what you will miss and wont miss about The Boleyn Ground

An archive of news, events and discussion leading up to and post West Ham United's historic move from Upton Park to Stratford in 2016.

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UptonPK
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Re: what you will miss and wont miss about The Boleyn Ground

Post by UptonPK »

I won't miss the journey and warm crap beer.

I will miss getting to the top of the stairs and seeing the pitch as if it was my first match, every matchday


and everything else.
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Adie64
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Re: what you will miss and wont miss about The Boleyn Ground

Post by Adie64 »

Will miss the whole journey to & from the Boleyn but so glad I can still create new memories with my Dad & Brother at the OS.
Must be hard for you who no longer have yours, I'm very lucky. :crest:
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hoptony
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Re: what you will miss and wont miss about The Boleyn Ground

Post by hoptony »

Wont miss the walk back to upton park tube station and not knowing where the end of the queue is!
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GaryP
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Re: what you will miss and wont miss about Upton Park

Post by GaryP »

ageing hammer wrote:Dog **** alley :D
Came on to post the exact same thing !

Miss EVERYTHING else.
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Kitt the car
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Re: what you will miss and wont miss about The Boleyn Ground

Post by Kitt the car »

Miss:
The walk down Green Street.
The closeness of my seat to the pitch (row 3 in STBL)
Most of the people around me (I hope some of them are near me in the blocks we were moved into)
The stewards in STBL (not sure if they're doing over to Stratford)

Won't miss:
Walk to Plaistow or the UP queues
The awful standard of facilities in the STBL. Bar/toilets are awful but even the state of the stand itself is horrific.
Being moved and shafted by the ticket office for cup games
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bobbymooresbracelet
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Re: what you will miss and wont miss about Upton Park

Post by bobbymooresbracelet »

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Antwerp_Lad
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Re: what you will miss and wont miss about The Boleyn Ground

Post by Antwerp_Lad »

What I'll miss: How close everything feels to the pitch, even up in the rafters you feel as if the ground is smaller than it actual is, which adds to the atmosphere. Also the Boleyn Pub, it's camp as f*** but great fun.

What I won't miss ? The neighbourhood in general. Sorry for those who may still live there, but it's an absolute dump and depressing.
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frankiemac
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Re: what you will miss and wont miss about The Boleyn Ground

Post by frankiemac »

great thread

its a tricky one for me...the boleyn that most of us go on about and love disappeared many years ago

despite the area itself being pretty rough, that walk down green street is one i have done for so long...the sights, smells, pubs etc...not having that walk on a match day, drinking in the same watering holes... im scared it wont "feel " like going to west ham anymore

i often try to justify my loyalty to the missus regarding west ham, as she cant get her head round it

at the risk of sounding dramatic...its the one consistent thing in my life that has been there since i was tiny, and that i still do regularly....you go through life, you get older, grow out of childish things...you bin the toys, fashions etc etc...but the one thing that i still do now that i did when i was a kid...is go to west ham...that changing dramatically will be traumatic to most...especially those who have also lost loved ones who they used to attend with

i might occasionally take a trip down green street to take in the sights just to remind myself and not forget the place
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Knighter10WHU
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Re: what you will miss and wont miss about The Boleyn Ground

Post by Knighter10WHU »

frankiemac wrote: i might occasionally take a trip down green street to take in the sights just to remind myself and not forget the place
I wonder how many others will do the same. It will be gutting to walk down there and not see the stadium, same as not seeing the top of the west stand from a distance on the roads in to the area.
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EugeneSpeed
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Re: what you will miss and wont miss about Upton Park

Post by EugeneSpeed »

ageing hammer wrote:Dog **** alley :D
GaryP wrote:Came on to post the exact same thing !
Same!

Will miss the Black Lion
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LincolnshireHammer
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Re: what you will miss and wont miss about The Boleyn Ground

Post by LincolnshireHammer »

I won't miss (particularly on night games) the journey from the City to Upton Park. A ****ing nightmare lets be honest. Stopping at each station on the District Line from about Mile End onwards. Stops between stations too with a journey time of about 45 mins between Mile End to Upton Park. :thdn:

Although that is probably the only thing I shall not miss. Love everything else!
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LincolnshireHammer
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Re: what you will miss and wont miss about Upton Park

Post by LincolnshireHammer »

EugeneSpeed wrote:Will miss the Black Lion
Place gone downhill for me in the past year.

Not because of the "place" or atmosphere but of the beer range. It used to be so much better. Now its the same old "Captain Bob" and "Doombar" every single week. Tom has become lazy! :D He used to have a great range of different ales, but now is a very different story!

Thought a couple of years ago that I would really miss the Black Lion once we leave Upton Park but not so sure now!
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arlhe
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Re: what you will miss and wont miss about The Boleyn Ground

Post by arlhe »

I won't miss the facilities in the ground. Bloody awful since they shut the bar on the north bank.

I will miss the walk from Green Street, the gates, the smells on the way in, being close to the action (even though it's not as close as it used to be).

I suspect the walk to East Ham is only marginally longer than the new one but I won't love the queues that I'll have to start getting used to.
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Rocketron
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Re: what you will miss and wont miss about Upton Park

Post by Rocketron »

EugeneSpeed wrote:Will miss the Black Lion
LincolnshireHammer wrote: Place gone downhill for me in the past year.

Not because of the "place" or atmosphere but of the beer range. It used to be so much better. Now its the same old "Captain Bob" and "Doombar" every single week. Tom has become lazy! :D He used to have a great range of different ales, but now is a very different story!

Thought a couple of years ago that I would really miss the Black Lion once we leave Upton Park but not so sure now!
I think it's only in the back (garden) bar where these are the only two options. The others still have a range of ales last time I looked.
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upminstercraig
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Re: what you will miss and wont miss about The Boleyn Ground

Post by upminstercraig »

Let's all be honest, Upton Park is a **** hole.... but it's our **** hole, & I'll miss everything about it.
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LincolnshireHammer
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Re: what you will miss and wont miss about Upton Park

Post by LincolnshireHammer »

Rocketron wrote:I think it's only in the back (garden) bar where these are the only two options. The others still have a range of ales last time I looked.
Sorry mate, couldn't be bothered to list the others. There's a range on, (Broadside etc too) but my gripe is that the range hasn't changed all season!

Tom used to keep a rotating range but seems as if he's lost his love for ale! :hush:
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Made In Leyton 1974
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Re: what you will miss and wont miss about The Boleyn Ground

Post by Made In Leyton 1974 »

I will miss the burger bar behind the south bank, the humdinger burger and Stevie Bacon burger were my particular favourites.
I still miss the 'Don't Kill Your Wife, Let Us Do It' clock....loved that!
Can't really think of anything I won't miss.
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Chicken Run Supreme
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Re: what you will miss and wont miss about The Boleyn Ground

Post by Chicken Run Supreme »

UptonPK wrote: I will miss getting to the top of the stairs and seeing the pitch as if it was my first match, every matchday
This. Every single time I see that pitch it takes me back to April 1973.
frankiemac wrote: its a tricky one for me...the boleyn that most of us go on about and love disappeared many years ago
This too. Other than the East Stand, the rest of the ground is completely different to my early days. I know the reasons why and they were right reasons, but for me, The Boleyn died a little once the all seater legislations came in. I still miss turning up hours before kick off and queing to pay on the turnstile.

What I will miss though is all the rituals associated with my visits. I will miss the sight of the West Upper on the horizon just as we turn off the A13 before the Canning Town flyover, I will miss joining the queue at Ercans for my pre match saveloy & chips, I will miss standing on the corner of Barking Road/Priory Road eating said saveloy & chips, I will miss the familiarity of the same old side streets that my dad used to park in and still to this day, I park in them too, I will miss the walk from the car to the ground - as we initially converge on Boundary Road and then make our way towards Barking Road and pick up a programme from the same seller on the corner of Green Street/Barking Road, I will miss that moment just before the players come out when Bubbles is first played, that moment when the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. I am sure it will be replicated at the OS but not sure if it will ever be the same.

I wont miss driving away from the ground thats for sure. On odd occasions we would get a smooth exit back towards the Blackwall Tunnel or QE2 crossing whichever route we plumped for our return trip but generally it has always been a pain in the arse and with the high speed rail on my doorstep, I can jump on the chuff chuff and be outside the OS in half an hour - marvellous.

I will miss going to The Boleyn more than maybe I first thought I would and that hit home when I took my son to Noble's testimonial. I am still hopeful of getting a ticket to either Swansea or Man U via the Members ballots but I was aware that potentially it would be my farewell visit and I got a bit tearful at times I will admit. Forty three years of history for me - some good, some bad, but I wouldn't have missed it for the world.
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Vienna
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Re: what you will miss and wont miss about The Boleyn Ground

Post by Vienna »

Will miss my 20 years of walking down the Barking road, walk to Plaistow and Ercans.
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beckton
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Re: what you will miss and wont miss about The Boleyn Ground

Post by beckton »

East Ham Working Men's Club. I probably first went in there when I was about 7/8 years old maybe younger.

It sounds a bit depressing but everything else I can think of has all ready gone.
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