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Video: West Ham United 2004-2005 – Season Review

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Following the previous season’s First Division play-off final loss to Crystal Palace, Rob Lee, Brian Deane, Wayne Quinn and Shaun Byrne were all released from West Ham on free transfers. They were closely followed by Kevin Horlock, who signed for Ipswich Town, and David Connolly, who left for Leicester City in a £500,000 deal. Sébastien Carole also returned to Monaco after his loan spell, while Richard Garcia and Elliott Ward signed new contracts.

The first signing Alan Pardew made following the end of the previous season was goalkeeper James Walker, signed on a free transfer from Walsall, where he had been a folk hero. He was brought in as cover for Stephen Bywater. The following month former England international Teddy Sheringham and Serhiy Rebrov both signed on free transfers, from Portsmouth and Tottenham respectively. Their arrivals were closely followed by those of AFC Bournemouth captain Carl Fletcher for £275,000 and winger Luke Chadwick from Manchester United on a free transfer. In September, Malky Mackay signed for £300,000 from Norwich City.

West Ham’s biggest defeat of the season was away to Cardiff City on 2 November 2004 when they lost 4–1. The Welsh team featured former Hammer Jobi McAnuff, who created the first two goals and scored the fourth. West Ham’s biggest win of the season came in their home game against Plymouth Argyle on 19 February 2005 when they won 5–0.

West Ham only lost one of their last ten matches, which helped moved them from seventh to sixth, guaranteeing a play-off spot. The club returned to the FA Premier League at the second time of asking, defeating Preston North End in the 2005 Football League Championship play-off Final with a single goal from Bobby Zamora.

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I am Season Ticket Holder in West stand lower at the London Stadium and before that, I used to stand in the Sir Trevor Brooking Lower Row R seat 159 in the Boleyn Ground and in the Eighties I stood on the terraces of the old South Bank. I am a presenter on the West Ham Podcast called Moore Than Just a Podcast A Blogger on West Ham Till I die a member of the West Ham Supporters Advisory Board (SAB), Founder of a Youtube channel called Mr West Ham Football at http://www.youtube.com/MrWestHamFootball,

I am also the associate editor here at Claret and Hugh.

Life Long singer of bubbles! Come on you Irons!

Follow me at @Westhamfootball on twitter