These days, it seems every transfer is played out in public, with social media ‘in the knows’, former players and television and radio pundits all broadcasting information they have received from agents, club officials and friends in the game.
Seldom does a club sign a player whose name has not already been linked to them online or in the press.
Back in 1988, however, things were different.
The World Wide Web was still a few years from changing the way people sourced and shared information, while Sky Sports did not start broadcasting until 1991.
Supporters’ only realistic means of sourcing information about who their next potential big-name player could be were newspapers, radio, the four terrestrial television channels and their associated teletext news services Ceefax and Oracle, and the club-by-club premium rate telephone information service ClubCall.
Fans would need to keep a close eye on all those information streams to keep up with the ins and outs at their clubs.
In the summer of 1988, West Ham United supporters did exactly that to follow the saga of striker Tony Cottee’s transfer away from the Club he supported and had scored 118 goals for in 256 games since debuting on New Year’s Day 1983.
At the age of 23, the prolific Cottee was one of the hottest properties in English football.
However, after helping the Hammers to a record third-place First Division finish in 1985/86 and made his senior England debut at 21, Cottee had become increasingly frustrated at the Boleyn Ground.
West Ham finished 15th in 1986/87, then sold Cottee’s Scottish strike partner Frank McAvennie early in 1987/88 and went on to finish 16th.
Soon after the season finished, newspaper speculation was rife that Everton, who had won the title in 1984/85 and 1986/87, were looking to sign Cottee to boost a squad that had finished fourth in 1987/88.
Manager John Lyall dismissed the speculation and denied reports that the Blues had made a £1.7 million bid on 27 May.
However, with his personal and international ambitions not being satisfied, Cottee made it clear to Lyall and the Hammers hierarchy that he saw his future elsewhere. However, the Club would not be letting their prize asset go on the cheap.
“As we have received a transfer request from Tony Cottee, the Club have reluctantly agreed to make him available and are prepared to consider offers in excess of £2 million,” a West Ham spokesman was reported as saying in a number of newspapers on 2 July 1988.
Four days later, the Daily Express reported: “Everton today make their move for West Ham striker Tony Cottee. After signing Chelsea winger Pat Nevin, Everton go for Cottee in a £2 million cash-only deal. Arsenal also want England international Cottee and West Ham have also received enquiries from the continent but Everton lead the chase.”
While many transfers seem to be concluded quickly these days, it would be another two weeks until West Ham finally accepted Everton’s British record £2.2 million offer for Cottee, having turned down lower initial bids and Arsenal’s offer of players in part-exchange for the striker.
On 20 July, newspapers reported that Lyall would decide which offer to accept and inform Cottee the following day.
On 23 July, prior to Cottee’s sale being agreed, West Ham signed the player labelled his ‘replacement’ by the Wolverhampton Express and Star, Republic of Ireland international David Kelly, from Third Division Walsall for £600,000.
Kelly had reportedly also been of interest to Tottenham Hotspur manager Terry Venables, while the Hammers were also linked with a move for Southampton striker Colin Clarke and Wimbledon’s FA Cup-winning midfielder Dennis Wise.
The following day, Sunday 24 July, The People said ‘the smart money is on Arsenal winning the day’, but speculated that a £250,000 signing-on fee and £2,800 weekly wages might tempt Cottee to join Everton.
“The offers are both likely to be highly attractive so the football considerations will now probably make up Tony’s mind,” Cottee’s agent Jon Smith was quoted as saying. “It’s my responsibility to ensure he makes the right decision.”
The People’s story also gives a timeline of Cottee’s movements over the previous few days, telling its readers the forward had played tennis on the Friday and ‘tried to forget his transfer by acting as deejay and Master of Ceremonies at his sister’s 18th birthday party’ on the Saturday, before speaking to both Everton and Arsenal on the Sunday.
On Tuesday 26 July, the sale of Cottee to Everton was confirmed, with evening newspapers reporting the deal that day, and the national press following the next morning, ending a saga that had been dominating the sports pages for two months.
Two days later, Daily Express reporter Steve Curry penned an ‘Exclusive’ claiming West Ham wanted to sign goal machine Steve Bull from Fourth Division champions Wolverhampton Wanderers for £1.4 million.
As it was, Cottee scored 99 goals for Everton before returning to West Ham in 1994, Kelly scored 13 goals in 63 games before joining Leicester City, Clarke stayed at Southampton, Wise at Wimbledon and Bull remained at Wolves for the remainder of his career.
West Ham would be relegated at the end of the 1988/89 season and Lyall’s 15-year reign as manager and 34-year stay at the Club came to a sad end. One wonders just how big an impact Cottee’s protracted departure to Everton had on those two unfortunate events.
