1992-1999

1992:
Relegated from the First Division. Terence Brown elected Chairman, while Martin Cearnes became Vice-Chairman. Billy Bonds appointed Harry Redknapp as assistant manager.

1993:
On the morning of February 24, Bobby Moore died of bowel cancer, aged 51, and Upton Park became a shrine as fans gathered to mourn the loss of one of our all-time heroes. On the last day of the 1992-93 season, West Ham United beat Cambridge United at Upton Park to clinch promotion from the old First Division. Dale Gordon, a £750,000 signing from Rangers, scored the Club's first goal in the new FA Premier League, in a 1-1 draw at Coventry City.

1994:
In January, the lower tier of the new South Stand was opened and named The Bobby Moore Stand in memory of the legendary number six. March 7 - Former West Ham United stars returned to Upton Park for the Bobby Moore Memorial Match against a Premiership X1. August 10 - Billy Bonds resigned, ending 27 years' service to the Club, and Harry Redknapp appointed manager. Harry appointed brother-in-law Frank Lampard as his assistant.

1995 January 14:
the new Centenary Stand was opened to complete the initial £11.5 million rebuilding of Upton Park to establish an all-seater stadium. In August, West Ham United kicked-off our Centenary Season with a 2-1 defeat at home to Leeds United.

1996:
The youth team won the South-East Counties League championship but lost to Liverpool over two-legs in the FA Youth Cup final. A crowd of 15,725 turned up to watch the Upton Park tie.

1998:
The youth-team were again South-East Counties League champions. This proved to be the last season in that League as the Club joined the newly-formed FA Youth Academy which kicked off in the 1998-99 season.

1999 January:
Sir Geoff Hurst became the first former West Ham United player to become a knight in the Queen's New Year's Honours List. Cameroon midfielder Marc-Vivien Foe became the Club record signing in a £4.5million move from French club RC Lens. May - Hammers' youngsters set a new FA Youth Cup record when they hammered Coventry City 9-0 on aggregate in the final. Three days later, the Under-19s became the first-ever winners of the FA Youth Academy. MD Peter Storrie left the Club and was succeeded by Paul Aldridge.

The first team revived their fortunes and finished in fifth position - the second highest placing in the Club's history. Remarkably, though, UEFA's new European shake-up denies the Hammers a UEFA Cup place and they are forced to enter the much-maligned Intertoto Cup. Metz of France provided the opposition in the two-legged Intertoto Cup decider and despite a 1-0 defeat in the first leg at Upton Park, the Hammers pulled off a brilliant 3-1 victory across the Channel to secure UEFA Cup football for the first time in the Club's history. Sadly, Romanian giants Steaua Bucharest knocked the Hammers out in the second round after comfortable home and away first leg Osijek of Croatia. December 15 - A memorable penalty shootout victory over Aston Villa in the Worthington Cup quarter-final. However, the Hammers discovered two days that young substitute Manny Omoyinmi was cup-tied after playing for Gillingham in an earlier round, leading to a replay between the two sides.