1. David Moyes' landmark moment
After 25 years and 1,097 matches, David Moyes is a major trophy-winning manager – and my word, did he savour the moment!
In his 209th game in charge at West Ham United, Moyes led the Hammers to glory in Prague, masterminding a dramatic, thrilling, last-minute 2-1 victory over ACF Fiorentina in the 2023 UEFA Europa Conference League final.
The Scot made big calls in his team selection and tactical switches to slow the Hammers’ impressive Italian opponents and, when the final whistle was blown, all of them were vindicated.
Moyes expectantly followed Jarrod Bowen down the touchline before the winger he signed from Hull City in January 2020 scored his unforgettable match-winning goal, then raced towards the Claret and Blue Army who have sung his name so often over the past five-and-a-half years with his arms outstretched in celebration.
It was a moment he had worked so long and so hard for.
After eight agonising minutes of added-time, the final whistle heralded more jubilant scenes, first when the 60-year-old put his winner’s medal around the neck of his 87-year-old father, David Senior, then again as he jigged, first to Gala’s Freed From Desire, then to The Proclaimers’ 500 Miles.
Nobody could begrudge Moyes his moment of elation, his night of glory, his leading West Ham United to a major trophy for the first time since 1980, the year he joined Celtic as a 17-year-old schoolboy defender.
Moyes had been signed from Drumchapel Amateurs, the junior club David Senior ran and coached, where David Junior did odd-jobs and cleaned the kits.
On Wednesday night in Prague, father and son were together again, champions of Europe.
2. Fans turning Prague Claret and Blue
Pre-match estimates suggested between 20 and 25,000 West Ham United supporters would descend on Prague for the UEFA Europa League final.
By Thursday morning, those numbers were estimated to be closer to 35,000.
Up to 10,000 were at Eden Arena to cheer their team on in person, while over 20,000 were a few miles away at Letna Park at the Fan Meeting Point, where they watched the game with pints of Czech beer on three huge screens.
With a few thousand more likely to have been in the city centre, Prague really did become a little piece of East London removed this week.
It has been an unforgettable trip for them all, for those who took a chance and booked flights months ago, to those who secured last-minute tickets and travelled across Europe by circuitous routes and can now say ‘I was there when West Ham won a major trophy’.
Despite the lack of sleep, the hangovers and the cost, it was all worth it!
3. A true team effort
It would be easy to single out one player for praise, but West Ham United’s UEFA Europa Conference League win was a true team effort.
No fewer than 31 different players appeared in the Hammers’ 15 ties, and 12 of them scored.
From ever-present Alphonse Areola in goal, to match-winners Saïd Benrahma and Jarrod Bowen in attack, to outstanding Prague performers Emerson and Paquetá, to trophy-lifting captain Declan Rice, and everyone else in between, they all played their part.
David Moyes, his coaches and backroom staff have also worked tirelessly for the last 293 days, often without taking a single day off for weeks at a time.
The result was 14 wins and a draw in 15 matches, a record-breaking unbeaten European tour spanning 35 goals, nearly 12,000 miles and seven different countries.
Oh, and a major European trophy!
4. History was made!
History was made in Prague on Wednesday evening.
In 128 years, prior to the final whistle being blown at Eden Arena, West Ham United had won just four major trophies.
Now, it is five.
To the FA Cup and European Cup Winners’ Cup lifted by Bobby Moore in 1964 and 1965, and the FA Cups hoisted aloft by Billy Bonds in 1975 and 1980, add the UEFA Europa Conference League trophy raised by Declan Rice in 2023.
Of course, we had won the Football League War Cup in 1940, and also won Play-Off finals and a UEFA Intertoto Cup since that last FA Cup triumph, but this is a major trophy, and a European one to boot.
A generation of Hammers had never seen their Club win something. Now, they have, and this group of players will forever be their heroes, forever carved into the history of this football club, West Ham United.
