Almost exactly sixteen years ago, West Ham United started out on their first European adventure since the 1980/81 Cup-Winners’ Cup campaign, albeit in the much maligned Intertoto Cup, a pre-qualifying tournament, for the then UEFA Cup.
In 1999 the feelings from the fans were slightly different to what they are now feeling in general about our imminent Europa League qualifying fixture pile-up.
We had just finished in the dizzy heights of 5th in the Premier League and felt that European football was well deserved and even felt aggrieved that the claret and blue army should have to go through an extra qualifying competition. We were dubious about what effect the competition would have to our pre-season. Would it hinder it?
The players and manager Harry Redknapp were up for it though and strong line-ups were selected against FC Jokerit. Only leading by a goal from Paul Kitson from the first leg, the Hammers scraped home 2-1 on aggregate, with a 1-1 draw in Finland, thanks to a long range cracker from Frank Lampard Jr.
Next up in the Semi-Finals were Dutch outfit Heerenveen. Again, West Ham took a slender 1-0 home win away with them, with Lampard once again netting but it was new signing Paulo Wanchope, who finished the job off, scoring the only goal of the game in a second leg 1-0 win, to take the boys through 2-0 on agg.
With now only Metz standing in our way of progressing to the UEFA Cup, the fans began to get excited and a capacity crowd turned up to watch the first leg at Upton Park.
This time however, Redknapp’s boys were on the receiving end of a 1-0 defeat thanks to a goal from future Manchester United star, Louis Saha.
It was a disappointing performance and result which left us all fearful of our prospects. That team didn’t travel very well and many felt that winning by two goals in the second leg would be too much to ask.
However, our wonderful support travelled to France in great voice as always and helped create a wonderful atmosphere inside the ground before kick-off.
Things got off to great start when after 9 mins, Trevor Sinclair lashed home from 20 yards after excellent work from Paulo Di Canio on the right. 1-0, scores level overall and game on!
West Ham were playing without fear and the killer blow came at the perfect time just before the break. Di Canio again put in a wonderful cross and Lampard timed his run perfectly, to meet the ball first time and stab it home from close range. 2-0 at half-time and cruising.
Typically though, in the second half the Irons allowed Metz to put them under increasing pressure, finally resulting in a goal on 68 mins from Nenad Jestrovic. It was going to be a nervous finale, with Metz needing a further two goals.
Against the run of play though, Paulo Wanchope beautifully rounded the goalkeeper after being put through by Steve Lomas on the counter-attack. Wanchope then stroked the ball home into the empty net to send the Hammers fans into raptures and the club into the UEFA Cup for the first time in it’s history.
Many people were sceptical about the Intertoto Cup back then but it provided us with one of our most memorable nights in recent history. We actually got off to a flyer in the Premier League too, as we were unbeaten in our first five games, before maybe struggling with fatigue later on in the year and finishing a respectable 9th.
Let’s be positive about our upcoming Europa League campaign. I know it’s a lot of games and the early rounds might not be too exciting, as they weren’t back in 1999 but if the squad can be managed well by Slaven Bilic, then further down the line there may be another unforgettable come back away from home, like Metz, or one last cherished European moment at The Boleyn Ground.
