In the fourth part of a new series commemorating the 50th anniversary of West Ham United’s fantastic FA Cup final triumph, former Hammer PAT HOLLAND recalls his FA Cup adventures in Claret & Blue...
The Football Association Challenge Cup – the oldest national football competition in the world.
And with its rich 153-year history, there are endless tales of romance, redemption, regret and rejoicing.
Wembley winner Pat Holland certainly ticked those boxes during his 13-season, 299-game career down West Ham way.
Indeed, but for the FA Cup’s fickle hand of fate, the popular, Poplar-born Hammer would not even have been playing for the Club, yet alone lifting the famous old trophy beneath the iconic Twin Towers, come May 1975.
“Halfway through 1973/74, Ron Greenwood agreed to sell me to Norwich City for £60,000 with Graham Paddon – valued at £160,000 – moving the other way,” explains the former West Ham wide-boy. “I really didn’t want to leave but they needed my fee to help buy Graham and, after much debate, I finally said I’d go to Carrow Road to see their manager, Ron Saunders.
“But on the Sunday, I opened the newspapers to see he’d been sacked. My move was now off and, although he still signed Graham, I wasn’t in Ron’s good books because they’d lost out on £60,000.”
Ironically, an FA Cup giant-killing at the hands of third-tier Hereford United then put Holland back on the Hammers map.
“With so many injuries, Ron had no choice but to make me substitute,” laughs 74-year-old Pat, recalling his shock return and day of redemption. “On what proved to be his last-ever appearance for the Club, Bobby Moore hobbled off after half-hour. I came on and ran through the Upton Park mud to rescue a 1-1 draw with a late-equaliser in front of the Match of the Day cameras and, although we lost the replay (1-2), that goal turned the tide for me at West Ham.”
Alongside their embarrassing FA Cup exit, the red-faced Hammers then only avoided relegation by a single point before winning just one of their opening eight matches of 1974/75.
As Greenwood moved ‘upstairs’, John Lyall became first-team manager and that proved the catalyst for an upturn in fortunes.
“John bought three attacking players – Billy Jennings, Keith Robson plus Alan Taylor – and we quickly gelled as a squad,” continues Pat, recalling a run that saw the new-look Hammers lose just once in 17 matches heading towards New Year. “Our midfield – Trevor Brooking, Billy Bonds and Graham Paddon – complemented each other in a 4-3-3 system that also enabled ‘Robbo’ or myself to drift out wide and switch into a 4-4-2 formation. Becoming a decent team, we’d caught a few clubs out, although we still didn’t have any FA Cup expectations.
“I’d just scored at Stoke City (1-2), where I’d been named Man of the Match so I wasn’t happy to be benched for our opening tie at Southampton. When Bobby Gould cracked a bone in his leg, though, I came on and then kept my place for the next round against Swindon Town, who everyone expected us to beat comfortably.
“But they forced a 1-1 draw at Upton Park and the replay proved equally difficult at their place, where Trevor’s equaliser again made it 1-1 before I scored the winner with only five minutes left.
“Trying to clear the ball, their defender volleyed onto my knee and it ricocheted into the net. ‘You lucky so and so,’ cursed midfielder David Moss as we ran back towards the centre-circle. ‘See you at Wembley, Mossie,’ I waved.
“Returning to our dressing room, John Lyall insisted: ‘Tell the press you meant that one!’
“In the fifth round, we faced a decent Queens Park Rangers (2-1) in more Upton Park mud but after they took the lead, I got another FA Cup goal, when I jumped between Ian Gillard and Frank McLintock to nod home an equaliser on the half-hour mark. Phil Parkes was QPR’s ‘keeper and, when he signed for West Ham, I was forever reminding him about my header!”
That valiant victory set up a tricky trip to Arsenal for a last-eight tie against the team he had supported as a kid, but there was to be Highbury heartbreak for Holland, who had been crocked against Newcastle United the previous weekend.
“Despite being an East End docker, my Dad – Patsy senior – always took me to watch the Gunners, while I’d made my Hammers debut against Arsenal in April 1969, too. Once you turn apprentice, though, you lose your supporter’s love because you become affiliated to the team you work for. West Ham United had been my Football Club for years and I was just gutted to miss a quarter-final.
“But Alan Taylor came in and did an amazing job to score twice in his first-ever start for us,” continues Pat who watched from the sidelines as the Hammers' terrific 2-0 win secured a semi-final clash with Ipswich Town.
“I’d missed the whole of March and ‘Gouldie’ started at Villa Park (0-0) and in the replay at Stamford Bridge, where Alan again got two goals in our 2-1 win. I’d come on as substitute in both semis, though, and knowing we’d reached Wembley, we all headed to the Dallas Steakhouse in Green Street to celebrate.
“The Rubettes, a Seventies pop group, were there and the place was absolutely rocking – what a brilliant night!
“With Gouldie and myself now both fit and vying for a final place, our last league match of 1974/75 was against Arsenal just five days before Wembley.
“Walking down the corridor towards the ‘Home’ dressing room, John called me into his office, where he was having a cup of tea and a fag. ‘Shut the door,’ he smiled. ‘Keep this to yourself but you’re starting tonight and on Saturday. Don’t let me down.’ It was one hell of a shout and brilliant man-management by John to give me that huge boost of knowing I’d be playing against Fulham.
“Over-excited, I kicked Alan Ball up in the air before stupidly sliding through Peter Storey. Hard as nails, few players got away with that and, going off at the break, I ran across to him. ‘Pete, sorry about that tackle,’ I said, praying he’d let me off during the second half.
“After our 1-0 win, John needed two players to go along to the Boleyn pub to thank the fans for their support throughout the season. He asked Gouldie and myself and given Bobby had just received the news he wasn’t starting at Wembley, typically, he was so professional.
“Back then, the FA Cup was massive and it was everyone’s boyhood dream to play in the final,” continues Pat after getting that nod over his teammate. “My family, fiancée – now wife – Jeannette and friends were at Wembley and it was nerve-wracking lining-up in the tunnel knowing 100,000 spectators were inside the stadium with millions watching on television around the world, too.
“Fulham’s Bobby Moore and Alan Mullery were used to these big occasions and could stand the heat of the kitchen. I’d grown up at West Ham with Bobby, who’d only left us a year or so earlier. ‘Alright, Patsy?’ he asked. ‘No, Bob, I’m so nervous,’ I replied. ‘Don’t worry, you’re gonna be okay,’ he smiled, typically reassuring me despite being on the opposing side.
“Starting slowly, the final began falling flat and it remained goalless at half-time. Nobody told me to but I then switched to the left-wing because I hadn’t been doing enough on the right. ‘That board’s going up,’ I kept telling myself. ‘Gouldie’s going to take your place.’
“Then, on the hour, Fulham’s John Cutbush showed me too much of the ball and, fortunately, I nicked it off him and squared to Billy Jennings, whose shot was spilled by Peter Mellor, allowing Alan Taylor to nip in and put us ahead.
“Billy jumped on my back shouting: ‘We’ve won the cup!’ I warned him: ‘Careful, there’s still half-an-hour left.’
“Before the final, John meticulously arranged for the Chadwell Heath groundsman to prepare a pitch replicating Wembley and, on the Friday, he’d put on a session sending blind balls into space down the channels.
“Sure enough, five minutes after our opener, I played in Graham Paddon, whose thunderbolt was again only parried by Mellor, leaving Alan to tuck home his second goal.
“When the whistle blew on our 2-0 win, I just became wrapped up in the emotion of the day. Looking back, I should’ve thanked John for picking me, commiserated with substitute Gouldie, who hadn’t got on and shaken hands with Mooro, too, but everything just flew by.
“We collected our medals, Bonzo lifted the trophy and I then found myself down on the pitch with hundreds of Hammers fans. A big lad hugged me saying: ‘Oi Patsy, it was my missus who cut your hair on Thursday!’
“A police cordon formed and, in trying to get back to my teammates, a burly copper asked: ‘Where do you think you’re going, son?’ There I was in full West Ham kit, holding my winner’s medal. ‘I’m a player!” I replied.
“That pitch invasion was pure high spirits and John summed it up perfectly afterwards telling the press: ‘They’ve waited ten years for today – they were only sharing our emotions.’ Sunday morning’s parade to East Ham town hall was an incredible sight – the entire East End must’ve come out onto the streets. Everyone wanted to celebrate our win.”
Fast-forward 50 seasons and Pat is now a part-time scout for Millwall but regular visitor to the Academy of Football’s U21s matches.
“Although it wasn’t the best game of my career, it was certainly the best day,” he concludes, as he recovers from recent hip surgery. “After getting injured in the semi-finals, I was gutted to miss out against Arsenal in 1980 but I certainly had my joy in 1975. Some footballers never even get to play at Wembley, let alone win the FA Cup…”
