals for the first time since the 1974/75 season, when the Hammers would go on to lift the trophy at Wembley.
History would repeat itself five seasons later as Paul Allen and David Cross scored twice in the space of 60 seconds five minutes from the end of the tie. Allen opened the scoring after Swansea goalkeeper Glan Letheran had dropped Cross's volley. The striker then doubled the advantage to ensure John Lyall's side's progress to the last-eight.
West Ham's victory ensured the club had reached the quarter-finals of both domestic cup competitions in the same season for the first time in their history. Of course, the Hammers went on to lift the FA Cup for the third time by beating Arsenal 1-0 at Wembley on 10 May 1980.