On Iron Cast, the official podcast of the club, former West Ham United player Don Hutchison is the most recent guest to share his experiences!
The former Scotland international spent six years in east London, experiencing both the highs and lows of promotion and relegation during a prosperous era when he scored eighteen goals in 110 appearances for the club.
A transfer to east London provided him with a stage to display his talent and cleared the path for a prosperous, illustrious career in the game after he struggled to break through at Liverpool.
Speaking to Iron Cast co-hosts Chris Scull and James Collins, he spoke about his love-hate relationship with former Liverpool manager Graeme Souness: “He [Graeme Souness] wanted to swap me with Tim Flowers at Southampton, but I didn’t want to go. Souness then put on a six-v-six game as he was going to crunch me, so I went even higher and two-footed him. We both fell to the floor and started rolling around, fighting on the ground. He then stood up and said, ‘That’s what we need’,” and I started on Saturday.
“I love him; he gave me my debut and was one of the best managers I have ever played under. I loved it [playing for Liverpool] and would have played a lot more if I was a lot more disciplined off the pitch. I was the kid in school who always got caught.
“It’s sad because I do put my head on the pillow at night and wonder if I would have been there longer if I and the team had behaved a lot better. It was the culture of the 90s: you play hard, and you work hard. It was amazing for the lads.”
Hutchison was signed by Harry Redknapp for a club-record £1.5 million fee from Liverpool and went on to score eleven goals in 27 games during his first season, proving himself to be a pivotal figure as West Ham narrowly avoided relegation.
He also told the story of how his move to the Hammers transpired quickly, after several conversations with Redknapp over the phone, while living in digs with his son Jamie [Redknapp] at Liverpool.
“Me and Harry [Redknapp] had some unbelievable battles here. Me and Jamie Redknapp used to live together in digs in Liverpool,” said Hutchison. “He [Harry Redknapp] used to ask to speak to me on the phone and was always sowing the seed, telling me how much I’d love it down here, and, all of a sudden, six weeks later, he ended up signing me.
“I wasn’t the best player in the world, but one of my strengths was that I was able to play anywhere and could problem solve no matter where I played. I always thought I was a number eight midfield player, but I was never the quickest, though I was a cross country runner, so I could run for fun.
“I adore him; he made my playing debut and was among the best managers I have ever had.” I enjoyed it [playing for Liverpool] and would have played a lot more if I was a lot more disciplined off the pitch. In school, I was the one who got caught every time.
“It’s sad because I do put my head on the pillow at night and think about whether I would have stayed there longer if I and the squad had behaved a lot better. It was the culture of the 90s: you play hard, and you work hard. It was great for the lads.”
Hutchison was acquired by Harry Redknapp from Liverpool for a club record of £1.5 million. In his debut season, he scored eleven goals in 27 appearances and proved to be a crucial player as West Ham just avoided relegation.
He also related the tale of how, while living in accommodations with his son Jamie [Redknapp] at Liverpool, his transfer to the Hammers happened swiftly following multiple phone talks with Redknapp.
Here, Harry [Redknapp] and I got into some really amazing fights. Jamie Redknapp and I used to share accommodations in Liverpool,” Hutchison said. “Six weeks later, he ended up signing me,” said Harry Redknapp, who had previously asked to talk to me on the phone and was constantly planting the seed by assuring me how much I would enjoy life down here.
“Although I was not the greatest player in the world, I did have the ability to play anywhere and solve problems in every environment. I used to think I was a number eight midfield player, but I was never the fastest. Nevertheless, I enjoyed running cross-country.
Here, I got into some really incredible battles with Harry [Redknapp]. I used to live with Jamie Redknapp in Liverpool,” Hutchison remarked. Harry Redknapp, who had already wanted to speak with me over the phone and kept sowing the seed by telling me how much I would enjoy living down here, “ended up signing me six weeks later.”
“Even though I was not the best player in the world, I could play anywhere and find solutions in every situation. I was never the fastest, but I used to think I was a number eight midfield player. I did, however, enjoy cross-country running.
”I felt I had unfinished business at West Ham, so it was a sorrow to leave, but I had to move at the moment because I would never play for Harry”
Following prosperous stints with Sheffield United, Everton, and Sunderland, Don made a record-breaking £5 million return to Upton Park in August 2001.
Injuries plagued Hutchison’s second term, and his team was embroiled in a fierce relegation struggle in 2003 following his recovery from an ACL injury.
Like many other players from that era, he acknowledges it was the worst football experience of his life and is still perplexed as to how a team of that calibre was unable to escape the relegation trap.
Hutchison stated, “I believe that team would be close to the top four with contemporary-day managers.”
“The thing about football is that you start the season full of hope, thinking you can keep going and go up the table, and before you know it, you have already lost a few games, drawn a few, won a few, and the season is halfway over.
“You are glancing around the dressing room and wondering how this happened. We have [Paolo] Di Canio, [Jermain] Defoe, [Frédéric] Kanouté, Carrick, [Trevor] Sinclair, and [Joe] Cole.
“You always believe that you will win, but I always tell you that you need consecutive victories. You are down there because you have not experienced any.
“Our team was extremely skilled, without big egos, and everyone was fighting for spots or to be the dominant guy in the locker room. It was a great group of guys to hang out with.
“Being demoted is the worst football experience I have ever had.” It devastates the soul. You feel empty within and as though you do not have anything left. All you want to do is weep.
Now a popular media pundit for ESPN, talkSPORT, and the Premier League, Hutchison has maintained his strong bond with Hammers supporters and can always count on a warm welcome at London Stadium.
He also reminisced about his time spent last year making commentary on West Ham’s victory in the UEFA Europa League in Prague.
It was incredible. Hutchison stated, “I felt more for what the West Ham fans had gone through during my days, such as rejection, disappointment, and relegation, than I did for the players on the pitch in terms of what they had done.
When you see mature men and women in their 50s and 60s cry, you can tell they experienced the football scandal of the 1990s.
“You saw my reaction as I drove in here, but I am a Newcastle fan at heart since I stood on the Gallowgate End as a child. It was an amazing experience. I have had the good fortune to play for some amazing teams, like West Ham.