talkSPORT presenter and lifelong fan Ian ‘Moose’ Abrahams talks to Hammers great Tony Gale
talkSPORT presenter and lifelong West Ham United supporter Ian ‘Moose’ Abrahams chats to Hammers great Tony Gale...
Hello everyone,
As you will all know, we beat Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Emirates FA Cup third round on Saturday, to set up a fourth-round trip to Liverpool or Exeter City.
Looking back, when I think of historic games against Wolves, I remember some of the great sides in Old Gold from the past and the forward lines they’ve had; John Richards and Andy Gray in the late 1970s and early 1980s and then, a decade later, Steve Bully and Andy Mutch.
I also remember some great goals we’ve scored against them; Frank Lampard Senior thumped in a terrific goal in November 1974 and then there was a very famous last goal for Liam Brady against the men from Molieneux on this ground in 1990.
And that’s where I began my chat with one of our Boys of ’86 and a man with his own FA Cup tales to tell, Tony Gale...
“Chippy was sub for that game, as he’d just come back from injury and was desperate to play and desperate to get back on the pitch because he knew it was his last professional game of football,” Galey recalled of Brady’s final game in Claret and Blue.
“I remember when he came on and he came over to me and I said to him, ‘It’ll be a great way to go out if you scored a goal’, and he scored a ripper with probably the last kick of the game and we won 4-0.
“It was a typical Brady goal, drifting across to left-hand side and shooting across the ‘keeper. It was a wonderful goal from one of the game’s superstars.”
Having played with such greats as Billy Bonds, Trevor Brooking and Alan Devonshire, I asked Galey to compare Brady with them in terms of the skill the Irishman had.
“I put him up there with Trev, Billy and Dev; Billy not just on the skill levels but as an icon of West Ham and one of the game’s gentlemen, who managed and played for our Club,” Galey continued.
“Billy is right up there as one of the greats. Everyone talks about Moore, Hurst, Peters, but then after that in no particular order you would go Bonds, Brooking and Devonshire, as all three were wonderful.”
Hello everyone,
As you will all know, we beat Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Emirates FA Cup third round on Saturday, to set up a fourth-round trip to Liverpool or Exeter City.
Looking back, when I think of historic games against Wolves, I remember some of the great sides in Old Gold from the past and the forward lines they’ve had; John Richards and Andy Gray in the late 1970s and early 1980s and then, a decade later, Steve Bully and Andy Mutch.
I also remember some great goals we’ve scored against them; Frank Lampard Senior thumped in a terrific goal in November 1974 and then there was a very famous last goal for Liam Brady against the men from Molieneux on this ground in 1990.
And that’s where I began my chat with one of our Boys of ’86 and a man with his own FA Cup tales to tell, Tony Gale...
“Chippy was sub for that game, as he’d just come back from injury and was desperate to play and desperate to get back on the pitch because he knew it was his last professional game of football,” Galey recalled of Brady’s final game in Claret and Blue.
“I remember when he came on and he came over to me and I said to him, ‘It’ll be a great way to go out if you scored a goal’, and he scored a ripper with probably the last kick of the game and we won 4-0.
“It was a typical Brady goal, drifting across to left-hand side and shooting across the ‘keeper. It was a wonderful goal from one of the game’s superstars.”
Having played with such greats as Billy Bonds, Trevor Brooking and Alan Devonshire, I asked Galey to compare Brady with them in terms of the skill the Irishman had.
“I put him up there with Trev, Billy and Dev; Billy not just on the skill levels but as an icon of West Ham and one of the game’s gentlemen, who managed and played for our Club,” Galey continued.
“Billy is right up there as one of the greats. Everyone talks about Moore, Hurst, Peters, but then after that in no particular order you would go Bonds, Brooking and Devonshire, as all three were wonderful.”
When it comes to West Ham’s FA Cup history, there have been our three final wins and the White Horse final at the old Wembley Stadium.
Then we all remember what happened ten years ago in arguably the best FA Cup final of modern times, when we were edged out by Liverpool on penalties.
In between, there was the 1991 semi-final and the controversial red card shown to a certain Tony Gale…
“That was probably the game or the moment that made me famous or should I say infamous, getting sent off in an FA Cup semi-final,” the man himself recalls.
“Normally getting sent-off in an FA Cup semi-final, people would probably of thought ‘What a plonker!’, but not this time because they realised what a bad decision it was from the referee, Keith Hackett.
“It was one of the first decisions, of the so-called ‘professional foul’, because the rule was only implemented on the Wednesday and we played Forest on the Sunday, so in my opinion he had to be the first one to do it, regardless of what Keith has said since!”
Galey was given his marching orders in the first half of the game at Villa Park, leaving West Ham with an even tougher task against Brian Clough’s side.
“I went up to the dressing room and was waiting for the lads to come in at half-time,” Galey continued. “I had heard the roars when George Parris hit the post. All I could hear was ‘Billy Bonds’s Claret and Blue Army’ ringing around the stadium.
“I don’t think there were any Forest fans inside Villa Park that day, certainly none that could be heard.
“Anyway at half-time it was 0-0 and the lads came into the dressing room. Billy came in and gave his team talk and I was waiting for my telling off, which never came. In fact, Billy went round every player except me and then as the team were about to go out for the second half, he went all Winston Churchill on us.”
Mimicking Billy’s accent, Galey recounts what Bonzo said…
“Right lads, before you go out, if you don’t win it for the players, your teammates; if you don’t do it for the supporters, who’ve been absolutely wonderful; if you don’t do it for the staff, then you go out there and do it for your mate, your pal, one of us, who really has been the victim of one of the worst referring decisions ever, do it for that man there, Tony Gale.”
As Galey ends the anecdote he adds with his typical mischievous laugh: “Well they went out and lost 4-0, which goes to show what a friend I must have been to them!”
This interview originally appeared in the Official Programme for the Emirates FA Cup third-round tie with Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday 9 January 2016.
Then we all remember what happened ten years ago in arguably the best FA Cup final of modern times, when we were edged out by Liverpool on penalties.
In between, there was the 1991 semi-final and the controversial red card shown to a certain Tony Gale…
“That was probably the game or the moment that made me famous or should I say infamous, getting sent off in an FA Cup semi-final,” the man himself recalls.
“Normally getting sent-off in an FA Cup semi-final, people would probably of thought ‘What a plonker!’, but not this time because they realised what a bad decision it was from the referee, Keith Hackett.
“It was one of the first decisions, of the so-called ‘professional foul’, because the rule was only implemented on the Wednesday and we played Forest on the Sunday, so in my opinion he had to be the first one to do it, regardless of what Keith has said since!”
Galey was given his marching orders in the first half of the game at Villa Park, leaving West Ham with an even tougher task against Brian Clough’s side.
“I went up to the dressing room and was waiting for the lads to come in at half-time,” Galey continued. “I had heard the roars when George Parris hit the post. All I could hear was ‘Billy Bonds’s Claret and Blue Army’ ringing around the stadium.
“I don’t think there were any Forest fans inside Villa Park that day, certainly none that could be heard.
“Anyway at half-time it was 0-0 and the lads came into the dressing room. Billy came in and gave his team talk and I was waiting for my telling off, which never came. In fact, Billy went round every player except me and then as the team were about to go out for the second half, he went all Winston Churchill on us.”
Mimicking Billy’s accent, Galey recounts what Bonzo said…
“Right lads, before you go out, if you don’t win it for the players, your teammates; if you don’t do it for the supporters, who’ve been absolutely wonderful; if you don’t do it for the staff, then you go out there and do it for your mate, your pal, one of us, who really has been the victim of one of the worst referring decisions ever, do it for that man there, Tony Gale.”
As Galey ends the anecdote he adds with his typical mischievous laugh: “Well they went out and lost 4-0, which goes to show what a friend I must have been to them!”
This interview originally appeared in the Official Programme for the Emirates FA Cup third-round tie with Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday 9 January 2016.