West Ham United 1976 Admiral Retro Track Jacket

A Banksy West Ham United Track Jacket might look like this? Subversive; Vibrant; Confident; Commercial; Post Modern Football Counter-Culture, and all in Claret and Blue. Say hello to the West Ham United 1976 Admiral Retro Track Jacket.

The distinctive design actually made its debut in Stadion Heysel on Wednesday 5 May 1976 when The Hammers wore the shirt edition in the UEFA European Cup Winners Cup Final against Royal Sporting Club Anderlecht. And what a game. Playing in their own back yard Les Mauves included two of The Dutch Total Football 1974 World Cup Final team in their line-up: Rob Rensenbrink and Arie Haan plus future West Ham star François Van der Elst. Never mind all that, Pat Holland had The Irons ahead on 28 minutes. Rensenbrink equalised just before half-time and Van der Elst put Anderlecht in front immediately after half-time. Keith Robson equalised for John Lyall's men on 68 minutes only for Rensenbrink to restore Anderlecht's lead from the penalty spot, and in the closing minutes with West Ham chasing an equaliser Van der Elst broke away to make the final score 4-2 to the team from Parc Astrid.

En Route to the final in Brussels, The Boleyn Ground experienced one of its greatest ever nights under the Upton Park lights in E.17. Trailing 1-2 from the semi-final 1st Leg in the Waldstadion, West Ham needed to beat Eintracht Frankfurt by two clear goals to progress to the final. With two of the West Germany 1974 World Cup winning team- Die Weltmeister Mannschaft - in their line-up: Bernard Hölzenbein and Jürgen Grabowski plus all-time record Bundesliga appearance maker Karl-Heinz 'Charley' Korbel, Die Adler were blown away by three second half goals in front of The South Bank. 1976 Hammer of the Year Trevor Brooking headed the opener, Keith Robson smashed the second and Brooking slalomed his way to slotting the third, as an estimated 40,000 raised the roof off The Boleyn.

West Ham United began the 1975-76 season at Wembley Stadium against Football League Champions Derby County in The FA Charity Shield, and as Holders of the FA Cup, The Irons were also qualified to compete for The Anglo-Italian League Cup Winners Cup.  A home and away two-leg affair played between the Coppa Italia winner and the winner of either The Football League Cup or The FA Cup. West Ham lost the 1st Leg 1-0 versus Fiorentina in Stadio Artemio Franchi in early September, and the return leg by the same scoreline at Upton Park in December. 

After Anderlecht, in Brussels at Stadion Heysel in 1976 it would be 47 years before West Ham United played in another UEFA Final when on Thursday 7 June 2023 in Prague, 2023 Hammer of the Year Declan Rice captained The Hammers to victory in The UEFA Europa Conference League Final against Fiorentina, and 47 years after that Anglo-Italian League Cup Winners Final defeat Saïd Benrahma and Jarrod Bowen scored the goals to avenge the 1975-76 reverse against La Viola. Come On You Irons.

Score Draw Official Retro Track Jacket Match:

West Ham United 2 v 4 RSC Anderlecht.  Wednesday 5 May 1976.

UEFA European Cup Winners Cup Final. 

Stadion Heysel. 

Attendance 51,296.

West Ham United: 1.Mervyn Day. 2.Keith Coleman. 3.Frank Lampard. 4.Billy Bonds. 5.Tommy Taylor. 6.John McDowell. 7.Pat Holland. 8.Graham Paddon. 4.BillyJennings. 10.Trevor Brooking. 11.Keith Robson. 12.Alan Taylor.