---
title: "Moment in time: West Ham earn momentous opening day victory"
canonical: "https://readwestham.com/2021/04/21/moment-in-time-west-ham-earn-momentous-opening-day-victory/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Dan Clubbe"
section: "Feature Writers"
published: "2021-04-21T07:00:00Z"
modified: "2021-04-21T07:00:00Z"
---

# Moment in time: West Ham earn momentous opening day victory

As the [Super League collapses](https://www.theguardian.com/football/live/2021/apr/20/european-super-league-backlash-builds-against-breakaway-plan-live) before it has even begun, we’ve taken a nostalgic trip back to the last time the footballing landscape changed entirely.

Back in 1992/93 [West Ham](https://readwestham.com/2021/04/20/pundit-reactions-paddy-kenny-lauds-brilliant-lukasz-fabianski-after-apology/) were left behind in the Football League First Division as the Premier League enjoyed its inaugural season above them.

The Hammers, managed by club legend Billy Bonds, contained the [likes of](https://www.11v11.com/matches/barnsley-v-west-ham-united-16-august-1992-173597/) Julian Dicks, Alvin Martin and Steve Potts kickstarted their campaign with a trip to Oakwell to face Barnsley.

Striker Clive Allen scored the only goal of the day as the Irons came past the Yorkshire club, the first of [16 goals](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1992%E2%80%9393_West_Ham_United_F.C._season) in the season for the [five cap](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/clive-allen/nationalmannschaft/spieler/176672/verein_id/3299) England man.

West Ham went on to [finish as runners-up](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQAs3R-oylU) behind Newcastle United in the newly formed second-tier, earning promotion to the top-flight at the first time of asking.

### READ WEST HAM VERDICT

As football as we know it seemingly [went to the brink](https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/sport/football/ian-holloway-calls-european-super-5314523) this week, let’s all remember why we fell in love with football in the first place.