Upton Park

As regular readers will know I often write or post pictures of old British football grounds as I have i) a fascination with them plus ii) I grew up with them and iii) a lot of them I have visited.

An iconic old stadium is Upton Park, which will be bulldozed in the next 4 years as the Hammers move to the Olympic Stadium (or BetFred Arena or whatever unsightly name it will get called). See below post for more on this move.

I was at Upton Park a few weeks ago and not helped by the fact it was empty - it was an U21 Development League game with 800 in attendance - I couldn't help but think it was looking a bit of a rust bucket.

I read that Messrs Gold & Sullivan need to spend some short term cash on it to see it through to 2016 and if the Olympic move did not come about then the cost of revitalising the Boleyn Ground would be astronomical. The Safety Advisory Group have stated that the ground needs 'Substantial Repairs and after walking underneath and around the West Stand it hasn't aged well. Think it was only built in 2001.

Nonetheless the traditional amongst us will be sad to see West Ham leave their home since 1904. Charlton even spent some time lodging there waiting for the move back to The Valley. As lovely as the Olympic Stadium is night games under the floodlights with Bubbles being sung will never be replicated.

The Boleyn Ground often feels like it is one of last bastions of football hsitory and with a Tesco or a business park in it's place, it will just end up being another great old stadium added to a growing list of historic arenas.

I worry that in years to come people will be shaking their heads at another example of the destruction of our heritage. These grounds are the fabric and the history of the nation's favourite game.