Anniversary

Ralph Milne made his one and only West Ham United appearance on 24 January 1990. The on-loan Manchester United midfielder joined the Hammers after finding his first-team opportunities limited at Old Trafford. Then 29, Milne was introduced as a substitute for Liam Brady during the goalless League Cup fifth-round replay draw with Derby County at the Baseball Ground. A 22,510-strong crowd saw the Division Two Hammers hold their top-flight hosts at bay before going on to win the second replay 2-1 at the Boleyn Ground a week later.

West Ham would go on to lose out to Oldham Athletic at the semi-final stage. Dundee-born Milne, meanwhile, would return to Manchester United before being handed a free transfer by manager Alex Ferguson in June 1991. The former Dundee United, Charlton Athletic and Bristol City midfielder retired the following year, 1992.

Classic match

Coventry City 1-3 West Ham United
Division One
24 January 1987

Tony Cottee bagged a hat-trick as West Ham United scored an outstanding 3-1 Division One victory at Coventry City on this date in 1987. The win at Highfield Road completed a league double over the Sky Blues for the fourth consecutive season.

A year on from achieving a club-record third-place finish in the Division One table, West Ham would end the 1986/87 campaign a disappointing 15th in the standings. Cottee would still enjoy an outstanding personal season, netting 29 goals in 54 appearances in all competitions as the Hammers reached the fifth round of both major cup competitions.

Coventry would win 14 of their 21 home matches - losing just three, including their defeat by John Lyall's side - to finish the season in a respectable tenth place.