Goodbye to the Boleyn

[Nos89]

With all the media going a bit OTT with the shammers moving ground and the impact it has on all the local trade and supporters...I think what Arsenal achieved by building the new stadium just around the corner is even more remarkable.
The impact on pubs, members clubs and food outlets hasn't been impacted as much as a total relocation. Thank God we never moved to Wembley.
On Upton Park, never got inside so no real great memories, is it as special as the media portray it to be?

[Red Snapper]

[quote="Nos89"]With all the media going a bit OTT with the shammers moving ground and the impact it has on all the local trade and supporters...I think what Arsenal achieved by building the new stadium just around the corner is even more remarkable.
The impact on pubs, members clubs and food outlets hasn't been impacted as much as a total relocation. Thank God we never moved to Wembley.
On Upton Park, never got inside so no real great memories, is it as special as the media portray it to be?[/quote]
Not been in the Premiere era but it was certainly as big a shithole as most football ground in the 70's/80's. It was probably more intimidating than most as an away supporter.

[Eboue-Why?]

Special? Not in the 80s it wasn't!!!
Having said that, of all the London clubs I find them the least offensive nowadays and their hatred of The Spuds is always a joy to behold!!

[DB10GOONER]

They are, and always will be, murdering cúnts to me.

Building our LEGO bowl was a "remarkable achievement"? Not for me. Selling out our heritage and tradition so we could populate our bland soulless AnyModernStadium with JCLs and tourists was one of the worst decisions ever made. Did it make us "compete with Europe's finest"?? Did it fuck.

As for Wham, I've never called it the Boleyn Ground, it was always Upton Park to me. Been there a few times. Whilst it had a certain old English stadium "charm", I found it to be full of complete arseholes tbh.

[augie]

I've had to stop watching ssn for the last couple of days cos I couldnt stand their constant wankathon about the shammers poxy stadium I could maybe understand it if they were covering one of the big clubs that are moving stadiums, but this is a small time club who havent been a "big club" for 50 years and who have spent almost 25% of the last 4 decades outside the top division and who were in the 3rd flight as recently the season we went unbeaten

[Ziegler1988]

Went four times to Upton Park in the last eight seasons. Proper ground and atmosphere pretty good (at least with the mongs in the corner). Will certainly be missed as another soulless bowl comes into use

[foxinthebox2001]

One of my abiding match day memories was turning into Avenall Rd (top end), and taking in the sea of supporters all the way down the hill towards Gillespie Rd, and the magnificent facade of Highbury on the left.
West Ham fans should remember, once its gone, its gone forever.

[DB10GOONER]

One of my abiding match day memories was turning into Avenall Rd (top end), and taking in the sea of supporters all the way down the hill towards Gillespie Rd, and the magnificent facade of Highbury on the left.
West Ham fans should remember, once its gone, its gone forever.

Made that walk on many many occasions especially back in 97-98 when we drank pre-match in the Highbury Barn. And speaking of Wham and the Barn, I met Ray Winstone (in Wham colours) in there in (I think) 2001 (Wiltord scored a hatrick against Wham on the fucking coldest day I can remember at a football match - and it was MARCH!! ).

Also loved the walk up Elwood street towards the NB from the Gunners and the Cannon Club on a winter's Saturday afternoon, the smells of the burger vans, the crowds of Gooners drinking and laughing, the anticipation of the game, a few nice beers on board, having a laugh with your mates, no iPads and no selfie sticks to be seen.

[Herd]

Not to put to fine a point on it ,iot was a fucking orrible place to go .
I first went in abt 73 aged 14 and west ham had not 1 @end but 4 ,yes they had orrible *word censored* in all four sections of the crowd !
getting in and out was hairy in the extreme with the very few arsenal who did go hiding in the lower end of the southbank with a massive mob behind you !
some used to go with the west ham mates in a bid to stave of torture whilst others plumped for the saftey of buying a west ham scarf .
getting out was hairy too as u had to que for up to half an hour down the side of upton park station .
I wont miss it !

[Topside Northbank]

Us of a certain generation will always miss the ground we grew up in Highbury could never be replaced the place was steeped in history,memories and the way as a kid you remember what Arsenal was all about tradition,atmosphere and class.The friends you met home and away matches and people you never knew their names but would always talk to or acknowledge.

The fact you would be able to stand where you wanted and meet up with like minded fans,the football wasn't always great early 80's when I started going but you always had a laugh and something funny to talk about afterwards.The story all football fans my age and older would convey.

I always called it Upton Park and went to a few games there with a mate who followed them, atmospheric ground especially on night games as was Highbury.I went there a few times as an away fan and we had a history with them,certainly remember a lunchtime kick off 1985 0-0 but we certainly turned up as others may remember!

They now will follow other clubs like ourselves into a new ground with new fans and the memories of tradition being just that.

[Perryashburtongroves]

With all the media going a bit OTT with the shammers moving ground and the impact it has on all the local trade and supporters...I think what Arsenal achieved by building the new stadium just around the corner is even more remarkable.
The impact on pubs, members clubs and food outlets hasn't been impacted as much as a total relocation. Thank God we never moved to Wembley.
On Upton Park, never got inside so no real great memories, is it as special as the media portray it to be?

Surely you mean Arsene, not Arsenal? As it was he, who built the stadium, brick by brick with his own bare hands.
I've been to Upton Park a couple of times and found it ok. Glad I've been there as it's another old-fashioned, classic English grounds now going. It really is only Goodison that's left now.
Anyway, we should have moved to Wembley or left the area as we got fuck all out of Islington Council and have paid well over the odds for a boring, emotionless concrete bowl.

[Clash]

One of my abiding match day memories was turning into Avenall Rd (top end), and taking in the sea of supporters all the way down the hill towards Gillespie Rd, and the magnificent facade of Highbury on the left.
West Ham fans should remember, once its gone, its gone forever.

Nice post mate. Very true about once its gone its gone forever.

Only once has a club moved back to a their spiritual home stadium and that was Charlton who never permanently moved elsewhere.

Anyway I have no love for West Ham but its sad that yet another old ground is about to get bulldozed in the name of progress. Admittedly Upton Park looks nothing like it did when I first went there in the 80s but its still the same place. Still got the memories. As is the case with Old Trafford and Anfield. Different stands but they're still home for many.

One of the biggest load of bollocks that does the rounds in football circles these days is the 'progress' thing.

'Have to move with the times''. ''Mustn't stand in the way of progress''. ''Can't keep living in the past''

This is how business men (and women like that poisonous bitch Karen Brady) brainwash people into accepting their self-serving, money making schemes. They make it sound like they are there for our benefit when really the opposite is true. They make you sound unreasonable if you dont want change.

And yes tell me how football has ''progressed'' as a sport or a spectacle since Arsenal did the double in 1971?

As far as I can see it hasnt because football doesnt need billions from TV. It doesnt need sponsorship or advertising or non-stop coverage or any of that crap we're told it needs to survive.

It survived perfectly well without those things because men will always play football and want to watch those who are the best play it. Football could survive and continue as an amateur sport for this reason. And yet perversely we are approaching a time when football might not even need crowds.

Too many people have had the wool pulled over their eyes and been tricked into accepting that these foreign owners and Sky TV are good for the game. On the contrary they are slowly destroying it.

Highbury in 1971 held over 60,000. More than what we can get in the ground now. Is that progress?

Also it was affordable, it was more raw and more real, the players were a better pedigree and cared more who they were playing for. It was probably more exciting for children back then too. Everyone played on Saturday 3pm

Not one thing that actually matters has progressed.

All seater stadiums and family atmospheres are a nonsense and a big marketing con.

Its all contrived shite that has been dressed up in the name of safety and comfort ... but really its just there to take more and more money from the working man and divert it into the pockets of the rich.

Corporate entertainment is vile but this has grown and grown to a point that it has taken over and now take precedence. The people who care least about the game in a stadium get the best seats. TV justifies moving kick off times because of the money they pump into the game ... and yet still the ticket prices for everyone else go up. So how are we benefiting exactly?

Sponsorship and talk of the expanding the brand is grotesque. ''The Emirates Stadium'' Say no more. Sounds like a greyhound track.

Too late now but West Ham fans, the genuine ones, will grow to hate their new stadium once the novelty of it has worn off. It wont make them a bigger club and that ambitious bitch Brady will fuck off and ruin some other part the game some other when it suits her.

( sorry for the lengthy rant for anyone who bothered ... was originally only intended posting one sentence)

[REB]

Been to wham twice. Horrible little ground,horrible area and horrible walk back to the tube .

[Perryashburtongroves]

One of my abiding match day memories was turning into Avenall Rd (top end), and taking in the sea of supporters all the way down the hill towards Gillespie Rd, and the magnificent facade of Highbury on the left.
West Ham fans should remember, once its gone, its gone forever.

Nice post mate. Very true about once its gone its gone forever.

Only once has a club moved back to a their spiritual home stadium and that was Charlton who never permanently moved elsewhere.

Anyway I have no love for West Ham but its sad that yet another old ground is about to get bulldozed in the name of progress. Admittedly Upton Park looks nothing like it did when I first went there in the 80s but its still the same place. Still got the memories. As is the case with Old Trafford and Anfield. Different stands but they're still home for many.

One of the biggest load of bollocks that does the rounds in football circles these days is the 'progress' thing.

'Have to move with the times''. ''Mustn't stand in the way of progress''. ''Can't keep living in the past''

This is how business men (and women like that poisonous bitch Karen Brady) brainwash people into accepting their self-serving, money making schemes. They make it sound like they are there for our benefit when really the opposite is true. They make you sound unreasonable if you dont want change.

And yes tell me how football has ''progressed'' as a sport or a spectacle since Arsenal did the double in 1971?

As far as I can see it hasnt because football doesnt need billions from TV. It doesnt need sponsorship or advertising or non-stop coverage or any of that crap we're told it needs to survive.

It survived perfectly well without those things because men will always play football and want to watch those who are the best play it. Football could survive and continue as an amateur sport for this reason. And yet perversely we are approaching a time when football might not even need crowds.

Too many people have had the wool pulled over their eyes and been tricked into accepting that these foreign owners and Sky TV are good for the game. On the contrary they are slowly destroying it.

Highbury in 1971 held over 60,000. More than what we can get in the ground now. Is that progress?

Also it was affordable, it was more raw and more real, the players were a better pedigree and cared more who they were playing for. It was probably more exciting for children back then too. Everyone played on Saturday 3pm

Not one thing that actually matters has progressed.

All seater stadiums and family atmospheres are a nonsense and a big marketing con.

Its all contrived shite that has been dressed up in the name of safety and comfort ... but really its just there to take more and more money from the working man and divert it into the pockets of the rich.

Corporate entertainment is vile but this has grown and grown to a point that it has taken over and now take precedence. The people who care least about the game in a stadium get the best seats. TV justifies moving kick off times because of the money they pump into the game ... and yet still the ticket prices for everyone else go up. So how are we benefiting exactly?

Sponsorship and talk of the expanding the brand is grotesque. ''The Emirates Stadium'' Say no more. Sounds like a greyhound track.

Too late now but West Ham fans, the genuine ones, will grow to hate their new stadium once the novelty of it has worn off. It wont make them a bigger club and that ambitious bitch Brady will fuck off and ruin some other part the game some other when it suits her.

( sorry for the lengthy rant for anyone who bothered ... was originally only intended posting one sentence)

Absolutely great, mate and I agree with every word. I think your point about progress is very accurate, especially the one about the capacity of grounds being higher 40-odd years ago. Clubs are spending 100s of millions to build new grounds which hold less than the old ones did in the past. I'd never really thought like that before and it's made me laugh at how miserable the whole 'match day experience' is compared to just 'going to the football' as we used to call it.

[hertsgunner]

Been over there a few times and it was always a dump to me and certainly not a patch on Highbury.A bit hairy going there in old days but more recently nowhere near as bad, as for the locals I don't think any of them support the spammers all their mob seem to come out of upton park tube from Essex.As for filling a 66k stadium their having a laugh.