One of the Premier League’s maddest games: Nine goals, Joe Cole crowd surfing and Paolo Di Canio and Frank Lampard fighting

The Premier League fixture between West Ham United and Bradford City on 12 February 2000 will go down in history as one of the, if not the, maddest games in England’s top flight since the first Division One season in 1888. 

Taking place at the Boleyn Ground, West Ham and Bradford played out a nine-goal thriller in which the London side came from 4-2 down to win 5-4, courtesy of goals from academy graduates Joe Cole and Frank Lampard. Rio Ferdinand, also from the academy, started. 

Sprinkled within the game was a little bit of craziness from Paolo Di Canio – unsurprisingly – with both teams provided endless bouts of entertainment to supporters and neutrals alike. 

Speaking about the match exclusively to FourFourTwo, Joe Cole describes everything that happened on that dramatic day over 20 years ago.

“So much drama,” he acknowledged. “I watched it again on Premier League Years a little while ago and the type of football we played was insane – a different sport compared to now. 

“I scored my first league goal for the equaliser after we went 4-2 down – I jumped into the crowd in the place I used to sit. But you also had Paolo Di Canio asking to come off because the referee didn’t give him a penalty, then Paolo and Frank Lampard fighting over who’d take another penalty! 

“The game was end to end – it summed up West Ham of that period: attacking football and occasionally shooting ourselves in the foot. We didn’t win anything, but that entertainment is why fans fondly remember the team. I thought we’d nicked a point, then Frank popped up with a brilliant late winner. Amazing.”  

Indeed, Harry Redknapp’s entertainers trailed 1-0, led 2-1, fell 4-2 down and then finally pulled off an amazing win when Lampard scored with just seven minutes to go.

Drama occurred before a goal was even scored, though, with West Ham goalkeeper Shaka Hislop stretchered off with a broken leg, after an innocuous collision with Bradford’s Dean Saunders. 

Despite his protestations and desire to leave the pitch – he even sat down on the side of the pitch next to the dugouts at one points – Di Canio remained on the field, Redknapp unwilling to give into the Italian’s demands. 

All in all, a thoroughly brilliant game, and one that will live long in the memory. 

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Ryan is a staff writer for FourFourTwo, joining the team full-time in October 2022. He first joined Future in December 2020, working across FourFourTwo, Golf Monthly, Rugby World and Advnture’s websites, before eventually earning himself a position with FourFourTwo permanently. After graduating from Cardiff University with a degree in Journalism and Communications, Ryan earned a NCTJ qualification to further develop as a writer while a Trainee News Writer at Future.