Boleyn Ground
Encyclopedia
The Boleyn Ground, more commonly referred to as Upton Park due to its location in Upton Park, London is the football
stadium
of West Ham United
.
House and grounds in the Municipal Borough of East Ham
from the Roman Catholic Church
from around 1912. Green Street House was known locally as Boleyn Castle because of its imposing nature and an association with Anne Boleyn
, who had either stayed at, or as some believe, owned the house, the ground is said to be haunted by one of her maids who died in childbirth. Hence renting the grounds of "Boleyn Castle" the name Boleyn Ground came into being. Today the ground is far more commonly known as Upton Park, after the Upton Park, London area in which it is located.
In August 1944, a V-1 flying bomb
landed on the south-west corner of the pitch. This forced the team to play its games away from home while repairs were undertaken, but it did not affect performances as West Ham managed nine consecutive victories. Upon their return to the ground in December, they lost 1–0 to Tottenham Hotspur. The record attendance is 42,322, against Tottenham Hotspur in a Division One (Old)
match on 17 October 1970, when the North and South Banks were terraced, as was the old 'Chicken Run' to the front of the East Stand. The record attendance at Upton Park since it has become an all-seater is 35,550, recorded against Manchester City on 21 September 2002 in a Premier League match.
The stadium has a total capacity
of 35,333 all seated. The stadium has been subject to considerable redevelopment since the early 1990s:
Plans were submitted to increase the capacity to approximately 40,500 through the building of a new larger East Stand, that would additionally use the spare space that was created when the Doctor Martens stand was built further West than the old West Stand. This will result in a fully enclosed stadium by joining the new stand to the Centenary Stand and the Bobby Moore Stand. Relegation to the Football League Championship
in 2003 resulted in the development being delayed. However promotion to the FA Premier League
via the Play-Offs in May 2005 resulted in the immediate re-submission of plans to Newham London Borough Council
.
Throughout 2006, talk was rife of West Ham moving to the Olympic Stadium
after the 2012 Olympics
, with speculation increasing after new club chairman Eggert Magnusson
confirmed he was interested in a move there. However, talks broke down between the club and the Olympic Committee after it was announced that the Stadium would be reduced to 25,000 all seater after the Olympic Games, which is over 10,000 less than the Boleyn Ground's current capacity, and that the stadium would be keeping its running track, leaving supporters further away from the pitch, affecting the atmosphere within the stadium on matchday. Rumours suggested that West Ham could move to a new stadium located at the Parcelforce depot
near to West Ham Underground/mainline station. On 7 November 2007 London mayor
, Ken Livingstone
announced that a new site had been identified for West Ham to build a new stadium. On 23 March 2010, the club announced they were working on a joint bid with Newham London Borough Council
to move into the Olympic stadium. In November 2010 West Ham United commenced a search for potential developers for “informal discussions” about what would happen to the ground if it wins its bid to take over the Olympic Stadium after the 2012 Games. According to the club, the site could be vacated and open to redevelopment by the summer of 2014.
regulations for stadium safety after the Hillsborough Disaster
in 1989. Upton Park has four main stands, which are named The Sir Trevor Brooking Stand, The Bobby Moore Stand, The East Stand and The Alpari Stand.
The Sir Trevor Brooking Stand (formerly the North Bank then the Centenary Stand) was built in 1995 for the club's 100th season, after being formed in 1895 as Thames Ironworks. Its name was changed from the Centenary Stand to the Sir Trevor Brooking Stand in July 2009.
The stand holds around 6,000 seats, and has two tiers, with the Upper Tier seating known as the Family Section, as supporters can only purchase tickets up there if with a child. The lower tier behind the goal is split between both home and away fans. West Ham United initially give around 2,500–3,000 tickets to away supporters, going from the furthest side to the left of the bottom tier right up to behind the goal.
If the away side cannot sell all their tickets, they are returned and re-sold to home supporters, as there is big demand from West Ham fans to purchase seats in the lower seating area. Home fans in the lower area generally prefer to stand during games and sing throughout. It is known as one of the more atmospheric sections of the stadium, especially with the two sets of supporters next to each other (separated by stewards and police). There is also one of two large LCD screens situated in the corner between the Sir Trevor Brooking Stand Stand and the East Stand.
The Bobby Moore Stand (formerly the South Bank), was built in 1993 and holds up to 9,000 spectators all seated. The stand was built originally to comply with new stadium all-seater regulations, and the name of the stand was decided after the death of the club's legendary captain from the successful mid-1960s side in the same year of construction. The stand has two tiers, and spells the words WEST HAM UNITED through the seats of both tiers. The lower tier of the Bobby Moore stand, like the Sir Trevor Brooking Stand, is well known for its supporters' passion and the atmosphere they create through standing and singing. The stand has executive boxes situated between the Upper and Lower tiers, and includes a digital clock. The stand also had a small amount of renovation in 2001 after the construction of the new Dr. Martens Stands, with a new second LCD screen in the stadium being introduced between the two stands and new seats added on the end of the stand to join with the new Dr. Martens Stand.
The Alpari Stand is the newest and by far the largest stand inside Upton Park, holding up to 15,000 spectators. The stand was built in 2001 as the Dr. Martens
Stand, bringing the stadium capacity up from around 26,000 to 35,647. The Alpari Stand is the main stand in Upton Park, as it includes two tiers for paying home supporters, separated by two tiers of executive boxes. The stand also hosts all of the club's offices, board rooms, suites, dressing rooms, official shop, and the West Ham United Hotel. It is also the largest single football stand in London
. The stand's main feature is seen from the exterior of the stadium, with two large turrets built onto the stand with the club badge embedded on both, going with the theme of the club's badge. The terrace also has two scoreboards at both corners joining with the Centenary and Bobby Moore
Stands, displaying the score and time of the game in process. The stand is so large, it is visible from the A406 North Circular Road and from The A13 Newham Way, where you can clearly make out the roof of the stand over the tower blocks. The stand was officially opened by HM The Queen
, where Her Majesty was introduced to the manager and captain at the time, Glenn Roeder
and Joe Cole
.
In 2009, following the end of Dr. Martens
sponsorship, the stand resumed the old name of the West Stand.
In 2011 the club signed a 3 year agreement to name the stand 'The Alpari Stand'
after the 2012 Olympics. In 2009 club CEO Scott Duxbury revealed, in an interview with a West Ham fan website, that there was planning permission to expand the East Stand to take capacity to over 40,000.
In 2010 new club owners David Gold and David Sullivan made it public they intended West Ham United to move to the Olympic stadium after the 2012 Olympics. On 30 September 2010, the club formally submitted its bid for the Olympic Stadium with a presentation at 10 Downing Street
, and on 8 October 2010 the world's largest live entertainment company Live Nation
endorsed the club's Olympic Stadium plans. Three days after Live Nation's endorsement UK Athletics
confirmed its formal support for West Ham United and Newham Council
in their joint bid to take over the Olympic Stadium in legacy mode. In November 2010 West Ham United commenced a search for potential developers for “informal discussions” about what would happen to the ground if it wins its bid to take over the Olympic Stadium after the 2012 Games. According to the club, the site could be vacated and open to redevelopment by the summer of 2014.
On 11 February 2011 the Olympic Park Legacy Committee selected West Ham United as the preferred club to move into the Olympic Stadium after the 2012 Games. The decision, in favour of West Ham's bid, was unanimous.
On 3 March 2011 West Ham United's proposed move to the Olympic Stadium was approved by the British government and London mayor Boris Johnson
. Due to ongoing legal challenges to the arrangement, the deal to sell the Olympic Stadium to West Ham collapsed on 11 October 2011. West Ham immediately announced plans to become tenants of the stadium.
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
stadium
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
of West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
.
History
The club rented Green StreetGreen Street, London
Green Street is a road in the London Borough of Newham, England. There is an official website for this road.The southern portion is the location of the Boleyn Ground, home to West Ham United...
House and grounds in the Municipal Borough of East Ham
County Borough of East Ham
East Ham was a local government district in the far south west of Essex from 1878 to 1965. It extended from Wanstead Flats in the north to the River Thames in the south and from Green Street in the west to Barking Creek in the east...
from the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
from around 1912. Green Street House was known locally as Boleyn Castle because of its imposing nature and an association with Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn ;c.1501/1507 – 19 May 1536) was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536 as the second wife of Henry VIII of England and Marquess of Pembroke in her own right. Henry's marriage to Anne, and her subsequent execution, made her a key figure in the political and religious upheaval that was the...
, who had either stayed at, or as some believe, owned the house, the ground is said to be haunted by one of her maids who died in childbirth. Hence renting the grounds of "Boleyn Castle" the name Boleyn Ground came into being. Today the ground is far more commonly known as Upton Park, after the Upton Park, London area in which it is located.
In August 1944, a V-1 flying bomb
V-1 flying bomb
The V-1 flying bomb, also known as the Buzz Bomb or Doodlebug, was an early pulse-jet-powered predecessor of the cruise missile....
landed on the south-west corner of the pitch. This forced the team to play its games away from home while repairs were undertaken, but it did not affect performances as West Ham managed nine consecutive victories. Upon their return to the ground in December, they lost 1–0 to Tottenham Hotspur. The record attendance is 42,322, against Tottenham Hotspur in a Division One (Old)
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
match on 17 October 1970, when the North and South Banks were terraced, as was the old 'Chicken Run' to the front of the East Stand. The record attendance at Upton Park since it has become an all-seater is 35,550, recorded against Manchester City on 21 September 2002 in a Premier League match.
Seating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
of 35,333 all seated. The stadium has been subject to considerable redevelopment since the early 1990s:
- 1993: South Bank replaced by a new 9,000 seat, two tier stand named in honour of former captain Bobby MooreBobby MooreRobert Frederick Chelsea "Bobby" Moore, OBE was an English footballer. He captained West Ham United for more than ten years and was captain of the England team that won the 1966 World Cup...
, who had died earlier that year. The stand also incorporates executive boxes as well as a digital clock. - 1995: North Bank replaced by a new 6,000 seat, two tier stand named the 'Centenary Stand' now re-named as the "Sir Trevor Brooking Stand". The East Stand Lower is also made all seater.
- 2001: West Stand replaced by a new 15,000 seat, two tier stand named the 'Dr. MartensDr. MartensDr. Martens is a traditional British footwear brand, which also makes a range of accessories – shoe care products, clothing, luggage, etc. In addition to Dr. Martens, they are known as Doctor Martens, Doc Martens, Docs or DMs...
Stand'. The stand also incorporates executive boxes on two levels as well as the West Ham United Hotel.
Plans were submitted to increase the capacity to approximately 40,500 through the building of a new larger East Stand, that would additionally use the spare space that was created when the Doctor Martens stand was built further West than the old West Stand. This will result in a fully enclosed stadium by joining the new stand to the Centenary Stand and the Bobby Moore Stand. Relegation to the Football League Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
in 2003 resulted in the development being delayed. However promotion to the FA Premier League
FA Premier League
The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
via the Play-Offs in May 2005 resulted in the immediate re-submission of plans to Newham London Borough Council
Newham London Borough Council
Newham London Borough Council is the local authority for the London Borough of Newham in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in the United Kingdom capital of London. The council is unusual in that its executive function is controlled by a directly elected mayor of...
.
Throughout 2006, talk was rife of West Ham moving to the Olympic Stadium
Olympic Stadium (London)
The London Olympic Stadium will be the centrepiece of the 2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympics. The stadium is located at Marshgate Lane in Stratford in the Lower Lea Valley and has capacity for the Games of approximately 80,000 making it temporarily the third largest stadium in Britain behind...
after the 2012 Olympics
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the "London 2012 Olympic Games", are scheduled to take place in London, England, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012...
, with speculation increasing after new club chairman Eggert Magnusson
Eggert Magnússon
Eggert Magnússon is an Icelandic businessman and former President of the Football Association of Iceland and ex-chairman of West Ham United...
confirmed he was interested in a move there. However, talks broke down between the club and the Olympic Committee after it was announced that the Stadium would be reduced to 25,000 all seater after the Olympic Games, which is over 10,000 less than the Boleyn Ground's current capacity, and that the stadium would be keeping its running track, leaving supporters further away from the pitch, affecting the atmosphere within the stadium on matchday. Rumours suggested that West Ham could move to a new stadium located at the Parcelforce depot
New West Ham Stadium
The New West Ham Stadium was the working name of a proposed football stadium to be built in East London. It would replace the Boleyn Ground as the home of West Ham United F.C., but plans to develop a new stadium have been shelved in the wake of the 2008–2011 Icelandic financial crisis...
near to West Ham Underground/mainline station. On 7 November 2007 London mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
, Ken Livingstone
Ken Livingstone
Kenneth Robert "Ken" Livingstone is an English politician who is currently a member of the centrist to centre-left Labour Party...
announced that a new site had been identified for West Ham to build a new stadium. On 23 March 2010, the club announced they were working on a joint bid with Newham London Borough Council
Newham London Borough Council
Newham London Borough Council is the local authority for the London Borough of Newham in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in the United Kingdom capital of London. The council is unusual in that its executive function is controlled by a directly elected mayor of...
to move into the Olympic stadium. In November 2010 West Ham United commenced a search for potential developers for “informal discussions” about what would happen to the ground if it wins its bid to take over the Olympic Stadium after the 2012 Games. According to the club, the site could be vacated and open to redevelopment by the summer of 2014.
The Stands
Upton Park has been an all-seater stadium since the early 1990s, after professional clubs had to meet new FAThe Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
regulations for stadium safety after the Hillsborough Disaster
Hillsborough disaster
The Hillsborough disaster was a human crush that occurred on 15 April 1989 at Hillsborough, a football stadium, the home of Sheffield Wednesday F.C. in Sheffield, England, resulting in the deaths of 96 people, and 766 being injured, all fans of Liverpool F.C....
in 1989. Upton Park has four main stands, which are named The Sir Trevor Brooking Stand, The Bobby Moore Stand, The East Stand and The Alpari Stand.
Sir Trevor Brooking Stand
The stand holds around 6,000 seats, and has two tiers, with the Upper Tier seating known as the Family Section, as supporters can only purchase tickets up there if with a child. The lower tier behind the goal is split between both home and away fans. West Ham United initially give around 2,500–3,000 tickets to away supporters, going from the furthest side to the left of the bottom tier right up to behind the goal.
If the away side cannot sell all their tickets, they are returned and re-sold to home supporters, as there is big demand from West Ham fans to purchase seats in the lower seating area. Home fans in the lower area generally prefer to stand during games and sing throughout. It is known as one of the more atmospheric sections of the stadium, especially with the two sets of supporters next to each other (separated by stewards and police). There is also one of two large LCD screens situated in the corner between the Sir Trevor Brooking Stand Stand and the East Stand.
East Stand
The East Stand is situated on the far side of Upton Park, opposite the TV cameras. The stand is oldest and smallest stand in the stadium, being built in 1969 and holding only 5,000 seats due to its narrow width. The stand used to be known as the loudest and most intimidating stand at Upton Park back in the 1970s–80s, but since the advent of all-seater stadiums and the conversion of the old 'Chicken Run' terrace at the front of the East Stand to seating, and with the Upton Park pitch being moved further back from the East Stand nearer the new Dr. Martens Stand, the East Stand has seemed to have lost its famous atmosphere from past years. The real 'Chicken Run' was an old wooden stand (standing room only) on the east side of the pitch. It was surrounded by a similar sort of wire to that used on chicken runs and when you viewed it from the opposite side of the ground it looked just like a chicken run. It was knocked down and rebuilt in 1968. Until recently, the stand used to have the words DAGENHAM MOTORS written into the bottom tier through the seats, but was changed during the 2006/2007 season, despite the club splitting from their sponsorship with the car company back in 1997. The stand is also the only stand left at Upton Park to still have a small minority of wooden seats, in the middle of the Upper Tier. There were also plans to build a new East Stand soon after the Dr. Martens stand was completed in 2001, which would have seen the stadiums capacity rise from 35,647 to around 40,500, but the plans were put on hold after a combination of resistance from the local residents behind the stand and the club's relegation from the Premier League in 2003, which spiralled the club into debt at the time.Bobby Moore Stand
The Alpari Stand
Dr. Martens
Dr. Martens is a traditional British footwear brand, which also makes a range of accessories – shoe care products, clothing, luggage, etc. In addition to Dr. Martens, they are known as Doctor Martens, Doc Martens, Docs or DMs...
Stand, bringing the stadium capacity up from around 26,000 to 35,647. The Alpari Stand is the main stand in Upton Park, as it includes two tiers for paying home supporters, separated by two tiers of executive boxes. The stand also hosts all of the club's offices, board rooms, suites, dressing rooms, official shop, and the West Ham United Hotel. It is also the largest single football stand in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The stand's main feature is seen from the exterior of the stadium, with two large turrets built onto the stand with the club badge embedded on both, going with the theme of the club's badge. The terrace also has two scoreboards at both corners joining with the Centenary and Bobby Moore
Bobby Moore
Robert Frederick Chelsea "Bobby" Moore, OBE was an English footballer. He captained West Ham United for more than ten years and was captain of the England team that won the 1966 World Cup...
Stands, displaying the score and time of the game in process. The stand is so large, it is visible from the A406 North Circular Road and from The A13 Newham Way, where you can clearly make out the roof of the stand over the tower blocks. The stand was officially opened by HM The Queen
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
, where Her Majesty was introduced to the manager and captain at the time, Glenn Roeder
Glenn Roeder
Glenn Victor Roeder is an English football manager and former player, most recently in charge at Norwich City. As a player, Roeder represented England B on 7 occasions...
and Joe Cole
Joe Cole
Joseph John "Joe" Cole is an English footballer who plays for Lille, on loan from Liverpool, and the England national football team as midfielder. He started his career with where he played more than 100 games during five years, until he left for Chelsea in 2003...
.
In 2009, following the end of Dr. Martens
Dr. Martens
Dr. Martens is a traditional British footwear brand, which also makes a range of accessories – shoe care products, clothing, luggage, etc. In addition to Dr. Martens, they are known as Doctor Martens, Doc Martens, Docs or DMs...
sponsorship, the stand resumed the old name of the West Stand.
In 2011 the club signed a 3 year agreement to name the stand 'The Alpari Stand'
Future
Former chairman Eggert Magnússon made clear his ambition for West Ham United to move to the Olympic StadiumOlympic Stadium (London)
The London Olympic Stadium will be the centrepiece of the 2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympics. The stadium is located at Marshgate Lane in Stratford in the Lower Lea Valley and has capacity for the Games of approximately 80,000 making it temporarily the third largest stadium in Britain behind...
after the 2012 Olympics. In 2009 club CEO Scott Duxbury revealed, in an interview with a West Ham fan website, that there was planning permission to expand the East Stand to take capacity to over 40,000.
In 2010 new club owners David Gold and David Sullivan made it public they intended West Ham United to move to the Olympic stadium after the 2012 Olympics. On 30 September 2010, the club formally submitted its bid for the Olympic Stadium with a presentation at 10 Downing Street
10 Downing Street
10 Downing Street, colloquially known in the United Kingdom as "Number 10", is the headquarters of Her Majesty's Government and the official residence and office of the First Lord of the Treasury, who is now always the Prime Minister....
, and on 8 October 2010 the world's largest live entertainment company Live Nation
Live Nation
Live Nation is a live-events company based in Beverly Hills, California, focused on concert promotions. Live Nation formed in 2005 as a spin-off from Clear Channel Communications, which then merged with Ticketmaster in 2010 to become Live Nation Entertainment....
endorsed the club's Olympic Stadium plans. Three days after Live Nation's endorsement UK Athletics
UK Athletics
UK Athletics is the governing body for the sport of athletics in the United Kingdom. It is responsible for overseeing the governance of athletics events in the UK as well as athletes, their development, and athletics officials....
confirmed its formal support for West Ham United and Newham Council
Newham London Borough Council
Newham London Borough Council is the local authority for the London Borough of Newham in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in the United Kingdom capital of London. The council is unusual in that its executive function is controlled by a directly elected mayor of...
in their joint bid to take over the Olympic Stadium in legacy mode. In November 2010 West Ham United commenced a search for potential developers for “informal discussions” about what would happen to the ground if it wins its bid to take over the Olympic Stadium after the 2012 Games. According to the club, the site could be vacated and open to redevelopment by the summer of 2014.
On 11 February 2011 the Olympic Park Legacy Committee selected West Ham United as the preferred club to move into the Olympic Stadium after the 2012 Games. The decision, in favour of West Ham's bid, was unanimous.
On 3 March 2011 West Ham United's proposed move to the Olympic Stadium was approved by the British government and London mayor Boris Johnson
Boris Johnson
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson is a British journalist and Conservative Party politician, who has been the elected Mayor of London since 2008...
. Due to ongoing legal challenges to the arrangement, the deal to sell the Olympic Stadium to West Ham collapsed on 11 October 2011. West Ham immediately announced plans to become tenants of the stadium.
Ticket prices
West Ham United have a match-day ticket system where they have both category A and category B matches, with prices varying over the two types of games. Local derbies are usually named as category A also the last home game of the season is usually set as a category A fixture with the other league matches announced as category B matches The club also run a system where Under 16s supporters receive three Kids For A Quid matches a season, where entry to the game is only £1 for them, as well as a further two JHC Member matches, where members of the Junior Hammers Club receive free tickets for two matches a season.External links
- Stadium Information on whufc.com