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The first of the last! This Saturday marks the beginning of the end for watching matches at the Boleyn Ground, or Upton Park as most pundits incorrectly call it. For many leaving the Boleyn, with all it's associated memories, will be a bitter pill to swallow, but progress inevitably catches up with tradition and so the move to the Olympic Stadium has to be embraced for all the opportunities it can bring to the club. The truth is 'fortress boleyn' is not what it used to be in the days of the chicken run, and even the ICF!

With their efforts to sign a striker failing to materialise, and Enner Valencia being unavailable for at least three months, the West Ham board are believed to have adopted a plan 'b' approach, and are now looking at 'cover' strikers instead of one marquee signing. Mindful of the all your eggs in one basket big risk strategy, it appears that the club have turned their attention to Swansea's unwanted striker Michu.

Hmm, Joey Barton instead of Alex Song? Bit of a strange one, but Hammers boss Slaven Billic has sanctioned a move for Joey Barton, who is a free agent and is undergoing a medical within the next 24 Hrs, apparently after a chat with Julian Dicks about cover for the holding midfield role played so brilliantly against Arsenal by debutant Reece Oxford .