John Lyall
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | John Angus Lyall | ||
| Date of birth | 24 February 1940 | ||
| Place of birth | Ilford, England | ||
| Date of death | 18 April 2006 (aged 66) | ||
| Place of death | Tattingstone, England | ||
| Playing position | Defender | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1955–1959 | West Ham United | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1959–1963 | West Ham United | 31 | (0) |
| National team | |||
| 1957 | England Youth | 1 | (0) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1974–1989 | West Ham United | ||
| 1990–1994 | Ipswich Town | ||
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
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John Angus Lyall (24 February 1940 – 18 April 2006) was an English footballer and manager of Scottish descent. His mother, Catherine, was from the Isle of Lewis, his father, James, was from Kirriemuir. He was born in Ilford, Essex.
Watched by West Ham manager, Ted Fenton, and chief scout Wally St Pier, Lyall was offered a place at West Ham aged fifteen. In October 1955 he joined West Ham United as a groundstaff boy, with duties such as boot cleaning, painting the football stands and wages clerk. He played youth team football as a left back. In February 1957 he won his only significant international honour when he played for England Youth in a 7–1 victory over Luxembourg at Upton Park. In 1957 he was also a member of the West Ham side which lost 8–2, on aggregate, to Manchester United in the FA Youth Cup Final.
He made his senior debut in April 1959. His first team career was interrupted and prematurely ended by a serious injury to his left knee. In January 1964 after making 36 appearances in all competitions, aged 23, he was diagnosed with an inoperable, generally disarranged knee and retired from playing professional football. Lyall was granted a testimonial game by West Ham which was played in April 1964 and netted him £3797. He was offered the role of part-time youth team manager.
Impressing at part-time youth manager Lyall was offered the role on a full-time basis in 1967. He rose through the coaching ranks at Upton Park to succeed Ron Greenwood as team manager in September 1974, managing West Ham for 15 years (1974–1989). In 1975, at the end of his first season as manager, West Ham won the FA Cup final and reached the final of the European Cup Winners Cup the following year, losing 4–2 to Anderlecht. However, West Ham slipped down to the Second Division in 1978. Lyall attempted to rebuild the side and made significant purchases in Phil Parkes, £565,000 from Queens Park Rangers, a world record for a goalkeeper and Ray Stewart from Dundee United for £430,000, a British record for a teenager. West Ham returned to the First Division in 1981 winning the title by a thirteen-point margin.
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