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The Final Farewell, The Last Hurrah..... 10th May 2016 ..... 36 years to the day West Ham United (then a 2nd Division side) triumphed over Arsenal to secure our last major domestic trophy. That memory all those years ago will be firmly etched in the memory of countless fans and some 250,000 fans after welcomed their all conquering heroes home. Fast forward 36 years and we had some 60,000+ supporters ready to bid a tearful farewell to a stadium that has been "home" for 112 years. The first match at the "Grand old girl" was v Millwall in the old Southern League and a resounding 3-0 win, 112 years later the final match saw a much closer encounter but a classic good old fashioned tie resulting in a 3-2 home victory that will long stay in the memory. The Boleyns 2,398th goal for the Hammers indeed the last goal ever to be scored at the Boleyn by ironically a defender .. yes Winston Reid ! I say ironically because surely West Ham Uniteds favourite son must be the mercurial Bobby Moore rated among his peers (Pele, Beckenbaur et al) as the greatest defender of all time. James Tomkins another Academy product made a cameo and how fitting that "local lad" Canning Town born Mark Noble another Academy product not only captained the side with aplomb with a coolness in his urgency was named sponsors Man of the Match. The celebrations went long into the night and a highly charged an emotional night though sadly there were incidents that earlier had threatened the mar the big day. With pubs licensed for all day opening some did not need a second invitation to "lap up" the atmosphere along with a copious amount of alcohol. The Manchester United team bus which should have been at the ground at 4pm was pelted by over emotional (and largely drunk) groups many of whom will purport to be "West Ham fans" this tinges the occasion with sadness as has pictures that are spreading across social media of seats being ripped out and signs torn down by some over zealous "souvenier hunters" ! The club has already issued 3 lifetime bans for incidents on the club concourse on Saturday and it looks like many more to follow. I doubt that many will have season tickets for the OS but those that do will become those that did. As a lifelong Hammer I have travelled the length of the country to watch West Ham whenever I can and one of those occasions it was a big thanks to ANTKB for that managing to get me a ticket when we beat Tottenham at home our last home game in the 2013/14 season, I have enjoyed the company of ANTKB and Ollie , Aycliffe, Roberto, JayK, Darvers, Tim and many others sharing a few sensible sherberts along the way. I have seen my heroes witnessed performances which would make "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" an understatement. I will still visit the area it is still deep in my heart "home".
While the media will no doubt cast a critical eye and comment over last nights ugly the very least is that the players turned in a performance that was a worthy of a last hurrah, a performance of pride, determination and passion. An audience that refused to stay silent even at 1-2! A support that roared as one, cheered as one and finally when it all sank in .... cried as one.
Though I tried I could not obtain a ticket and certainly was not prepared the pay in excess of a months wages to do so.
I watched instead on my lap top not quite the same ... my chance of a final goodbye never came this season but I will always remember my first and my two sons first games at the Boleyn, I still have the programmes from those games (well my boys have theirs) my friends and those I met along that journey I hope can all gather together at some point ... the banter, the laughs and lifting of spirits (not just the alcoholic kind) will long live on. A new generation will enter the OS and that will be for them "home" and will rely upon the memories of parents, grand parents etc about where we once lived. The club was here before me and thankfully for the David's and Karren as well as the team they lead the club will survive long after I have gone. The journey continues it's just the destination that's changed. I watched , I shed a tear but I am very proud none the less that the board and players paid homage to an institution that has played a part in so many lives. Thank you for your indulgence.
100,000
There must be a hundred thousand of these stories, mine not lo long but hard not to get emotional last night, first at the result but the feeling that at last our owners 'get it' and have not thrown in millions to do so. I would go as a boy between 1980 - 86. My dad did not take me, like so many of the stories start, he is in fact a Man U supporter. But I was 11 and my friend 12. Got my pocket money of 5 pounds and begged another 5 pound with a promis that my parents would not see my until mid evening... Got the train from Princes Risborough, Marlebone, then tube across town at least a 2/12 hours to get there. I had just enough money for a 3.5 pound away day train ticket, and a 5 pound entrance fee. Did not eat or drink all day, but did not care, I was going to see the hammers!, next season I had the same amount of money but the train ticket went up. But thought that's ok I had some wiggle room, but the entrance fee went up too and was 50 pence short at the gate. Ticket guy told me to just keep walking.. We were always too short to see and just waited for someone close to tell everyone to move so we could get to the front... This was the game I knew I was with family!!
I did not know it at the time but my blood was turning claret and blue. I was from a rural area, wealthy parents, but I loved the East End, the people, the stories, the atmosphere, and camaraderie that I experianced in this time. Not in a voyeuristic way, but a true admiration. An admiration that grew with age with my interest in history. I have this admiration still when I read posts on this site , the humor, the passion, and deep knowledge of the game.
I never felt un safe in my trips to Upton Park, and as I got older would always arrive early for the pubs and pie and mash. I took my American wife to a game, total waste, but she knows my love of the team, and never gives me grief watching a game on Saturdays. I never did do Kens Cafe but wished I did... I do admit to throwing the odd coin from the terraces and I regret that. See you chaps on the other side. Thanks to all of you who took care of that 11 year old, Florida Hammer
Finest post Plaistow god
Finest post Plaistow god bless ya mate X
Well said Plaistow great words indeed.
It helps those that aren't so good at summing up such a massive feeling.
Lovely piece Plaistow. I was
Lovely piece Plaistow. I was at the game on Tuesday and just missed the nonsense outside. It was basically a load of kids who weren't real fans, getting pissed up. I'd say less than a hundred of them. Why they didn't shut the road nobody will know, anyway enough about that. The atmosphere in the ground was incredible. Everyone stood for the whole game and sang for the majority of it. We went through our usual repertoire and you wouldn't have known Man U had any fans in the ground. At one point they did try and sing and we booed them as if to say, this is our night don't get involved. As for the football, I used to think that the Ipswich playoff game was my best night at the Boleyn, but I think this surpassed it. The emotion, tension and comeback made it so. After the game, my eldest and I had a little cry together, which was priceless. I'm so proud and glad he feels so much for the club at such a young age. We go on now onwards and upwards, but as I got to the corner of green street and the barking road I did have one last look at the old girl. COYI X