West Ham United celebrates its 125th anniversary on 29 June – and as part of our celebrations we're counting down to the date with the Club’s #50GreatestMatches – brought to you by Monster Energy!
Since the Hammers were formed as Thames Ironworks FC in 1895, we have played in excess of 5,500 matches – reaching five FA Cup finals - and one women's FA Cup final, lifting European silverware and competing across the globe and enjoying thousands of memorable moments.
With your help and recommendations, we've whittled down that list of 5,500 matches to a top 50, featuring landmark goals, trophies held aloft, heroic individual performances and remarkable collective efforts.
We continue the #50GreatestMatches countdown with a record victory on the road...
For West Ham United supporters contemplating the long journey to Manchester on 8 September 1962, the portents were not good.
Sitting third from bottom of the embryonic Division One table, the Hammers had conceded 15 goals in their opening six matches, scoring just four themselves.
A 1-0 Boleyn Ground victory over Liverpool five days before had lightened the mood, but few could have seen what was the follow at Maine Road.
In the 62 seasons the Hammers have competed at the highest level of English football, they have never bettered the 6-1 victory they achieved that day in the North West.
Even in the early part of this game, there was little to suggest Ron Greenwood's men were about to explode into life - a newspaper match report of the time describes West Ham in those opening stages as 'their attack was uninspiring, their finishing erratic and their defence wobbled'.
It took a swift Citizens leveller following Malcolm Musgrove's 27th minute opener to really kick the visitors into gear, and by half-time they remarkably found themselves 4-1 up.
With 37 minutes played, Tony Scott fired home from close range, when Musgrove turned provider, and West Ham never looked back.
Two minutes later, the prolific Johnny Byrne - an arrival from Crystal Palace earlier that year - added a third, and there were only a further four minutes on the clock when Martin Peters made it four.
This was a particularly significant strike, and not only for the fact Peters embarked on a 25-yard run before finding the net - it was the youngster's first of a century of goals in Claret & Blue.
Manchester City were shell-shocked, and it was to get worse for them after the break.
Twenty minutes from the end, Musgrove scored his second and West Ham's fifth - a goal which saw home 'keeper Bert Trautmann given his marching orders.
Convinced the strike should have been ruled out for offside, Trautmann, who famously played on with a broken neck to help City to victory in the 1956 FA Cup final, furiously protested to referee Ken Stokes, kicking the ball at the official.
West Ham didn't let up and ten minutes later, Geoff Hurst completed the goalscoring.
The newspaper report said the Hammers 'left Maine Road with their output and morale handsomely enriched' - and that was certainly the case as they would steadily climb the table to end the campaign in 12th place.
Indeed, they would end the 1962/63 season by facing City in the return game in east London, when once again Ron Greenwood's team emerged handsome 6-1 winners, a result which condemned the visitors to relegation.
Manchester City must truly have been sick of the sight of Claret & Blue.
On Thursday don't miss match #26 - when we recall the great Bobby Moore's debut.
