1999

West Ham had spent the majority of the season in the dizzying heights of the top end of the Premiership with dreams of European qualification, but after two disastrous results and only one game to go it was looking doubtful.
Harry Redknapp's men had just suffered a 5-1 home defeat to Leeds, being reduced to eight men, and a 6-0 thrashing away at Everton.
Middlesbrough visited Upton Park for the final game of the season and the Hammers needed a victory to qualify for Europe, providing Arsenal did them a favour by beating Aston Villa. The midlands club pipped West Ham to the post the previous campaign after beating Arsenal on the final day, so nothing could be taken for granted.
Hammers got off to the best possible start when Frank Lampard fired home after only four minutes and Marc Keller tapped in from close range before half time. News filtered through from Highbury that Kanu had scored on 66 minutes and West Ham promptly made it three through Trevor Sinclair. Minutes later Paulo Di Canio finished from close range and compounded the victory.
West Ham won, Villa lost and the Hammers were awarded a place in the Inter Toto Cup - the first time West Ham had qualified for Europe via a league position.

WHU: Forrest, Potts, Ruddock, Ferdinand, Minto, Berkovic, Lampard, Foe, Keller, Di Canio, Sinclair (Cole 83).

August 24, 1999
European Inter Toto Cup Final Second Leg
Saint-Symphorien Stadium
FC Metz 1 (2) West Ham Utd 3 (3)

The Hammers season began unusually early this year with their first competitive fixture coming on July 17 in the Inter Toto Cup against FC
Jokerit. Despite their fifth placed finish West Ham were not awarded a place the full UEFA Cup and had to qualify via the early competition. Harry
Redknapp's side progressed easily to the final with victories over Jokerit and Holland's Heerenveen, but faced a tough test against FC Metz in the
final.
The French side came to Upton Park for the first leg and returned very happy after a 1-0 victory. Frank Lampard also spurned the chance to equalise from
the spot, and West Ham had a quite a job to do if they were to qualify. The one thing a travelling West Ham side can count on however is terrific
support, and the Upton Park faithful had made the trip across the channel in great numbers and were in full force that night.
A left footed drive from Trevor Sinclair opened the scoring after 25 minutes and wiped out the away goal. They were then in dreamland two minutes before
the break when Lampard fired home and gave West Ham the lead on aggregate.
Metz fought back hard and ensured a nervy finale with a goal 20 minutes from time, but Paolo Wanchope rounded the keeper, coolly slotted the ball away
and put the Hammers into the hat for the UEFA Cup first round draw.

WHU: Hislop, Ferdinand, Lomas, Potts, Sinclair, Lampard, Foe, Keller, Moncur, Di Canio (Cole 78), Wanchope