1960's boys are back in town

The Club will celebrate the success of the 1960's team by welcoming back a number of the stars for the Sunderland game

The 1960's will be always be remembered as one of the greatest decades in the history of West Ham United after the team managed to win the FA Cup and European Cup Winners Cup.


Talk to most West Ham United fans and they will say that the Hammers also helped England to win the World Cup in 1966 after Sir Geoff Hurst scored a famous hat-trick, Martin Peters scored the other goal and the legendary Bobby Moore lifted the trophy.


The success of the players to lift the FA Cup following the 3-2 win over Preston North End and the Cup Winners Cup victory over TSV Munich 1860 within the space of 12 months cannot be under-estimated and the success will never be forgotten.


Only seven players in the history of the Club have won the FA Cup and a European trophy and a number of the 60's heroes will be back at the Boleyn Ground on Saturday for the Sunderland game to celebrate that successful era.


Former West Ham United striker Brian Dear, who scored 39 goals during that memorable period will never forget that period playing with some of the greatest players in the Club's history.


Dear said: “Ron Greenwood set the standard for how we played and it was a great team to be a part of. I only lived a quarter of a mile from the ground and I used to go to junior school with Ronnie Boyce.


“I played London schoolboys, England schoolboys with Martin Peters. We all came here as kids. Geoff was on the groundstaff and there were loads of lads.


“Eight of the 1964 team came from the groundstaff and the next year we won the Cup Winners Cup was amazing.


“To then see three of our lads play in the 1966 World Cup Final was incredible. Over the four trophies that this club have won, you are looking at 50 players and 17 of those were groundstaff boys who came through the ranks when they were 15-years-old. It doesn't happen today.


“For the fans who watched it back then, they would probably say that the 1960's was the best football they have seen at the Boleyn Ground, but I'm sure the fans who watched the Boys of 86' also saw them play great football.


“We didn't win things because we were lucky, we won because we were a great side. We have always played good football.”


Dear also has nothing but praise for the way Bobby Moore led the side and feels his legacy will never be forgotten.


Dear added: “I think Bobby was our main man. Through the years we have had great players like Sir Trevor Brooking and Billy Bonds, but Bobby was iconic.


“To go three seasons at Wembley and walk up the stairs and pick up a bigger medal is fantastic.


“It is unfortunate that Bobby was taken from us too early. He was a great player and a gentleman. He was a big loss to West Ham United and the game of football. Nobody has a bad word to say about him.


“I look at pictures now and he always used to tell me to stand next to him so I would get photographed!!”


Former West Ham United winger Peter Brabrook, who made 215 appearances for the Club during the 1960's, also has fond memories of that time and the special team spirit that saw them achieve so much success.


Brabrook said: “It was fantastic to be part of the Club during that time. I arrived from Chelsea just before we won the cup and that was down to Ron Greenwood.


“He seemed to like my style and what we did was unbelievable. We had seven or eight internationals in the team and we showed our quality by winning the FA Cup and European Cup Winners Cup.


“I don't think I can say anymore than what everyone else has already said about the great Bobby Moore. He was a fantastic footballer and a fantastic person.


“People didn't just like Bobby Moore because he was Bobby Moore, they liked him for what he was and he was probably the best player that this club will ever have. He was the best of the lot.


“What made him so different is that he had no pace, but he was a great reader of the game and a fantastic passer of the ball. He never missed a tackle and used to scoop balls backwards and forwards as if no-one else was there.


“That was Bobby Moore at his best.”