After winning the Second Division title the previous season, West Ham

West Ham United F.C.

West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...

equalled their highest ever league finish of the 1926–1927 season, coming a very respectable 6th. This was in spite of the fact that the only signing they made was of the Leyton Orient Inside Forward Phil Woosnam

Phil Woosnam

Phillip Abraham Woosnam is a Welsh former Association football inside-right and manager. He went on to become commissioner of the North American Soccer League.-Playing career:...

 in November 1958.

West Ham beat the champions of that season (and the previous one) Wolves

Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.

Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...

 2-0 in their first home match back in the top flight.

The team featured Andy Malcolm

Andy Malcolm

Andy Malcolm is a former professional footballer.Born a short distance from Upton Park Malcolm joined West Ham in 1948 from Dury Falls Senior School in Hornchurch...

 who was West Ham's

West Ham United F.C.

West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...

 first ever England Youth International. This indicated the progress Manager Ted Fenton

Ted Fenton

Edward "Ted" Fenton was manager of English football club West Ham United between 1950 and 1961.- West Ham United :...

 had made in establishing West Ham's successful Academy.

No.		|Player	Position	Lge Apps	Lge Gls	FAC Apps	FAC Gls	Total Apps	Total Gls		|Date Signed		|Previous Club
West Ham United F.C. 1958–1959 First XI (Most appearances)
1	Kingdom of England	Ernie Gregory Ernie Gregory Ernie Gregory is an English former footballer, who played as a goalkeeper for West Ham United.Gregory played for West Ham Boys, and was noticed by Charlie Paynter during an English Trophy Final against Preston North End at Upton Park. He joined the groundstaff at West Ham United in 1936...	GK	32		1		33		1939	Leytonstone Leytonstone Leytonstone is an area of east London and part of the London Borough of Waltham Forest. It is a high density suburban area, located seven miles north east of Charing Cross in the ceremonial county of Greater London and the historic county of Essex...
2	Kingdom of England	John Bond John Bond (footballer) John Frederick Bond is an English former professional football player and manager. His son Kevin Bond is also a former footballer.-Playing career:...	RB	42	7	1		43	7	1951	Amateur
3	Republic of Ireland	Noel Cantwell Noel Cantwell Noel Euchuria Cornelius Cantwell was an Irish cricketer and football player born in County Cork, Irish Free State...  (Captain)	LB	42	3	1		43	3	1952	Cork United F.C.
4	Kingdom of England	Andy Malcolm Andy Malcolm Andy Malcolm is a former professional footballer.Born a short distance from Upton Park Malcolm joined West Ham in 1948 from Dury Falls Senior School in Hornchurch...	RH	42		1		43		1950	Academy
5	Kingdom of England	Ken Brown Ken Brown (footballer) Kenneth 'Ken' Brown is an English former football player and manager. As player, he made more than 400 appearances in the Football League representing West Ham United, where he spent the majority of his career, and Torquay United, and was capped once for the England national team...  (Hammer of the Year)	CH	42		1		43		1952	Academy
6	Kingdom of England	John Smith	LH	36	4	1		37	4	1956	Academy
7	Kingdom of England	Mike Grice Mike Grice Michael John "Mike" Grice born in Woking, Surrey, was an English footballer who played as a winger.Grice played for Colchester United. He was selected to play for the Third Division South representative side in 1954–55. He joined West Ham United for £10,000 in 1955...	OR	42	6	1		43	6	1955	Colchester United Colchester United F.C. Colchester United Football Club is an English football club based in Colchester. The club was formed in 1937, and briefly shared their old Layer Road home with now defunct side Colchester Town who had previously used the ground from 1910....
8	Wales	Phil Woosnam Phil Woosnam Phillip Abraham Woosnam is a Welsh former Association football inside-right and manager. He went on to become commissioner of the North American Soccer League.-Playing career:...	IR	13	2			13	2	November 1958	Leyton Orient Leyton Orient F.C. Leyton Orient F.C. are an English professional football club in East London. They currently play in Football League One and are known to their fans as the O's.Leyton Orient have spent one season in the top flight of English football, in 1962–63...
9	Kingdom of England	Vic Keeble Vic Keeble Victor Albert Williams "Vic" Keeble was an English footballer who played as a centre forward for hometown club Colchester United, Newcastle United and West Ham United....	CF	32	20	1		33	20	1957	Newcastle United Newcastle United F.C. Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
10	Kingdom of Scotland	John Dick	IL	41	27	1		42	27	1953	Crittall Athletic Braintree Town F.C. Braintree Town F.C. is an English football club based in Braintree, Essex. The club are currently members of the Conference National and play their home matches at Cressing Road.-History:...
11	Kingdom of England	Malcolm Musgrove Malcolm Musgrove Malcolm Musgrove was an English football player and manager.Musgrove played for his local side, Lynemouth Colliery, before being called up for national service, which he served in the Royal Air Force...	OL	40	7	1		41	7	1953	Lynmouth Colliery
Other players with appearances
6	Kingdom of England	Andy Nelson Andy Nelson Andrew Vaughan Nelson is a former American football safety in the National Football League for the Baltimore Colts and New York Giants. He played college football at the University of Memphis and was drafted in the eleventh round of the 1957 NFL Draft. He currently owns and runs a small BBQ...	LH	12	1			12	1	1957	Academy
2	Kingdom of England	Joe Kirkup Joe Kirkup Joe Kirkup is a retired English footballer who played as a full-back.-Playing career:Kirkup played Junior football with West Ham United, and was a member of the FA Youth Cup Final team of 1956-57 alongside John Lyall and John Smith...	RB	11				11		1958	Academy
1	Kingdom of England	Noel Dwyer Noel Dwyer Noel Dwyer was an Irish professional footballer.Born in Dublin, he was a goalkeeper who played his schoolboy football with the renowned Stella Maris Football Club...	GK	10				10		1958	Wolves Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
6	Kingdom of England	Billy Landsdowne	LH	6	1			6	1	1955	Woodford Woodford Woodford is a large suburban town in northeast London, England, occupying the north-western part of the London Borough of Redbridge. It is located approximately northeast of Charing Cross and is divided into the neighbourhoods of Woodford Green, Woodford Bridge and South Woodford...
8	Kingdom of England	Harry Obeney Harry Obeney Harry Obeney is a former professional footballer who played as a centre forward/wing half.-Career:Originally a full back, Obeney was converted to playing as a centre forward by West Ham United when he had been spotted playing for Briggs Sports...	IR	6	3			6	3	1956	Briggs Sports
6	Kingdom of England	Bobby Moore Bobby Moore Robert Frederick Chelsea "Bobby" Moore, OBE was an English footballer. He captained West Ham United for more than ten years and was captain of the England team that won the 1966 World Cup...	LH	5				5		1958	Academy
8	Kingdom of England	Andy Smillie Andy Smillie Andrew Thomas "Andy" Smillie is an English former professional association football player. His clubs included West Ham United, Crystal Palace, Scunthorpe United, Southend United and Gillingham.-References:...	IR	4		1		5		1958	Academy
9	Kingdom of England	Billy Dare Billy Dare Billy Dare was an English footballer who played as a forward.Dare was born in Willesden, London and joined West Ham United from Brentford for £5,000 in 1955 and, alongside Johnny Dick and Vic Keeble, played in the club's Second Division championship season of 1957-58...	CF	2	1			2	1	1954	Brentford Brentford F.C. Brentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One....
8	Kingdom of England	Douglas Wragg	OR	2				2		1956	Academy