Billy Jennings is pictured during West Ham United's match against Coventry City.
|
| Watford: |
1970-1971 |
Played |
8 |
Scored |
2 |
goals |
(Division 2) |
| |
1971-1972 |
Played |
16 |
Scored |
0 |
goals |
(Division 2) |
| |
1972-1973 |
Played |
18 |
Scored |
5 |
goals |
(Division 3) |
| |
1973-1974 |
Played |
45 |
Scored |
26 |
goals |
(Division 3) |
| |
1974-1975 |
Played |
3 |
Scored |
0 |
goals |
(Division 3) |
| |
| Transferred in September 1974 |
| |
| West Ham: |
1974-1975 |
Played |
32 |
Scored |
13 |
goals |
(Division 1) |
| |
1975-1976 |
Played |
30 |
Scored |
11 |
goals |
(Division 1) |
| |
1976-1977 |
Played |
31 |
Scored |
8 |
goals |
(Division 1) |
| |
1977-1978 |
Played |
2 |
Scored |
1 |
goal |
(Division 1) |
| |
1978-1979 |
Played |
4 |
Scored |
0 |
goals |
(Division 2) |
| |
| Transferred to Leyton Orient in August 1979 |
| |
1979–1982 Leyton Orient 67 (21)
1982 Luton Town 2 (1) |
Billy Jennings was signed by West Ham from Third Division Watford for £110,000 in September 1974
becoming new manager John Lyall’s first signing. The twenty-two-year-old Hackney born striker immediately
had an impact, scoring on his debut two days after joining the club, in a 2-1 defeat by Sheffield United at
Upton Park. His arrival at West Ham together with that of fellow striker Keith Robson, initiated a goal scoring
spree for the Hammers, as they netted twenty goals in just four games during September 1974, with Jennings
scoring four times in these games. Despite his relatively small stature Jennings was surprisingly known for his
aerial ability, scoring a number of headed goals. At the end of his first season at Upton Park the Hammers won
the FA Cup beating Fulham in the final at Wembley. Jennings played in every game during the cup run and it
was also his shot that led to Alan Taylor’s first goal in the final.
He finished the season as the club’s top scorer, with an impressive fourteen goals, in forty appearances in claret
and blue.
Jennings scored another fourteen goals in his second season at Upton Park, including a hat trick against
Peter Shilton, in a 3-0 home win over Stoke City in December 1975. Probably his most important goals for the
Hammers though were the two he scored in in the European Cup Winners Cup quarter-final away first leg in
March 1976, against the Dutch side Den Haag, away goals which ultimately took West Ham though to the semi-finals.
Injuries and loss of form however blighted Jennings during 1976/77, although he did score ten goals, but at the end
of the season he was transfer listed by the club. At the start of the following season, he suffered a severe Achilles
injury in a game against Queens Park Rangers, which put him out of action for a year. On his return to fitness,
he found that he was again out of the first team, due to the success of new signing David Cross’s successful striking
partnership with Pop Robson. Jennings played in just two games that season, scoring once.
He made just four more
appearances for the Hammers, by now in Division Two, in 1978/79 and eventually left Upton Park to join Orient in
August 1979. (Mark Matthews).
In total Jennings scored a total of thirty-nine goals for West Ham in one hundred and twenty-five appearances.