Football may have been in the doldrums in England during a troubled time for the sport, but there could be no doubting that on the pitch the excitement provided by the 1985/86 title race was a welcome distraction. A glance at the Division One table at the end of March reveals that six clubs still held hopes of claiming championship glory.
Two of the contenders would meet during the Easter weekend as squeaky bum time neared. Chelsea and West Ham were enjoying fine seasons and, along with Arsenal, were trying to bring the title back to the capital for the first time in 15 years. Their clash at Stamford Bridge was a potential title eliminator, especially for the visitors.
Trailing leaders Everton by 12 points, crucially West Ham held four games in hand mainly due to their seven matches in the FA Cup that had recently seen them lose in the quarter finals at Sheffield Wednesday. Defeat would not necessarily end their hopes, yet with a crowded fixture schedule ahead, the Hammers knew their was little wriggle room.
Chelsea were in an even stronger position. Just four points behind Everton and with two games in hand, winning their first title in 31 years was a tantalising prospect. Prior to the match with West Ham, Chelsea paraded the Full Members' Cup won six days earlier at Wembley. Could a much more significant trophy be arriving at Stamford Bridge come May?
"If football is dying, I hope it's dying like that," Chelsea manager John Hollins noted after their Wembley win. Chelsea's victory had been entertaining, David Speedie scoring a hat-trick in the 5-4 win over Manchester City. But Hollins would be less than thrilled when for the second time in a week his Chelsea team conceded four goals.
Without keeper Eddie Niedzwiecki and striker Kerry Dixon, Chelsea started with the same eleven that had won at Wembley. West Ham were able to recall Alan Devonshire after a two match absence due to an ankle injury, but crucially they would be without the services of centre back Alvin Martin.
Suspended after being sent off at Arsenal, Martin was also prevented from playing for England three days before the Chelsea match, after FA Chairman Bert Millichip instructed Bobby Robson not to select him for the friendly in the Soviet Union. With Paul Hilton coming in for his first match of the season, the disruption of the Martin/Tony Gale partnership was ill-timed.
West Ham would emphatically cast any doubts aside. On an awful playing surface, Lyall's team thrilled, firmly confirming their entry into the title race. "West Ham were cutting exciting patterns through the mire from the opening minute," Ronald Atkin noted in the Observer. Come the final whistle, Chelsea were in a worse state than their mud bath of a pitch.
Frank McAvennie and Hilton had already tested Niedzwiecki's deputy Steve Francis before West Ham's stunning opener in the 23rd minute. After Gale tapped a free kick to him, Devonshire glided gracefully across the mud before firing a 25-yard effort past Chelsea's helpless keeper, a goal of "true international pedigree" to quote the Guardian's Simon Inglis. For a player who had missed over 18 months with injury, Devonshire's 85/86 season was a heart warming comeback.
Geoff Pike would go close to adding to West Ham's advantage as the first half ended, and although Kevin McAllister and Speedie combined to almost bring Chelsea level at the start of the second half, West Ham were about to put the game to bed in a breath taking 11 minute spell that would leave the home faithful heading towards the exits.
Sadly, some of the home fans would let themselves down, racially abusing West Ham's George Parris throughout the match when he gained possession. But Parris would let his feet do the talking. Surging from his own half and exchanging passes with Alan Dickens, Parris set up Tony Cottee for West Ham's second in the 56th minute. The hits would keep on coming for a punch drunk Chelsea.
Seven minutes later, McAvennie beat the offside trap to unselfishly set up Cottee for his 13th league goal in a memorable season for the 20-year-old. Recently named PFA Young Player of the Year, Cottee would also win Hammer of the Year, and he would make his England debut in September. His partnership with McAvennie played a big part in West Ham's unexpected success.
The pair combined for West Ham's final goal, albeit in slightly unusual circumstances. A complete mishit from Cottee fell perfectly into the path of McAvennie, who demonstrated his deadliness in front of goal with a superb finish past Francis. Pike almost added further pain to Chelsea, but the delirious visiting fans among the crowd of 29,955 would have to be content with just the four goals.
"That was a bit special," Lyall proudly stated. "It was 90 minutes of high quality football. It was the sort of performance we derive pleasure from." A dazed Hollins also praised the visitors. "They took the initiative virtually from the kick off and never eased off. They punished us for every mistake we made and, in Devonshire and Ward, they have much more than just wingers. They have match winners."
"If they carry on playing like that then they can win the title," Chelsea defender Colin Pates said. "They were the best side at Stamford Bridge for a very long time." With Don Howe leaving Arsenal, and Chelsea bruised and battered, West Ham certainly looked like the most likely capital contender to the north west power houses.
Two days later, both Chelsea and West Ham laid out their credentials. A humiliating 6-0 defeat at QPR proved that Chelsea were not made of the right stuff, and although they would win at Old Trafford and gain revenge over West Ham in April, Chelsea finished in sixth place. After conceding 14 goals in three games, Francis would never play for the club again.
"The longer our run goes on the more we can think of the title," Lyall declared after the Chelsea win. Beating Tottenham 2-1 just two days later, West Ham were now fully immersed in the scrap for the title. Despite their demanding schedule, the club pushed until the very end, staying in contention until the final Saturday of the campaign.
"A manager's dream," Lyall said in acknowledgement of his team's performance at Stamford Bridge. He could easily have been talking about that season in general. Although they would fall just short, the ride was thrilling. The Boys of 86 are still rightly lauded for the joy they brought West Ham supporters, their 4-0 demolition of Chelsea a delicious memory in a season that they will never forget.
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