1. Ron Greenwood
Many supporters and media pundits referenced ‘playing the West Ham way’ when Sam Allardyce was appointed as manager, and that phenomenon is down to Greenwood. Hammers fans often take pride in the reputation of playing ‘football the right way’ and this can be credited to Greenwood as he introduced a whole philosophy which has influenced the club ever since. Greenwood morphed the Hammers into pioneers of skilful football in a similar fashion to Pep Guardiola’s revolution at Barcelona. As manager, Greenwood led the Hammers to two FA Cups and the European Cup Winners’ Cup for their most successful spell in history. Greenwood can draw many parallels with Arsene Wenger, he was an idealist and a perfectionist in the way that he styled his team, but he had nowhere near the same resources as Wenger has had. Greenwood tutored John Lyall into being his successor and his legacy influenced the club, as well as the England national team, to their greatest ever successes.
2. Bobby Moore
There is no doubt that Bobby Moore is West Ham’s, if not English football’s, greatest icon. The image of Moore lofted above the rest of England’s 1966 world-cup winning team at Wembley with the trophy in hand is possibly the most recognisable photo in football history. Moore captained West Ham for more than 10 years and is widely regarded as the best defender who ever lived. Moore gained 108 caps for England and played 544 times for West Ham United and is certainly their most successful player ever having also achieved numerous personal awards such as BBC Sports Personality Of The Year and an O.B.E. You may go as far to say that never again will a West Ham player captain the club to three major trophies, including one in Europe, and lead England to World Cup victory. If you thought David Beckham’s status couldn’t get any greater, imagine if he had led England to a World Cup victory in 2002; that was Bobby Moore, and he did it all with the Hammers on his heart.
3. Trevor Brooking
Many good things emerged from West Ham’s golden age in the 1960’s, and Trevor Brooking was certainly one of them. Having graduated through Greenwood’s regime, Brooking was ready to continue the legacy of beautiful football when the stars of the previous era began to leave and retire. Brooking stepped up to become West Ham’s most important player in a similar way to how Cesc Fabregas did when the likes of Patrick Viera, Robert Pires and Thierry Henry departed. It is impossible to tell as to whether Brooking’s skill can be compared to the likes of Lionel Messi’s, but his majestic nature was so evident on a playing surface far rougher and muddier than the smooth ground we see today, that it is definitley worth arguing. When the Hammers were relegated, Brooking showed indescribable loyalty by pledging to stay with the team, and he did so for the rest of his career. He has even made a brief comeback as manager on 2 occasions in times of trouble, and only lost 1 game. Brooking is certainly the Hammers’ second greatest icon.
4. Billy Bonds
After signing from Charlton as a young full-back, Bonds went on to make a record 793 appearances for the Hammers in a spell at the club stretching over 20 years. Grit and determination is something West Ham supporters have always been fond of, and it is possible that this derives from Bonds. After Bobby Moore left for Fulham, Bonds’ natural leadership made him the obvious successor to the captain’s armband, and this was an honour he held down for many years to come. His strong and tough nature in midfield enabled the team to cater for the flamboyance of Brooking to provide the creativity which made the dynamics of this West Ham team so effective. Bonds can be compared to the likes of Michael Essien in the modern-day, whose defensive ability is the key to his game and allows the more creative players to flourish. However Bonds, like Essien, did not operate without the surging runs he became equally famous for and which led to him scoring almost 50 times for West Ham. To cement his legendary status, Bonds was the club’s manager between 1990 and 1994. He truly resembles the kind of defensive midfielder which has become so popular today.
5. Tony Cottee
Here is yet another local boy who came through the academy to play an integral role in West Ham’s history. Cottee burst onto the scene in a similar fashion to how Wayne Rooney did at Everton; as a 17 year-old debutant he hit the net against West Ham’s rivals Tottenham, not a bad way to introduce yourself. Cottee continued to score goals and amassed 92 in his first spell at West Ham. His goals were vital to West Ham’s third place finish in 1986, their highest ever, and he won the PFA Young Player of the Year in the same season, think how much he would’ve been worth in today’s game. Cottee did move to Everton for a British record transfer fee but he eventually returned when he was signed by Harry Redknapp in 1994. Cottee hadn’t lost his shooting boots and managed to net another 24 for the Hammers, making him one of West Ham’s highest goalscorers to date. Any West Ham striker less than 5ft8 will continue to be compared to Cottee long into the future.
6. Julian Dicks
It’s quite rare for a left-back to be thrown into a list of iconic players but ‘The Terminator’ cannot be excluded. Dicks combined the unforgiving, tough tackling that fans love to see with an undeniably wicked left-foot in a way which few have since Roberto Carlos. Dicks’ hard-man reputation often clouded the fact that he was actually an excellent footballer and managed to score 50 goals for West Ham. Dicks was able to power down the left wing in a manner as threatening as Gareth Bale does for Tottenham today, and if he was given enough space on the edge of the area, he would not be afraid to release a thunderous drive at goal. It’s also debatable as to whether West Ham have had a better penalty taker since Dicks as his explosive shot was effectively replicated from 12 yards. However, Dicks’ attacking talents were not to compensate for his defensive ability as he defended in a formidable manner which was certain to strike fear into any winger who considered a few step-overs; the best left-back ever to play for the club.
7. Tony Carr
It is difficult to select one of the magnificent players that ‘The Academy of Football’ has produced as firstly, many are good enough to be in this list, but secondly because none of them were loyal enough to West Ham United to be considered for selection. However, the emergence of these players is widely credited to Tony Carr and so, although he has never made a professional appearance for the club, he is a worthy icon. Carr resembles West Ham’s proudest institution, their youth academy, which has produced the likes of Rio Ferdinand, John Terry, Glen Johnson, Jermain Defoe, Michael Carrick, Joe Cole, Frank Lampard and more. If Carr’s class had remained at West Ham then it is certain that they would’ve been far more successful in recent times than they have been and would’ve probably been regular Champions League spot, if not Premier League title, contenders. Although this is somewhat of a regret, Carr’s brilliance has not gone to waste as he has generated extortionate amounts of money through player sales which have saved the club financially on more than one occasion.
8. Paolo Di Canio
Di Canio is West Ham’s greatest contemporary icon, resembling the style and skill which has been seen throughout football’s modern age of the Premier League and foreign imports. The Italian was a controversial signing as his eccentric nature, which had previously led to him toppling a referee, made him somewhat of a cult figure in the English game. However, his skill was undeniable and had been showcased during spells at footballing giants such as Lazio, Juventus and AC Milan. Di Canio’s career at West Ham was a huge success; the passion and emotion which he brought to the team made him a fans’ favourite instantaneously and it appeared he fell in love with the fans just as quickly. Highlights of Di Canio’s West Ham career include a winner at Old Trafford, the greatest Premier League goal to date and an emotional winner against Chelsea in his last game at Upton Park. There was never a dull moment with Di Canio and many hope that one day he can return as manager.
9. Carlos Tevez
It may be debatable as to whether Tevez is worthy of a place on this list given that he featured just 26 times for West Ham, but his character and ability certainly made him a true West Ham icon. A move to the biggest clubs in Europe was mooted for the Argentinian international before he was surprisingly transferred to West Ham in one of the most controversial deals of all time. Upon a wave of excitement, Tevez struggled to settle at first, but as the Hammers looked to be sinking into the second tier of English football, his brilliance prevailed. Tevez scored 7 goals in the last few games of the season to achieve one of the greatest escapes football has ever seen, including a stunning free-kick against Tottenham and a winning goal at Old Trafford on the final day. Although his attitude has been a matter of dispute in recent times, his commitment to West Ham on the pitch was unquestionable.
10. Scott Parker
Parker is the most recent player who can be considered a true icon; his face was stapled to every West Ham marketing campaign until he was regretfully sold earlier this season. Parker arrived amongst a number of high-profile, proven Premiership players during the free-spending Icelandic period. Like many of these recruits, his breakthrough was heavily delayed due to injury; however he stood out as the only one who could really reach iconic status. Parker’s gritty determination and commitment meant he carried one of the poorest West Ham teams ever through some very difficult times and almost single-handedly saved them from relegation in 2010. Parker also provided some vital goals in his time and his ability was finally recognised by Fabio Capello when he was recently drafted into the England squad. Following the inevitable relegation in 2011, Parker was sold to Tottenham in order to aid him with his international aspirations. It is testament to Parker that only a small minority begrudge him of the move and it is even possible that he could receive the England captaincy in the near future.
West Ham have had the privilege of being involved with a number of iconic figures throughout history. However, few of these individuals were of this status before their association with West Ham and so it is clear that, although we are not the most successful team in the world, we are truly great at creating genuine football icons.
Follow me on Twitter @RichMaher93
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