DEV - A Portrait of a West Ham Legend - Alan Devonshire
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- čas přidán 2. 04. 2020
- Alan Devonshire was a West London Forklift driver that became an East London legend and English footballing superstar. Dev tells of the heartbreak and the glory, of his times as the jewel in John Lyall's West Ham Utd crown.
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i'm 61 years old and have been watching west ham from 1970 when i was 8. i can say with hand on heart Alan Devonshire is the most skilful player i have ever seen play for west ham.
I met dev when he brought Braintree to play fc halifax in a night game at the shay....I'd planned to try and get him to sign my programme all day b4 the match and better still we talked all things west ham for a good 10 mins...what a really nice bloke he came across as...west ham will never see the likes of him again. ..he was world class!
One word GENIUS.......every time he got the ball the whole crowd stood on tip toes expecting something special and he usually obliged 👍👍
Devo was special. If he hadn't smashed his leg up he would have been regarded as one of the greatest English players of all time.
I forgot how good he was.
Devo my son you were the dogs bolox....legend indeed and how you spoke about Johnny Lyall brought a stone to the throat...thank you Devo
If TV cameras had been at every game back then the younger generation would understand fully why us of a certain age rated Dev so highly.A magician.
What a great player, thanks Alan ⭐
Great player, one of the best ever to play for the club.
He was mate.. No question
I agree 100% all the way from Salford: superb footballer
"DEVO! DEVO! DEVO"!........glided across the pitch, Devo and Sir Trev was like poetry in motion in our midfield, they had a telepathic understanding could always find each other with a pass, the 1980/81 side was irresistible, fantastic fantastic memories- IRONS!
What a fantastic player Alan Devonshire was back in my younger day's
One word”Legend”⚒
Been supporting west ham since1975 and dev was and is one of my all time favorites.. thanks dev just magic
Feel privileged to have seen him all those years
Dev was the best player I have ever seen play for West Ham in 57 years of watching them.
As a QPR fan, I loved watching Devonshire whenever West Ham was on the TV. He could glide across the boggy pitches of the day, pick a pass, & hit a ball. Injury wrecked his career.
If only we could have an Alan Devonshire in our team today. His pass to Trev in that semi-final against Everton at Villa Park that lead to the equaliser was inch perfect. ⚒
My all time favourite WHU player.. and that says it all.
I follow his sides as a manager as well.. The goal at Elland Rd was my favourite Dev goal
Thanks for the memories Dev.. X.. And cheers Len for another quality video
They were special times ,Brilliant memories , It felt really special to be a west ham fan.Really felt like a family.When you here Dev talk you can here bond that players had with each other and with the fans.Thanks for great memories.
You gave, every week, thousands of West Ham fans pure joy and pleasure Dev. You were an exceptionally gifted and talented player. The crowd buzzed when you had the ball. Thank you.
I'd forgotten how good he was thanks for the memories
My fave player from the 70’s/80’s team with the ball at his feet a nightmare for defenders!
You had to watch Devonshire live to know how good he was , and Brooking knew where he was all the time , he would today be worth fortunes , certainly i shall never forget how good he was .
Probably my favourite ever West Ham player.
Devo, (with Phil Parkes) was the ‘game changer’ for me. He lit the fuse.
The one that really changed me from just going to games as a kid to being a keen & willing participant....
Him and Parksey (I was a goalkeeper as a kid).
When your just a kid, your football team idols are larger than life and Devonshire was one of them for me. Great Stuff Len. Amazing, thank you. Up the Hammers 'X'
Still is one of the best players I have ever seen wear the claret and blue
& England
He had that awesome talent of beating other players, a true West Ham hero, so glad that John Lyall played him.
A true master and West Ham fan favourite , so unlucky with injuries .
Alan Alan Devonshire. What a player. What would he be worth in today's transfer market?
Every time he got the ball I thought, we might score here. Genius.
Fantastic player back in the day 👏
I'm a spurs fan I say what a great player he was when I watched him
He was a bit George best at times the way he just drifted past players. Him and Trevor brooking were my favourite players.
thanks len , he was my footballing idol, made my weekend in these hard times..
I really enjoyed that video Len, thanks for giving us good viewing yet again. COYI!
Thanks Len, it was great to hear Dev talking about his career with us. So unassuming for a great player, him and Trev together were mesmerising.
.. GREATEST EVER COMMENTATOR IN BARRY DAVIES BY THE WAY..
its my birthday today 52, my mum 79 has had her plaster off after her bad fall a few weeks ago, also a life long westham fan feeling pretty down,but thankyou len this video was excellent cheered me and my old mum right up
Happy Birthday mate! all the best to your mum too :)
@@canningtownlenstudio2115 thankyou len god bless you mate
JOHN LYALL = A GIANT AMONG MEN, knew how to treat people and players with dignity and respect. Dev has a level of sadness in his heart due to that terrible injury in Jan 84. Like many from WHU (1979-86) they were a huge credit to football with a special bond to a special community in East London/Essex...
I'm a lifelong fan.
Devonshire was my absolutely favourite player.
It appeared to be either him or Brooking (my 2nd best player) in midfield.
Devonshire was so nimble and skillfully. Brooking had incite and fantastic dribbling skills. When they were both on it was electric.
I can't remember who the animal was who smashed him. (was it Norman Hunter) or if that was the bad injury. I saw it but somehow it won't stay In my head.
Thanks Alan for so much joy.
What a player devo legend👏👍⚒
Beautiful Memories
What a player he was. Watching that made the hairs stand up on the back of my neck. Great interview & thank you for the memories Dev!
John was a much respected manager and gent, how many years did we go with just 2 managers Ron Greenwood and John Lyall.
Southend fan here.
An excellent player,manager at Braintree and Maidenhead, and a top bloke too!
What a great player he was - an absolute club legend, and should have won more England caps than he did. A great talent and glad I got to see him play in the claret and blue COYI ⚒
My fist West Ham kit admiral home classic🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥⚒
Great work, Len. Brings a tear to the old eyes. Thanks for this.
My all time favourite WHU player.
God bless Johnny Lyallxxxx
Yes 1 of my fave players along with Sir Trev.
I was only young at the time and didn't know he had suffered such a serious knee injury.
I've suffered the same ACL recon etc.
Really like the way he must have changed his game to keep on playing at the Hammers for a total of 14 years.
Seems to be a good manager too, hope he gets a team into the Football League
West Ham best ever player..
Loved Devonshire pure class and a disgrace he never won more England Caps Loved the way he used to get the ball of off Parkes then the next minute he was up the other end creating chance after chance
Thanks Len for a truly wonderful film and spotlight on a true legend... brought a lil tear. The youngsters can talk about Paulo and Payet but I always correct them and tell em all about Alan. I'll always remember that banner at Wembley too... 'Devonshire The Cream... Rice The Pudding!' I'd love to know who came up with that. Absolute GOLD! Cheers!
hahahaha I don't remember that one. I do remember 'Bonds eats Rice.'
I watched him at Watford towards the end of his career. He could only manage 70 minutes then but was still a class act.
My midfield Left to Right for England between 1980-1982 |A. Devonshire/B. Robson/G.Hoddle/T.Morley
Best ive seen in a west ham shirt thanks for the video superb
A great player beautiful to watch him running at the opposition. Proud that he was a hammer.
Terrific tribute to a truly talented Hammers legend 🥂⚒
I love your soundtracks Len mate.
Was great going to Upton Park back in the day. Amazing atmosphere. Remember the cup parades of 75 and 80 like they were yesterday. Magical!
Great video. Remember when we signed him - I’d only seen him a few months earlier playing my local team Walton & Hersham. Always immediately up the John Lyall era for me
I can't stop watching that goal at Wrexham. He and Trev both complemented each other. After they retired I never thought West Ham were the same. Such a nice man to talk to also.
What a player true west ham legend.
Great memories of a team I used to know.
Beautiful player that man; gracious with his craft but so unlucky with injury.
Thoroughly enjoyed that. Thanks for posting.
A brilliant documentary on this masterful Hammers legend. Would love him to be WHU manager one day, as he knows the football the fans love to watch.
Legend ⚒⚒
Absolute legend that goal against Wrexham was something else .
Alan Devonshire was a Forklift Driver in Hoovers in Perivale, London off the A40. Hoovers building is now Tesco's.
Absolutely brilliant memories of one of my all-time favourite Hammers - cheers Len ! And I was at the Villa game (when Tonka scored that pen), also the semi-final replay at Elland Road and of course the final itself. I also had a ticket for the first semi at Villa Park but for reasons I've now forgotten, I couldn't go so gave the ticket to my younger brother. COYI !!
That goal at Stamford Bridge 😁👍
Unbelievable Len! Thank you so much for this I got proper emotional watching it. Len it's the best thing I've seen in years! I loved da man I used to pretend I was him wen I was playing football as a kid. 😂😪🙂👍👌
I was at the town hall Alan, directly across the road from that balcony, with a very pregnant wife against the wall next to the nick.
I had my back to you, hands against the wall pushing the heaving crowd off my wife's belly with my back and all my strength.
Suddenly, a shout went up from what turned out to be the NorthBank "pregnant Hammers fan! " & "Firm. Make a space !".... A protective ring of heavyset claret and blue gave us 6' of space all ROUND for the duration. I looked up and there you were on the balcony with Frank and JL.
What a lovely day that was.
That baby is a head of finance in kent now but insisted on following Liverpool all his life.
Dev was brilliant...we really could do with someone like him now
This was absolutely fabulous!
@0:30 Remember a striker who played for one of West Ham's rivals saying the best advice he ever got was to pass the ball into the net - perfect example by Devonshire here.
Legend
Loved watching him play.
A truly magnificent player. Watching him live he was top, top drawer.
Thanks Len. He was so good. Keep these videos coming mate. Great stuff ⚒
Loved watching this. Bit before my time tbh so was great to see.
Thanks for making/posting.
Happier times no doubt!
COYI
I remember that Daily Mirror headline, was devastated at the time! Then went to Dev’s comeback against Wimbledon in the Cup, so happy to see him back..
A fantastic player, loved watching him. He always seemed to have the ball on a string...
legend
He was very Georgie best the way he went past players❤
Lovely film len , what a player he was how much would he cost to buy in this era ?. A tad more than £5 k I reckon
To this day I've always sang out about Dev.. Despite the harrowing knocks was me number 1 Irons player.. All things considered I got born to the world in 65 so as wouldn't have much cop bout Mooro.. Lastly I have great time n fondness for some of the relatively unsung fellas.. Steve Potts.. Ian Pearce.. Moncs.. Rowland.
Great interview with a great player
Devonshire and Bonds West Ham's top 2 buys of all time COYI
Smashing vid - thank you, Len!
Devo was one of the greatest players to wear the shirt. True legend.
You were like Billy Whizz on the ball and got your injuries because of the way you moved n ran ! I lived next door to you with Trevor the quiet shy guy with glasses. Interesting to see your video i started going to west ham the charity shield 81 i think n u were one of the names being sung along with Billy B Trevor B Frankie L that stuck out in my head so u were one of the hammers heroes (:
Imagine the likes of Devo on the carpets they play on today. The man was magical.
No disrespect he could play on surface.
🎶Johnny Lyall’s Claret & Blue Army🎶
Understated (Not underrated) footballer: one for the connoisseur.
Dev was a diamond and sadly another Hammer's case of what might of been apart from a bad injury … imagine todays overpaid showponies playing on with their hamstring re-attached down the back of their knee (and on ploughed muddy fields of pitches not the carpets of today). These days they need a three week lie down and a cup of herbal tea if they break a fingernail …. maybe Lanzini could benefit from watching this? …. thx Len and Dev for the memories (good music choices too) … COYI
Nice informative, appreciative post!
Think this is great .well done canning town len.
Was Franck in the bee gees
shocking pitches in the 70s/80s
Alan alan devonshire...
Devo devo devo
Why aint the devo tune on here ?
relax Marc, we know you and Adrian sang it.