Farewell finale fails to excite!

What a great and fitting game of football to finish 112 years at the Boleyn Ground but the closing ceremony was a major disappointment to myself and many of the 35,000 crowd there on the damp night.

The highlights of the closing ceremony were the light and pyrotechnic show to the tune of twist and shout and the moving Mark Noble interview, much of the rest was slow moving, tacky and naff I am afraid.

Running over 45 minutes later because of the delayed kick off, we seemed to wait ages for the closing ceremony to get underway.

The sound system at the Boleyn Ground was appalling despite being re-enforced with extra speakers for the event. We couldn’t hear the majority of the interviews or videos and the mic feed kept on cutting all the time making it very difficult to follow what was going on.

The ceremony went on for far too long and I felt sorry for the Hammers of the years ferried in by taxis to stand in the pouring rain in the middle of the pitch as the ceremony ran of steam. The event lacked emotion and class and was a disappointing way to end the night and an era.

When a video of a Number 6 shirt appeared to switch off the lights, many were puzzled. What that it? Is it over?

There were no public tears, no out pouring of grief, just the stark realisation it is was the last time we would leave the old stadium.

I am sure it cost a lot of money to stage the ceremony and their hearts were in the right place.  We appreciated the free Farewell Boleyn tee shirt and matching wrist-band but it could have been much better in my opinion.

Other fans at the ground there have described it as embarrassing, a shambles or cringeworthy at best and maybe it looked and sounded better on the TV.

However,the defining moment for me was Winston Reid’s late winning goal. That is the best closing ceremony I could ever have wished for.  Goodbye Boleyn Ground, I will miss you.