By Conor Hogan

In 2023, West Ham lifted their first major trophy in over 40 years by winning the UEFA Conference League.

In what is a dismal time for West Ham at the moment, let’s have a look back at one of the best times to be a West Ham fan, two and a half years ago.

That special night in Prague was a monumental occasion for the club, and it will forever hold a special place in the hearts of Hammers fans who experienced it. 

Yet since that victory, the achievement has frequently been belittled by pundits and opposition supporters, often reduced to the lazy claim that “anyone could have won it”.

Despite David Moyes’ side overcoming teams with genuine pedigree – including Fiorentina, AZ Alkmaar and Anderlecht – many dismissed the competition as too easy, arguing that Europe’s third-tier tournament didn’t constitute a “major” honour.

While much of this criticism has come from headline-chasing pundits or envious fans online, it has gained traction over time. 

Even current West Ham striker Callum Wilson downplayed the achievement on a podcast with Michail Antonio during his Newcastle days – comments that only fuelled frustration when Graham Potter signed him in the summer.

Yet with hindsight, West Ham’s Conference League triumph has aged extremely well. In 2024, Aston Villa were eliminated at the semi-final stage by Olympiakos – a side West Ham had beaten in the Europa League that same season. 

Chelsea won the competition last season, but despite their dominance, they failed to match the Hammers’ unbeaten run, losing to Legia Warsaw in the quarter-finals before progressing on aggregate.

Now, in 2025/26, Crystal Palace have failed to qualify directly for the knockout stages and must navigate a play-off just to stay in the tournament. This is despite Oliver Glasner’s side enjoying an excellent domestic campaign. 

Palace even lost to AEK Larnaca in the group stage – a team West Ham beat 6–0 on aggregate during the 2022/23 knockouts.

While changes to the format may have made Palace’s route tougher, an in-form FA Cup-winning side would still have been expected to finish in the top eight of the group stage.

Unlike West Ham, Aston Villa and Chelsea kept up the momentum after their Conference league exploits – but neither of them can boast the Hammers’ record in the tournament.

True, the trophy that Declan Rice lifted in 2023 is the easiest of the European club trio to attain, but nothing will ever take away from the importance of that moment to Hammers fans.

Likewise, the struggles of English clubs since have only underlined how impressive West Ham’s achievement truly was. Nothing will ever take that night in Prague away from Hammers fans – nor should it.