On This Day: 11 January

Anniversary

Joe Gallagher
Date of birth: 11 January 1955
National team: England B
Clubs: Birmingham City, Wolverhampton Wanderers, West Ham United, Burnley, Halifax Town

Born in Liverpool, Joe Gallagher was a central defender signed by West Ham United in late 1982 after leaving Wolverhampton Wanderers two months previously.

The former Birmingham City player was drafted into the Hammers side following the suspension of Alvin Martin and proved to be a useful deputy at the heart of the club's rearguard. The highlight of Gallagher's short stay in east London came in the shape of a 3-0 Division One win over Tottenham Hotspur at the Boleyn Ground on New Year's Day 1983, when his header was pushed on to the crossbar in the lead up to debutant Tony Cottee's first goal for the club.

Gallagher would go on to make nine Division One appearances and one in each of the two major cup competitions for the club before joining Burnley in the summer of 1983. He was loaned to Division Four side Halifax Town before returning to Turf Moor and playing a leading role as the Clarets retained their Football League status in the 1986/87 season.

Following his retirement from playing at the relatively young age of 32 in 1987, Gallagher went on to manage a number of non-league teams in the Midlands, including Coleshill Town, Atherstone United and Kings Heath. He now works for the Press Association.

Classic Match

Arsenal 0-1 West Ham United
FA Cup third round replay
11 January 1989

Arsenal would end the season as League champions and went into this match as the country's top scorers. West Ham United were bottom of the table without a win in five Division One matches and would end the season by being relegated.

The Hammers went into the replay 26 points behind their hosts. The Gunners' Alan Smith, Paul Merson and Brian Marwood had converted a total of 36 goals between them in all competitions, including Merson's brace in the original tie, which had ended 2-2 three days previously. All the odds pointed towards a home win for George Graham's side, but football is a funny old game.

Despite their lofty league position, the home side failed to create any clear goalscoring chances, handing Hammers goalkeeper Allen McKnight an unexpectedly uneventful evening.

Manager John Lyall was hailed as a tactical hero as the visitors stifled their opponents before snatching a shock victory through Leroy Rosenior's 77th-minute header past John Lukic. West Ham would go on to beat Swindon Town, after another replay, and Charlton Athletic before going down 3-1 to Norwich City in the quarter-finals.