Classic match
Aston Villa 2-4 West Ham United
Division One
9 September 1961
The Hammers travelled to Birmingham to take on Aston Villa on this day in 1961, having won two, drawn two and lost two in a balanced start to the new campaign.
Their record would be improved with a strong display at Villa Park, which saw them run in four goals to collect both points on offer in front of a 32,000-strong crowd.
Centre forward John Dick scored twice, while Tony Scott and Alan Sealey were also on target on a successful afternoon for the Londoners, helped by two errors by home goalkeeper Geoff Sidebottom. Those mistakes helped West Ham twice come from behind during a topsy-turvy game which saw all six goals scored in the second half.
Vic Crowe put the home side in front a minute after the break, but Dick equalised within 60 seconds. Peter McParland made it 2-1 to Villa on 58 minutes, only for Scott to equalise again on 62 and Dick to put the Hammers ahead for the first time on 64. Sealey would seal the points, fittingly, with 16 minutes remaining.
Villa and the Hammers would be locked together in the Division One table for much of the 1961/62 season, with the two claret and blue clubs finishing in seventh and eighth place respectively.
Complete record - 9 September
1922 West Ham United 4-0 Rotherham County (Division Two)
1929 West Ham United 5-1 Newcastle United (Division One)
1933 West Ham United 1-2 Burnley (Division Two)
1935 West Ham United 1-0 Bradford Park Avenue (Division Two)
1936 Newcastle United 5-3 West Ham United (Division Two)
1946 Fulham 3-2 West Ham United (Division Two)
1950 Blackburn Rovers 1-3 West Ham United (Division Two)
1957 West Ham United 0-3 Sheffield United (Division Two)
1959 Tottenham Hotspur 2-2 West Ham United (Division One)
1961 Aston Villa 2-4 West Ham United (Division One)
1963 Nottingham Forest 2-0 West Ham United (Division One)
1967 Sunderland 1-5 West Ham United (Division One)
1972 Chelsea 1-3 West Ham United (Division One)
1978 Burnley 3-2 West Ham United (Division Two)
1989 West Ham United 1-1 Swindon Town (Division Two)
1998 West Ham United 3-4 Wimbledon (Premier League)
Played 16, Won 7, Drawn 2, Lost 7, Scored 39, Conceded 31