West Ham's demolition of Brighton on Saturday was only the second time in the last 20 years that the Irons have scored six goals in a competitive fixture.
However such an impressive feat used to be a far more regular occurrence at the Boleyn; with that in mind, we took a look at the history books to recall those other occasions on which West Ham buried the opposition by six or more.How many of these can you remember?
2000s (1)
14th April 2012: West Ham Utd 6-0 Brighton (nPower Championship)
3-0 up after just ten minutes, the Hammers hit six for the first time in 14 years by equalling their goalscoring exploits after the break. New signing Ricardo Vaz Te was in blistering form, scoring a hat-trick.
1990s (4)
10th January 1998: West Ham Utd 6-0 Barnsley (FA Carling Premiership)
Once Frank Lampard had opened the scoring in the fifth minute there was no looking back. Further goals from Samassi Abou (2), Stan Lazaridis and Johns Moncur and Hartson condemned the Yorkshire club to a humiliating defeat on the last occasion in which West Ham hit six in a top-flight fixture.
11th October 1992: West Ham Utd 6-0 Sunderland (Barclays Division One)
West Ham responded to being knocked out of the League Cup by lowly Crewe Alexandra the week before by thumping Sunderland with goals from Kevin Keen, Trevor Morley, Martin Allen, Alvin Martin and Robson (2) in front of the Boleyn's lowest league crowd for 30 years (just 10,326).
16th January 1991: West Ham Utd 6-1 Aldershot (FA Cup Third Round Replay)
Having been held to a goalless draw in the first tie - an away game switched to Upton Park - Billy Bonds' side hit back in perfect fashion by smashing the Shots. This replay was over by the break as West Ham stormed into a 4-1 lead before second half goals from Trevor Morley (his second) and Jimmy Quinn secured an emphatic victory. West Ham went on to reach the semi-finals where they were knocked out by Keith Hackett.
6th October 1990: West Ham Utd 7-1 Hull City (Barclays Division Two)
Just three months prior to the Aldershot game West Ham smashed Hull in a game best known for being the match in which Steve Potts scored the only goal of his professional career. The defender's 'sublime' effort was complemented by goals from Jimmy Quinn (2), Julian Dicks (2), George Parris and Trevor Morley.
1980s (3)
21st April 1986: West Ham Utd 8-1 Newcastle Utd (Division One)
A game famous for Alvin Martin scoring a hat-trick against three different goalkeepers - and one in which former manager Glenn Roeder also managed to net an embarrassing own goal. The other four goals on the day came from Ray Stewart (pen), Neil Orr, Paul Goddard and Frank McAvennie. The three goalkeepers for Newcastle were Martin Thomas, centre half Chris Hedworth and striker Peter Beardsley.
9th October 1984: West Ham Utd 6-1 Bristol City (League Cup Second Round, Second Leg)
Having drawn the first leg at Ashton Gate 2-2, City might have thought they were in with a chance of snatching an unlikely win in the second leg at the Boleyn Ground. At half time they were justified in doing so with the score 1-1 (Cottee for United and Walsh from the penalty spot for City) - before a five-goal blitz in 31 second half minutes from the Irons sent them through to the third round with ease.
25th October 1983: West Ham Utd 10-0 Bury (League Cup Second Round, Second Leg)
West Ham's biggest win of all time. Tony Cottee gave John Lyall's team a second minute lead before Bury missed a penalty two minutes later. Thereafter the goals rained in from all angles with Cottee grabbing four, Devonshire and Brooking a brace plus goals from Martin and Stewart (from the penalty spot). And to think that West Ham had only narrowly edged the first leg 2-1 at Gigg Lane courtesy of Neil Orr's 82nd minute winner.
1970s (2)
21st September 1974: West Ham Utd 6-2 Leicester City (Division One)
Frank Worthington's blatant dive won a penalty from which the Foxes scored to go one-up after ten minutes. Clearly incensed, the Hammers hit back through strikes from Jennings, Bonds and Gould to lead 3-1 at the break. The score was repeated after the break with Jennings and Gould grabbing another and debutant Keith Robson scoring his first for the club.
FRANKLY, THAT'S A SHOCKER: "Frank Worthington - 5.9; 5.8; 6.0; 6.0; 6.0"
18th September 1974: West Ham Utd 6-0 Tranmere Rovers (League Cup Second Round)
Just three days before thrashing Leicester, West Ham whacked little Tranmere in the League Cup. With the Hammers 5-0 up through a Johnny Ayris effort and a brace each from Billy Bonds and Bobby Gould, the Hammers won a last minute penalty - which Billy Bonds handed to Bobby Gould so that the want away striker may complete his hat-trick instead of himself.
1960s (11*)
19th October 1968: West Ham Utd 8-0 Sunderland (Division One)
West Ham's joint-record league win (equalling the 8-0 win over Rotherham 10 years earlier) and also one in which Geoff Hurst scored a hat-trick in each half. The England striker's goals came in the 18th, 34th, 44th, 46th, 61st and 71st minutes - whilst Bobby Moore and a young Trevor Brooking grabbed the other two goals.
4th September 1968: West Ham Utd 7-2 Bolton Wanderers (League Cup Second Round)
Just a matter of weeks before the Rokerites were smashed 8-0 at the Boleyn, Ron Greenwood's rip-roaring goal-scoring Hammers put seven past Bolton. West Ham were 2-0 up after seven minutes through Hurst and Peters before another quick-fire double from Hurst - ensuring a first half hat-trick - made it 4-0. Bolton responded with a goal either side of the break but further efforts from Johnny Sisson, Trevor Brooking and Harry Redknapp secured a comfortable win.
3rd February 1968: West Ham Utd 7-2 Fulham (Division One)
On the first of three occasions that West Ham were to score seven or more in 1968, Fulham - managed by a young Bobby Robson - were on the receiving end of a good old-fashioned thrashing despite scoring first (through Steve Earle). On the score sheet for United were such luminaries as Brooking, Hurst (two each), Dear, Peters and Moore. West Ham were 6-1 up after 63 minutes.
7th November 1966: West Ham Utd 7-0 Leeds Utd (League Cup Fourth Round)
One of the - if not the - greatest surprise wins of them all. Featuring the likes of Jack Charlton, Billy Bremner and Norman Hunter, Leeds were swept aside by some quite breathtaking football. Ron Greenwood had promised to inject some "northern steel" in an "inconsistent team" but this was a victory for what was later described as "purist southern artistry". Sissons and Hurst grabbed a hat-trick each and Martin Peters the other.
5th November 1966: West Ham Utd 6-1 Fulham (Division One)
Two days before humping Leeds 7-0, Fulham were swept aside by a master class from Hurst (four goals) and Peters (two). Trevor Brooking's idol Johnny Haynes put the Cottagers ahead before Hurst levelled ahead of the break. Just 22,260 fans saw West Ham go on to destroy Fulham with five goals in the second half. Additional wins over Tottenham (4-3) and Newcastle (3-0) meant West Ham scored 20 goals in four games within a fortnight - yet they ended the season in 16th place.
16th April 1965: West Ham Utd 6-1 WBA (Division One)
The match when Brian Dear broke all number of records by scoring five goals in the space of just 20 minutes. The striker's first came in the final minute of the first half - a goal that put West Ham two-up on the day following Martin Peters' opener on the half-hour mark. Jeff Astle pulled one back on the stroke of half time before Dear added goals in the 53rd, 56th, 59th and 64th minutes to set a top-flight goalscoring record that is unlikely to ever be beaten.
BEAT THAT: Brian Dear scoring three of his five against the poor old Baggies
16th December 1963: West Ham Utd 6-0 Workington Town (League Cup Fifth Round)
Fourth division minnows Workington made it to the quarter-finals of the League Cup in two successive seasons in the 1960's, losing to Chelsea in the 1964/65 tournament after a replay. West Ham made rather lighter work of the Cumbrian side the year before however when a Budgie Byrne hat-trick - complemented by goals from Boyce, Hurst and Scott - sent West Ham through to a two-legged semi-final against Leicester (which they lost 6-3 on aggregate, thus denying the Irons the opportunity of becoming the first club to win both Cups in the same season).
18th May 1963: West Ham Utd 6-1 Manchester City (Division One)
City may be filthy-rich these days but until the current owners tipped up in Manchester they were no great shakes (or should that be Sheiks?) West Ham demolished the Citizens - who needed to win to stand any chance of avoiding relegation - on the final day of the 1962/63 season after Geoff Hurst put the irons two up after eight minutes. Realising they were dead and buried City basically gave up, falling 4-0 behind by the break.
26th September 1962: West Ham Utd 6-0 Plymouth Argyle (League Cup Second Round)
The second round of the League Cup has been a happy hunting ground for the Hammers with no less than five entries in this list coming at that stage of the competition. The first of those came in this League Cup tie which was all but won by half time with Martin Peters' third minute strike being complemented by a first half hat-trick from an on-fire John Byrne. Malcolm Musgrove and Geoff Hurst piled on the misery for the south coast club after the break as West Ham raced into a 6-0 lead after 58 minutes. Just 9,714 people saw this one.
8th September 1962: Manchester City 1-6 West Ham Utd (Division One)
The first entry in our list, the only away win and the first of two six-goal hauls against a hapless Manchester City in the 62/63 season. City 'keeper Bert Trautmann was sent off after West Ham's fifth for kicking the ball at referee Ken Stokes. Incredibly, West Ham had been bottom of the league before conjuring this win out of nowhere - although it was nothing new for City who had already been beaten 8-1 by Wolves in the first game of the season.
* West Ham also beat Arsenal 6-0 at home on 5th November 1960.
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