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longford 12:38 Thu Nov 7
Question about john Lyall and the relegation season of 88/89

So i was watching a documentery about the late great Brian Clough on you tube , and /scrolled down the comments section and there was a comment that pointed to a section of the video where cloughy was getting clapped of the pitch despite this being the end of the 92/93 season , a season where Forest were relegated.
So someone commented that he was the only manager in history for their team to be relaged and the manager be clapped of the pitch.
i dont know whether this is wrong or right , but it got me thinking
In the 88/89 season i was a 9 year old west ham fan , i was still a season away to going to my first game , my west ham viewing was confined to the send of season review on VHS , the stand outs that year for me was the 4-1 over Liverpool in the littlewoods cup and Julian diks getting a kick to the face and tony gales curler , Paul ince's goal of the season against Villa , a great run of form at the end of the year, but being humled by Liverpool on the final game , just before Arsenal (its up for grabs now) done what they did ....
But what i wanted to know , honestly what was the feeling in the stands for John Lyall that season , was there a strong Lyall out sentiment and what was his final reception like towards the end ?
is someone could say what the feelings in the terraces where that year towards the legendary gaffer , id appreciate it very much
Thanks in advance

Cheezey Bell-End 12:49 Thu Nov 7
Re: Question about john Lyall and the relegation season of 88/89

There had been some Lyall out sentiment building for a couple of years, especially after the 2-5 loss to Barnsley in 87. Not as hostile as against Allardyce, but a general feeling that it was time for change. I think there was still a lot of sympathy when he went though.

longford 1:04 Thu Nov 7
Re: Question about john Lyall and the relegation season of 88/89

Since the season before ? the season before that we finished 3rd...

the 87/88 season we nearly went down did we not ?

in hindsight do most people think we should have given hima chance to et us back up ?

he still had someting in the tank as he went to ipswich and done a good job there did he not .

think they got promoted with JL in charge

twoleftfeet 1:05 Thu Nov 7
Re: Question about john Lyall and the relegation season of 88/89

I went to virtually every home game that season and it was pretty poor to be honest but I don’t remember it being too hostile towards Lyall but I think people thought we were ready for a change but it was still sad to see him go.

Hasans Fish Bar RIP 1:09 Thu Nov 7
Re: Question about john Lyall and the relegation season of 88/89

I was only 16 but my memory tells me there was a huge Lyall out feeling. He got pelters in that final season

Cheezey Bell-End 1:12 Thu Nov 7
Re: Question about john Lyall and the relegation season of 88/89

We had that one good season, then were dismal. We were too focused on trying to be stylish in the face of
the long ball style that was in fashion, and didn't have the players to do it.
Once Cottee went, we were doomed. Would have gone down sooner without him.

Any Old Iron 1:19 Thu Nov 7
Re: Question about john Lyall and the relegation season of 88/89

I'd say the reaction to John Lyall in that season was fairly mixed but not surprisingly sentiment hardened against him a bit as the season progressed.
Having said that many would have given him another season and the atmosphere wasn't exactly openly hostile. Just 'Lyall out' chants from the south bank.

Leeshere 2:38 Thu Nov 7
Re: Question about john Lyall and the relegation season of 88/89

Started going to West Ham more often during this season. As mentioned there was a lot of Lyall out chants, injuries to key players and selling Cottee in the summer and not replacing with the same quality really hurt the team. Think the general consensus was that a fresh approach was needed.

I still remember how excited I was when we resigned McAvennie though, thought we was guaranteed to stay up!

SDKFZ 222 4:11 Thu Nov 7
Re: Question about john Lyall and the relegation season of 88/89

As far as I remember there was a fair bit of frustration and animosity towards Lyall, but not over the top rage or anger.

He had been manager for about 15 years and quite a few supporters had grown frustrated with him for hanging on to his favourite players for far too long, even when they were out of form or over the hill. He should have built upon the 1986 team but had remained too loyal to many of the players.

I remember a line in his book which basically said words along the lines of ‘players are people who have families, they can’t just be discarded.’ A very nice man indeed and one of our greatest legends, but maybe he was at too nice in the cut throat world of late 80’s football.

zico 8:31 Thu Nov 7
Re: Question about john Lyall and the relegation season of 88/89

Funnily enough I am reading his book again at the moment. I didn't visit UP that much back then but from afar I personally never wanted Lyall to leave, and it's not been the same Club since. However maybe my opinion would have been different if we had been on TV every week or we had social media and sites like WHO like we do now where opinions and discussion (I'm putting it nicely!) take place every day.

I just think either he would have rebuilt again like he did when relegated late 70's or an upstairs position should have been created and he blooded a younger man like Greenwood did with him.

He tells a lovely story in the book where after he had been sacked Mick McGiven drove a fan to his house where the fan handed over a bunch of flowers to his wife and a fishing reel and voucher to Lyall. Football has changed!!

Eddie B 8:41 Thu Nov 7
Re: Question about john Lyall and the relegation season of 88/89

Don't sugar coat it, there had been massive Lyall out chants for a couple of seasons. The first I remember it was the Barnsley League Cup match early in the 1988 season. Two nil up, lost five two. Huge chants at that match for him to go.

Oh dear 9:59 Thu Nov 7
Re: Question about john Lyall and the relegation season of 88/89

The Lyall Outers versus The Lyall Inners, how time flies, it seems like only yesterday.

Obviously the Outers blamed Lyall for everything and it was, as Eddie says, pretty hostile. Equally though there were plenty that felt equally strongly in support of Lyall, the Lyall Inners felt Lyall wasn’t the problem it was the Cearns for not supporting the manager.

In hindsight John Lyall was too much of a company man, an old fashioned manager who believed first and foremost in deference to his employers and loyalty to the company employees. Not a great personal specification for a modern football manager.

It would have been the biggest thread on here, Lyall, in or out.

He’s still the greatest manager we’re ever likely to have though.

Grumpster 11:01 Thu Nov 7
Re: Question about john Lyall and the relegation season of 88/89

I was too young aged 14 to give a shit about the politics of football and managers and just still loved everything about going, even the shite results.

Do remember the Lyall out shouts and in reality we did have a pretty average team that season, so it was hardly a surprise when he did go.

New Jersey 11:07 Thu Nov 7
Re: Question about john Lyall and the relegation season of 88/89

I remember my first match at UP, we got slaughtered by Brian Clough's Derby and Sir Bobby was on the bench for going on the piss before the infamous Blackpool cup match. There was a bit of hostility towards Greenwood and a few Greenwood out banners.

tanman 11:30 Thu Nov 7
Re: Question about john Lyall and the relegation season of 88/89

Only about 12 at the time but I remember there being affection for him but the general feeling was that it was time for a change. some of his buys had not worked out either - Stewart Robson? did he sign Mitchell Thomas? When he did apparently Spurs could not believe how much we offered to buy him for.

ornchurch ammer 11:31 Thu Nov 7
Re: Question about john Lyall and the relegation season of 88/89

The final straw for Lyall was the last game of the season at Anfield on the Tuesday night when he substituted Paul Ince.
The whole away end to a man started singing " you don't know what you're doing ".
I'm sure that was what convinced the board to sack him.

tanman 11:31 Thu Nov 7
Re: Question about john Lyall and the relegation season of 88/89

Sorry just checked, Thomas was after he left I think.

Side of Ham 11:40 Thu Nov 7
Re: Question about john Lyall and the relegation season of 88/89

The board fucked up (AGAIN) by slowly unravelling a great team (85/86) that Lyall had assembled on a budget and expected him to do it again but he couldn't. Everything after THAT season just seemed to go to pot even the kit supplier went from being Adidas to poxy Scoreline.

Lyall did have to go but only because the board had very quietly hung him out to dry.........and he was a gent.

Northern Sold 11:42 Thu Nov 7
Re: Question about john Lyall and the relegation season of 88/89

Apart from the move to the shithole the Lyall OUT period was the most embarrassing time I have known at our place... horrible time

the coming of gary 12:57 Thu Nov 7
Re: Question about john Lyall and the relegation season of 88/89

agree with Soldo ... there were even Lyall out banners unfurled to big cheers... lets not pretend otherwise
.

claret on my shirt 1:06 Thu Nov 7
Re: Question about john Lyall and the relegation season of 88/89

I remember it well, it was pretty shit towards him to be honest. We all know what it's like to be shit because we have been since 1986, but 86 was just magical, we played great football and we always seemed to win. Something we'd never really had before, Cottee McaVennie were loved, Wardy and obviously Dev, fuck me even dickens (who ran with his arse pubes tied together) and neil orr were liked that season After that it all went to pot so you can kind of see a little bit why the fans reacted. Alas Lyall got the blame for it. Football fans are fickle cunts basically

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