Upton Park Bus Garage

[gavrosh]

There are boxes, lined up on the west side of the stadium in a two tier configuration. What im guessing is that they will mirror that on the other side instead of all the way around, and to do that all you need to do is demolish the lower section of the upper tier on the east side.

[mywhufc]

There are boxes, lined up on the west side of the stadium in a two tier configuration. What im guessing is that they will mirror that on the other side instead of all the way around, and to do that all you need to do is demolish the lower section of the upper tier on the east side.

there not corporate boxes that area in the middle tier is for all the press from around the world,but i would imagine they could be converted to boxes.

[The Old Mile End]

.. it doesnt matter how much you tart up East Ham and Upton Park stations - the fact of the matter is theyre stuck way out on the District line in a very unpleasant area ...

My family happens to live in that "very unpleasant area", as do some mates of mine, as do the football club I have supported since 1963, as do the football club you support, as do several posters on this site, plus quite a few thousand other Hammers!

The area isn't the best, I have no problem admitting that, but what will happen to it once the club moves? Is the answer to regenerating an area to move away - or to stay and give it your best shot and make something of it?

I've never quite understood why some people move out of an area and then slag it off for being a dump and full of immigrants for example. Yet by moving out and doing nothing to help the area, they actually contribute to it's downfall - and then continue to slag it off.

I've moved away from Stepney, Mile End, East Ham, and Plaistow - hardly choice areas. But far from running them down, I remember them with affection and hope that someday they regenerate into nicer places for all the people who live there.

Keeping West Ham at the Boleyn is more than just about the football club to me.

[gavrosh]

My family happens to live in that "very unpleasant area", as do some mates of mine, as do the football club I have supported since 1963, as do the football club you support, as do several posters on this site, plus quite a few thousand other Hammers.

As did a few hundred thousand more mate (including me til my early 20s),but they all left for some reason. I have a lot of affection for the area myself, i grew up there, and i hope one day it will return to the decent place it stopped being in about 1985. However, calling it an 'unpleasant area' is hardly contentious - plenty of people on here have called it much worse. And thats from people who know the area. If West Ham are to become a bigger club, they need to draw fans from outside the traditional base - from places that typically are a little nicer than Upton Park. Part of drawing them in will be offering a good experience for them, and i think there's little doubt that the environment around the OS is somewhat better than the Boleyn. People on here will in response to this point out that they would rather be in UP amongst 'proper' fans than Stratford with 'plastics' - that's a fair point. However, for me, and for many fans of this club, the loss of some of our tradition by moving away from UP should be more than made up for by actually winning something for once.

[Doc H Ball]

There's a very simple plan some of you are ignoring. The Daves and Brady's sole intention is to secure the move, sell up and walk away with the money. Sully in particular could not give a flying f*** for our views (quite literally) or the long term future of this club.

Before Romford pipes up, I'd like to point out that I've been to the OS and the view is absolute *****.

[HarrowInnHammer]

Gavrosh I respect what you say but the OS will not guarantee us success.

[fireman]

There's a very simple plan some of you are ignoring. The Daves and Brady's sole intention is to secure the move, sell up and walk away with the money. Sully in particular could not give a flying f*** for our views (quite literally) or the long term future of this club.

How do you know this? Have you spoken to them?

If it was Barry Hearn that owned the club no doubt he would have held a press conference and told the world of his plans, but I do not recall either Gold or Sullivan publically saying anything of the sort.

[gavrosh]

Personally I hope they do sell up, or at least sell part of the club, because we could do with a bit of Citehfication from a rich Arab or two.

[Hammer Matty]

Upton Park may not be the nicest area, but for me at least, its a special feeling when you turn up walk up the road then see the stadium over the top of the houses/shops

[Doc H Ball]

Personally I hope they do sell up, or at least sell part of the club, because we could do with a bit of Citehfication from a rich Arab or two.

Did the Arab Spring pass you by?

Personally, I prefer the idea of a self sustaining club. Old fashioned I know, but it served us well for over a century.

[gavrosh]

Did the Arab Spring pass you by?

Nope, and ive yet to see any Gulf Arab states, certainly the ones with the oil and gas, have popular revolutions. Am I watching the wrong news channel?

[mywhufc]

Did the Arab Spring pass you by?

Nope, and ive yet to see any Gulf Arab states, certainly the ones with the oil and gas, have popular revolutions. Am I watching the wrong news channel?

Libya

[Doc H Ball]

Nope, and ive yet to see any Gulf Arab states, certainly the ones with the oil and gas, have popular revolutions. Am I watching the wrong news channel?

Sounds like it:

The Arab Spring (Arabic: الربيع العربي‎; also known as the Arabic Rebellions or the Arab Revolutions) is a revolutionary wave of demonstrations and protests occurring in the Arab world. Since 18 December 2010 there have been revolutions in Tunisia[2] and Egypt;[3] a civil war in Libya resulting in the fall of its regime;[4] civil uprisings in Bahrain,[5] Syria,[6] and Yemen;[7] major protests in Israel,[8] Algeria,[9] Iraq,[10] Jordan,[11] Morocco,[12] and Oman,[13] and minor protests in Kuwait,[14] Lebanon,[15] Mauritania,[16] Saudi Arabia,[17] Sudan,[18] and Western Sahara.[19] Clashes at the borders of Israel in May 2011 have also been inspired by the regional Arab Spring.[20]

By the way what happened in 1985 to turn E13 bad?

[gavrosh]

The only significant protests (ones that risked getting out of hand) in the Gulf states were in Bahrain. All the others have been mainly in the Mahgreb (North Africa) or on the continental landmass (Syria, Lebanon, Jordan). The protests have had little effect on those who have the reins on power in Saudi, Qatar, or the UAE. My money's on Qatar trying to get involved once the OS situation is resolved.

Definitely, the exodus of the, ahem, indigenous East London population happened around the mid-80s. I can see evidence of that when I look back at my old class photographs. Doesnt make the palce now any better or worse, but its definitely poorer than it was. East Ham used to have a Co-op and an M&S - now its full of chicken shaks and pound shops.

[Doc H Ball]

The only significant protests (ones that risked getting out of hand) in the Gulf states were in Bahrain. All the others have been mainly in the Mahgreb (North Africa) or on the continental landmass (Syria, Lebanon, Jordan). The protests have had little effect on those who have the reins on power in Saudi, Qatar, or the UAE. My money's on Qatar trying to get involved once the OS situation is resolved.

Definitely, the exodus of the, ahem, indigenous East London population happened around the mid-80s. I can see evidence of that when I look back at my old class photographs. Doesnt make the palce now any better or worse, but its definitely poorer than it was. East Ham used to have a Co-op and an M&S - now its full of chicken shaks and pound shops.

Just make sure it's a rich Arab from the right undemocratic fiefdom, hope that the locals don't rise up and we'll be fine then.

Bit ironic that you want 'one or two rich Arabs' to own us and then bemoan the 'exodus of the, ahem, indigenous East London population'.

[sutts07]

Looking at this picture I do not see how the bus garage is relevant to the redevelopment of our ground anyway.



The West was built as close to the church as possible to allow us to build the East forward as we knew we would not be allowed to build out behind the East.

Although it would be nice to see the East redeveloped into something like this... I just can't see it due to the hight of the stand and the proximity of the flats behind it.

[EvilC]

As did a few hundred thousand more mate (including me til my early 20s),but they all left for some reason. I have a lot of affection for the area myself, i grew up there, and i hope one day it will return to the decent place it stopped being in about 1985. However, calling it an 'unpleasant area' is hardly contentious - plenty of people on here have called it much worse. And thats from people who know the area. If West Ham are to become a bigger club, they need to draw fans from outside the traditional base - from places that typically are a little nicer than Upton Park. Part of drawing them in will be offering a good experience for them, and i think there's little doubt that the environment around the OS is somewhat better than the Boleyn. People on here will in response to this point out that they would rather be in UP amongst 'proper' fans than Stratford with 'plastics' - that's a fair point. However, for me, and for many fans of this club, the loss of some of our tradition by moving away from UP should be more than made up for by actually winning something for once.

What about the loss of being able to actually see the football match because the seats are miles from the action?

[Hampshire Hammer]

The only significant protests (ones that risked getting out of hand) in the Gulf states were in Bahrain. All the others have been mainly in the Mahgreb (North Africa) or on the continental landmass (Syria, Lebanon, Jordan). The protests have had little effect on those who have the reins on power in Saudi, Qatar, or the UAE. My money's on Qatar trying to get involved once the OS situation is resolved.

There have been protests in Saudi Arabia, they are just better at supressing them and the news of them happening. Because the news did not spread there were no copycat protests like happened in other countries. The Saudi rulers are very aware that they have a number of issues and have been for years, the trouble is they come from a strict Islamic sect and as they hold Mecca and Medina have to be careful. You may have seen the news about women driving, some people thought that might be the catalyst but it doesn't seem to have been so yet.

Definitely, the exodus of the, ahem, indigenous East London population happened around the mid-80s. I can see evidence of that when I look back at my old class photographs. Doesnt make the palce now any better or worse, but its definitely poorer than it was. East Ham used to have a Co-op and an M&S - now its full of chicken shaks and pound shops.

For centuries the story of East London has been one of migration, the arrival of new immigrants and people leaving as they move to "better" areas. I won't deny the area has changed, but the growth of crap food shops and pound shops is not limited to Newham. Funnily enough one sign of the lack of wealth in the area we always think is the number of Icelands we drive past from the Blackwall tunnel as opposed to any other supermarket.

[gavrosh]

Well the East End has indeeed been a place of migration and moving on for centuries, but East London (ie past the river Lea) was until relatively recently a fairly posh and settled neighborhood in comparison. That started to change in the 80 thanks to sheer weight of numbers of new arivals plus the start of gentrification in places like Islington and has continued to the point where now the East End, and in fact all of inner London, is much better off than the suburbs. Its spreading out even further now - go to Dagenham and you can see how that's attracting people because of the low house prices, while places like Mile End and Bow are definitely on the up. Stratford isnt quite there yet but the are one or two pockets, like the part of Forst Gate south of wanstead flats.

[jimcollins65]

didnt know we had planning permission for this. now all we need is the money