Green Street Hammers
Fansided

An alternative greatest Hammers team

By Henry Tomlinson

James Collins, West Ham. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
James Collins, West Ham. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images) /
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Attack

Left-striker: Tony Cottee

30 DEC 1994: TONY COTTEE OF WEST HAM UNITED CELEBRATES AFTER SCORING WEST HAM’s FIRST GOAL AGAINST NOTTINGHAM FOREST DURING A PREMIERSHIP MATCH AT UPTON PARK. Mandatory Credit: Gary Prior/ALLSPORT
30 DEC 1994: TONY COTTEE OF WEST HAM UNITED CELEBRATES AFTER SCORING WEST HAM’s FIRST GOAL AGAINST NOTTINGHAM FOREST DURING A PREMIERSHIP MATCH AT UPTON PARK. Mandatory Credit: Gary Prior/ALLSPORT /

Tony Cottee is undoubtedly one of the greatest strikers that West Ham has ever produced. Cottee is often overlooked in the club’s greatest elevens because of players like Geoff Hurst and Paolo Di Canio.

Cottee was part of one the greatest West Ham sides that has ever been. In the 1980s Cottee formed a deadly partnership with Scottish forward Frank McAvennie which fired the club to its best-ever finish, (3rd 1985-1986).

The Englishman scored 146 goals in 336 appearances for the Hammers, making Cottee the fifth highest goalscorer in West Ham’s history. Cottee scored with such regularity that in each of his seven seasons at West Ham he would finish with at least twelve.

Right-striker: Frank McAvennie

LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 20 : West Ham striker Frank McAvennie in action as Chris Hughton looks on during a 2-1 home against Tottenham Hotspur on April 20, 1987 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Chris Cole/Allsport/Getty Images/Hulton Archive)
LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 20 : West Ham striker Frank McAvennie in action as Chris Hughton looks on during a 2-1 home against Tottenham Hotspur on April 20, 1987 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Chris Cole/Allsport/Getty Images/Hulton Archive) /

To complete the eleven and to partner Cottee upfront it will be his Scottish partner Frank McAvennie. The Scot was a brilliant target man who had a magical link up with Cottee. Playing 190 times for the club, McAvennie scored sixty goals, what makes his more impressive was that he was initially signed as an attacking midfielder.

After an injury to Paul Goddard, McAvennie was moved to the striker. This change is what proved to be the move that would prompt West Ham’s title push that season; the Scot scored twenty-six goals that season.

After a brief spell back at in Scotland with Celtic, McAvennie returned to the club and helped the club gain promotion back to Division and one and reach the semi-finals of the FA Cup in 1991. McAvennie finished his West Ham career in style, scoring a hat-trick in a 3-0 win over Nottingham forest at the Boleyn Ground in 1992.

HERE IS THE FULL XI…

Next. Calamity XI of the London Stadium Era. dark

So there it is the ‘greatest alternate West Ham XI’. Of course, it is debatable and people will disagree if so let us know who makes your alternate XI via the comments section or on our Twitter and Facebook.

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