March 1966 and the last ever League Cup Final to be played over two legs before it moved to Wembley Stadium and featuring West Ham against West Bromwich Albion.The first leg was played at The Boleyn where the Hammers ran out winners 2-1 with goals from Bobby Moore and Johnny Byrne.
West Ham’s route to the final was a drawn out affair, consisting of eight games with two replays as part of the run, yet West Brom were the first top flight team the Hammers faced in that year’s competition.
With the game goaless in the first half it sprung to life in the second. Baggies legend Jeff Astle scored but a fortuitous strike from Bobby Moore, which it seems was meant to be a cross into the box that hit the back post and dropped in, drew the Hammers level and with almost the last kick of the game,
‘Budgie’ Byrne put the Hammers into a slender lead going in to the second leg. European football for the winners beckoned but in the return at The Hawthorns it was WBA who lifted the trophy after an emphatic 4-1 victory.
The picture shows Hammers attacker Brian Dear challenging the Baggies keeper Ray Potter after a corner to the Hammers.