The day the Hammers dropped: From a banners being flown over Wigan's DW Stadium to West Ham players having to smuggle their sacked boss back on the team coach, the inside story on one of the Premier League's most incredible relegation six-pointers

The battle was lost. West Ham were down. But their players still faced one last fight: to get manager Avram Grant a seat on the team bus home.

Grant had been sacked in the tunnel at Wigan minutes after a sickening 3-2 defeat condemned his team to the drop and gave Roberto Martinez’s side hope of another great escape.

If West Ham’s owners had their way, the Israeli coach would have been left to find his own way back to London. Captain Scott Parker was having none of it.

West Ham were relegated in May 2011 after throwing away a two-goal lead at the DW Stadium

Avram Grant was sacked in the tunnel following his side's defeat at the DW Stadium

‘It was humiliating,’ says defender Danny Gabbidon.