Alan Taylor (footballer born 1953)
Taylor at the Boleyn Ground in 2009
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Alan David Taylor | ||
| Date of birth | 14 November 1953 | ||
| Place of birth | Hinckley, England | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1973–1974 | Rochdale | 55 | (8) |
| 1974–1979 | West Ham United | 98 | (25) |
| 1979–1980 | Norwich City | 24 | (5) |
| 1980 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 26 | (11) |
| 1980–1981 | Cambridge United | 18 | (4) |
| 1981–1984 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 23 | (10) |
| 1984 | Hull City | 14 | (3) |
| 1984–1986 | Burnley | 64 | (23) |
| 1986–1988 | Bury | 62 | (10) |
| 1988 | Norwich City | 4 | (1) |
| Total | 388 | (100) | |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
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Alan Taylor (born 14 November 1953) is an English former professional footballer best known for his goalscoring exploits with West Ham United in their FA Cup success of 1975, culminating in two goals in that season's final.
Taylor, a quick centre forward, was rejected by Preston North End as a youth player and drifted into non-league football in Lancashire. Eventually his reputation with Morecambe as a goalscorer prompted Rochdale into making a move for him, taking Taylor into the full-time game for the first time.
At the end of 1974, West Ham manager John Lyall signed Taylor for £40,000. He was able to play in West Ham's FA Cup campaign when they joined the competition at the third round stage in January 1975, even though Rochdale's lower league status meant that they had started two rounds earlier. Taylor had been injured during Rochdale's FA Cup matches and was therefore not cup-tied. West Ham progressed to the quarter finals and on 8 March 1975 Taylor scored both goals, in what was only his fifth West Ham game, as they beat Arsenal 2–0 at Highbury. The semi-final against Ipswich Town ended goalless and went to a replay at Stamford Bridge on 9 April 1975, with Taylor again scoring both goals in a 2–1 win, the second of which clinched a place in the Wembley final with just eight minutes to go. In the final on 3 May 1975, West Ham played Fulham, who were a division below them, and the game was tightly-contested until Taylor scored two goals which won West Ham the FA Cup. In the 61st minute, Billy Jennings hit a low, outswinging shot from 25 yards which Fulham goalkeeper Peter Mellor could only parry across his goal. Taylor, following up, had to check his run to reach the rebound, but managed to get his foot around the ball and place a low drive through Mellor's legs and into the net. Three minutes later, Graham Paddon again hit a shot from a wide left position at the Fulham goal, but this time it was more directly at Mellor, who stopped it but failed to hold on. Once more, Taylor was following up and he guided the rebound into the top of the net. Taylor made headlines as West Ham won 2–0, especially as he had scored three consecutive FA Cup braces and had been a player in the lowest division of English football just six months previously. He was the subject of "rags to riches"-style features in the press after the final.
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