This is a collection of short biographies on the great West Ham players of yesteryear that helped to define the club's iconic image and set the standard for its future stars. This is a must-have for any true Hammers fan interested in the history of their beloved club. West Ham United has always been a blue-collar club, set in a strong working-class area. The fans are proud of being East Enders, proud of their club, its history and achievements. Of course, in many respects West Ham is no different from any other major English football club with roots in working-class culture. However, there is something special about the Hammers and their historic commitment to football's highest ideals. The emergence of such wonderful players as Bobby Moore, Martin Peters, Geoff Hurst and Trevor Brooking at West Ham can be attributed to the club's faith in exciting, attacking football. The book might have carried the title Before Bobby Moore. One of the greatest players in world football and the captain of England's sole World Cup winning team remains, for most football lovers, the iconic image of West Ham United.Moore's influence on the club and its supporters is as strong today as it was in his playing days. But as the move to the new Olympic Stadium approaches, it is time to remember the great players before Bobby Moore, those who took the club to the point where it was able to produce one of the best footballers of all time. Let us meet some of the people who made it all possible...

Author Biography

Born in Walthamstow on the East London and Essex border, Dr Philip Stevens taught for many years in the London Borough of Waltham Forest, where he coached basketball, football and cricket, including a spell in the 1980s leading a successful Waltham Forest Schools cricket team. Originally a London firefighter, Dr Stevens later held Fellowships at the London Institute of Education, Merton College Oxford, and the University of Tennessee. He completed a PhD at the London Institute in 1992. A lifelong West Ham supporter, Dr Stevens took early retirement in 2008 and lives mostly in France where he writes about his passion for sport, in particular football and cricket.