Trevor Morley was named Hammer of the Year in 1994 and finished as West Ham United's leading scorer three times between 1991-94. Today, the former striker celebrates his 62nd birthday...
Potato sacks and onion bags
Having started out with Nuneaton Borough in the Southern League First Division – the sixth-tier of English football – I’d ended up in the top-flight at Manchester City after helping them to win promotion at the end of the 1988/89 season.
Early on, I’d combined my non-league career with selling fruit and vegetables at markets around the Midlands, so it was a real achievement to now find myself in the top league at Maine Road, after moving from Northampton Town in January 1988.
Although I’d been through a couple of tough spells at City, I’d turned it around - even scoring against Manchester United in the famous 5-1 derby victory over them in September 1989 - and felt I was playing well. It was a big surprise when Howard Kendall, who had just taken over from Mel Machin as manager, agreed to sell me.
One minute, I was the team that had beaten Norwich City on Boxing Day and the next thing I knew was that West Ham United’s Lou Macari was in talks to sign Ian Bishop and myself in exchange for Mark Ward as 1990 approached.
I didn’t really have too much time to think about it and had mixed emotions about leaving because, having worked hard and gone 6-5-4-3-2-1 through the divisions, it now meant that I was going to be back down in the second-tier after only playing 17 top-flight matches. As it happened, I need not have worried because coming to West Ham United proved to be a dream move for me…
Following in Dad's footsteps
My late Dad, Bill, had played for Nottingham Forest, alongside Hammers chief scout, Eddie Baily, who I’m told had kept me on his radar as I made my way up through the divisions.
Following my first West Ham United start at Leicester City on 30 December 1989, I made my home debut, two days later, hitting the woodwork twice in a 4-2 win over Barnsley. It felt quite emotional playing on the same Boleyn Ground pitch that Dad had first played upon for Forest in November 1946.
Already, I realised that I’d joined a good footballing team and got up and running very quickly scoring my first goal against Hull City and netting 10 times in 20 appearances, including a run of five-in-five during March. I enjoyed the ‘West Ham way’ with Alvin Martin, Tony Gale and Julian Dicks playing the ball straight into my feet, while Kevin Keen also put some great crosses into the box for me.
It was obvious that the supporters knew the game, too – educated people, they couldn’t be fooled. If you played rubbish, they’d let you know but if you put in a shift they’d show their appreciation, too.
Although Lou soon departed, Billy Bonds took over and always stood by me as his first-choice striker, perhaps because he also acknowledged my work-rate? We finished the 1989-90 campaign in seventh-spot, missing out on the play-offs by just two points and, four months into my Hammers career, I now wanted to go one better…
Felled by Forest
The 1990/91 season began so well for me. I was really enjoying my football and had started every one of our opening 39 league and cup matches, scoring 16 goals.
Topping Division Two, we were also in the FA Cup quarter-finals but going into March 1991, I was seriously injured in a well-documented off-field incident, which really set me back.
I missed our next nine matches including an FA Cup sixth-round victory over Everton that secured a semi-final against Nottingham Forest. Four days before that Villa Park showdown, I’d made my comeback at Brighton & Hove Albion and was desperate to play Forest. They were my Dad’s old team, I was a massive Brian Clough fan plus I’d bought 30 tickets for family and good friends.
We’d started well and despite my lack of match-fitness I was enjoying the match, thinking: ‘We’re doing okay here, we can win this.’ Then, with the tie still goalless, that semi-final was just taken away from us, when Tony Gale was controversially sent off for a so-called ‘professional’ foul.
Forest went on to win 4-0 but we’ll never know what would’ve happened had ‘Galey’ stayed on the pitch. Typically – as only Hammers supporters can - the West Ham fans turned it into an afternoon to remember, incessantly chanting ‘Billy Bonds Claret & Blue Army’ throughout the entire second half, while everyone’s FA Cup dreams just slipped away with every goal conceded. They certainly turned it into a memorable occasion but for me, personally, as a West Ham United player, albeit a Nottingham-born boy, that was a bitter-sweet afternoon.
Bouncing back
Despite the disappointment of having that FA Cup semi-final snatched away, we took consolation from the fact that we got promoted less than one month later. But the 1991/92 season was not one to remember.
Being honest, I wasn’t in a good place, on-or-off the field, following the events of previous months, during which time the most ridiculous rumours and reports had left my confidence shot to pieces.
All those unfounded untruths had left me wanting to hide, while our instant relegation didn’t help, either. But things changed dramatically the following season as we attempted to bounce straight back into the newly-formed Premiership.
I went on-loan to SK Brann in Norway to keep ticking over during the summer and came back feeling really sharp and raring to go.
When our campaign started, I quickly developed a really good partnership with Clive Allen, who I’d also played alongside at City and we scored 26 goals between us in our first 23 games together. Clive’s a great finisher, while I did more of the donkey work but, come May 1993, I’d outscored him 20-14 in the league as we confirmed promotion on the final day of the season with victory over Cambridge United at Upton Park, where the celebrating crowd lined the edge of the pitch during some dramatic closing moments.
It would take another dozen years before Teddy Sheringham also reached 20 league goals for West Ham (2004/05) and, indeed, nobody has beaten us since then, so I’m very proud to hold that record alongside him.
White Hot Lane
Undoubtedly, 1993/94 was my best season. Billy Bonds signed Lee Chapman, who became our target man and, for once, I got more of a free role and was able to drop deeper, too. We hit it off straight away, each scoring in a 2-0 win at Blackburn Rovers the day after he’d arrived at the Club. That header at Ewood Park was my first Premiership goal and, a couple of weeks later, I also netted the winner against Chelsea, while I also went on to score at Arsenal, too.
I lashed another one past Peter Schmeichel in a 2-2 draw with Manchester United and, although I enjoyed that goal, my highlight of the season came on Easter Monday at Tottenham Hotspur, who had just tried to sign me on transfer deadline day.
Steve Jones, coming on as substitute, put us ahead before my penalty doubled the lead. And although Teddy Sheringham pulled one back for Spurs from the spot, I then netted my second from a tight-angle before Mike Marsh made it 4-1.
That win both kept us above Spurs and moved us further towards mid-table, with seven games to play. My mum and step-dad were in a box at White Hart Lane and – having just scored those two goals - I was absolutely buzzing as I went to find them afterwards.
There was a cheerful young lad wearing a West Ham kit in the box, too. ‘Would you like Trevor’s autograph?’ my step-dad smiled. ‘Nah,’ replied the kid bringing me quickly back down to Earth. ‘Morley’s not one of my favourites!’
Ooh, Morley, Morley!
Getting up early to work hard on those fruit & veg stalls, I never dreamed that I’d ever play top-flight football. And rising through the divisions, I certainly never felt good enough for the Premier League.
But I played in every one of our 42 top-flight matches during 1993/94 and, once again, top-scored with 16 goals in all competitions. I now had a belief in myself but when it came to 1994’s Hammer of the Year award it never entered my mind that I’d even be a candidate, yet alone the winner!
Never a particular fans’ favourite, I possibly split opinions despite always working as hard as possible, whenever I pulled on the Claret and Blue shirt.
It was such a pleasant shock to be voted Hammer of the Year and the biggest honour those supporters could’ve bestowed on me, especially considering all the other winning names down the years.
Sadly, cartilage problems hampered me throughout the following season. Not wanting anyone to take my place, I kept rushing back but was nowhere near fit and the arrivals of Tony Cottee and Don Hutchison meant time was up.
Playing the last of my 214 games for the Club against Manchester United in May 1995, I then joined Reading before moving to Norway, where, celebrating my 62nd birthday today, I now run three homeless hostels.
Whenever I look back on my career with West Ham United, though, I’m proud of my contribution during those five-and-a-half seasons with the Club. I ended up scoring 70 goals and living my dream – certainly, they were my best-ever times in football.
