Rob Robinson – a passionate Hammer whose father Bill was assistant manager at the club – has been addressing the thorny issue of the new stadium. Rob has been a CandH supporter since we arrived on the scne three years ago and are glad to have the opportunity of presenting his answer to the qustion: “Will the London Stadium ever feel like home?”
We all know moving home is a traumatic experience. West Ham United’s move from the Upton Park/Boleyn Ground to the London Stadium is no different. It takes time to settle – to feel at home. I wonder if The London Stadium will ever feel like home for me and the many loyal fans who have supported the club over the years at Upton Park.
I have been extremely privileged to watch football at Upton Park/The Boleyn for over 65 years as my father, Bill Robinson, played and coached for the club between 1948-1960. It will always be my spiritual home for my beloved team. At this point in time the same cannot be said of our new “rented” home after seeing four games so far including one game under the lights.
The apprehension and thrill that I felt before matches at Upton Park started on a Friday and built steadily till kick off time. I always woke early Saturday mornings, excited about watching my beloved Hammers strut out to the strains of the brass band playing the Post Horn Gallup before each game at Upton Park.
So for me the Olympic Stadium, now London Stadium and maybe even Tesco Stadium, doesn’t, and cannot have that same raw emotion, as going to see my OWN team play at their OWN ground with all the unique Green Street/Barking Road atmosphere, fans’ banter, smell of the pubs, pie’n’mash shops, cafes etc which made match day experiences so special.
The Saturday match day ritual began around 12.30pm when my mum, who took me to all the home games, began with a journey from our house at Welling in Kent, by getting a No 696 trolley bus to the Woolwich Ferry. We then either took the ferry or walked through the tunnel under the Thames to get to the No 101 bus which took us to East Ham Town Hall. We then walked along the Barking Road to the ground soaking up the atmosphere with the excitement and expectations building all the time.
My memories with West Ham United began as a boy of 6-7 years of age. After my Dad’s playing career was cut short by injury, he then became coach and later Assistant Manager. So began my love affair with West Ham United. I was privileged to watch some of my heroes training on the pitch as a special treat with Dad.
One particular day Noel Cantwell tried to teach me how to take penalties, and Ernie Gregory even gave me a pair of his yellow string goalkeeping gloves which I didn’t take off even in bed until my Mum decided otherwise!!!!
One of my happiest memories of the many special nights under the lights at Upton Park was the debut of a certain Bobby Moore and the visit of the famous Manchester United. We came out with a 3-2 victory that night in the old First Division clash following our promotion from Division 2 the previous season. Spookily the last ever match at our famous ground under the lights. Once again the visitors were Manchester United. And again we managed to win 3-2!!! What an unbelievably magnificent send off for the famous old ground that has been a big part of my life for over 65 years.
My Dad left the club in 1960-61 and as a family we returned to his native North East where he was appointed Manager of Hartlepool United.
Although the London years were over we still followed the Hammers whenever we could and as well as seeing all our games in the North East and odd visits to Upton Park we were very fortunate enough to see some incredible games including our three FA Cup wins in 1964, 1975 and 1980. with the Cup Winners Cup sandwiched in between in 1965. The lights also gave us a stunning win in the ECWC semi-final beating Real Zaragoza 2-1 to go through to the memorable final which culminated in a 2-0 win against TSV 1860 at Wembley.
I returned to London in 1968 for a career move which allowed me to see the Hammers regularly from Ealing where I lived at the time. The same buzz I had all those years ago returned. Saturday became a day of huge excitement again, including possibly one of the most memorable games ever seen on our hallowed turf, the 8-0 thrashing of Sunderland, including a double hat-trick from Geoff Hurst.
In 1980 I moved to Yorkshire with my family for business reasons. This again curtailed my visits to Upton Park. But having recently retired I was able to renew my season ticket three years ago and even though it was a 380 mile round trip. Saturdays started buzzing again, in fact, it felt as though I had never been away and I was lucky enough to meet some fantastic lifelong Hammers fans with whom who I now have a great banter.
Unfortunately the same cannot be said of the new stadium. We have sold our soul and identity. We are now not West Ham United Football Club but a brand, according to the owners, a commercial vehicle supposed to make us a top four club and European giants.
But a worrying statistic for me I am afraid is that when we were playing at Upton Park there would be approximately 95% of fiercely passionate fans in the 35,000 capacity crowd unlike the new stadium, as due to the owners desperation to fill the stadium, season tickets seem to be have been sold anyone who applied.
That being the case I doubt that there will be no more than 65-70% of diehard fans in the 57,000 seater stadium. Weekend rail breaks that include match day tickets also seem to be available. Another issue annoying real fans.
The issue as to and when will the new stadium feel like home is difficult to predict. Upton Park had 104 years of history and memories. So our new home will have to build its own history however long it may take. But I, along with many long standing West Ham United fans, are not getting the same passionate matchday experience we had at our historical Green Street ground.
To be totally honest I am not sure if I will be renewing my season ticket for next season yet due to our move. I have a lot of soul searching to do but in the meantime I will be there this season cheering the boys on and hope they are soon climbing the table.
Some sceptical fans may say my decision is due to the team’s poor performances on the pitch. OK. Well I have seen us beaten 8-2 by Blackburn at home plus numerous other poor performances, relegations and a “bond” scheme. But I have always been a West Ham United fan and will remain so. But we are not that club anymore. According to the owners we are a brand playing in a rented stadium. How can we call that home?
#coyi Rob Robinson
Great piece. Says it all.
Well im off to watch Brand West Ham tonight & will be watching Brand West Ham next week & next year & the year after that.
Dont like it dont go anymore,simples.
I don’t know about others but i get my excitement from going to watch our boys on the pitch wherever we play.I aint lost that at all.It is about supporting the team on the pitch whether sat on a throne or on a wet pile of newspapers.
Anyway to be honest its mostly the oldies who do all the moaning so it goes in one ear & out the other.
Good article and it echoes my feelings in many ways – my Brother and I have been Season Ticket holders for many years and it is only this Season that we have ever talked about whether we will renew next year or not.
We’ve seen West Ham get beaten plenty of times and seen them play real rubbish, and plenty of rubbish players so it’s not the results on the pitch that’s making us have doubts about renewing.
For me this whole ‘Brand’ stuff has gone to far, it’s not the Club I’ve followed for over 50 years – the Stadium itself is a lash-up, undoubtedly a brilliant financial move for West Ham as a business but not for the loyal punter. I feel the Club has forgotten about it’s traditional fan base in the drive for new fans to fill up the Stadium – it’s not the same Club anymore.
I’ve done 48 years home and away.Missed about 10 home games in 48 years.There are about 15 of us from my town Season Ticket Holders.None will be renewing.The place will be half full.Time to stop embracing the new supporters West Ham.Time to start trying to keep the old ones.less of the brand and more of the Football Club required.
Well you fellas do what you want but this old git wont stop going.Why do i want to give up escaping from the wife for a few hours Lol
Besides don’t fool yourself,any prem club is looking to turn themselves into a brand,global if possible,these days.Not just us.
Went to the club shop in lakeside last weekend.
The rebranding of all the merchandise in there has gone too far, all the gear pre 10/05/16 has gone, its as if they want to erase all evidence of our past and specifically Upton Park.
There was even t shirts with The new hammers crest above the London Underground signage that reads Stratford, who would wear that?
The stadium move was always going to be tough, but why the need to re-brand?
The club have made a big mistake.
An article like this must be heaven for you old crusties.You will be reminiscing over pre decimalisation soon.
Another Doom an’ Gloom merchant. It’s the many negative ‘supporters’ like this bloke that will hold West Ham United back. I used to blame the Cearns family and Terry Brown for their lack of ambition in being stuck in the past, but in the past few weeks I’ve seen that it’s the fans that are dragging the club down. Some of them obviously want the mediocrity of Premier League mid table with relegation once every decade and selling their best players to Chelsea and Man United to make ends meet.
Remember 1991-92? All that negative stuff from the terraces back then created a nasty, vile atmosphere at the Boleyn all season,……..It wasn’t the team that got themselves relegated back then..
Let’s embrace the new stadium and get behind Slaven and the team. The club is going onwards and upwards if everyone will allow them to. Look where Man City are – you never hear their fans moaning about their ‘new’ stadium and wishing they were back at Maine Road!!
It wont happen TRB,not while there are old crusties around who want to live in their bovril & flat cap world.
I used have a lot of compassion towards fans who still talked about the boleyn in the first month or so.Felt sorry for them.But now i realise most of them are just moaning & who cant handle change.
Most of us ‘old crusties’ still like a laugh,a few beers and a sing song.We like to stand at games,dont moan but cheer on the team and we form the core of the away support..our fathers went,our sons go.We bought season tickets for the new ground and gave it a go.We are not happy with the ‘rebranding’ and are seriously considering jacking it in.I find it sad that some of the younger fans and the club seem happy to see us go.
Well you don’t have to not go.No one is telling you stop going.You aint being FORCED OUT.You have decieded not to go.
Sorry but i have no sympathy anymore for fans who say ‘We wont be renewing out STs next year’.Fine make your decision but dont blame youngsters because we will still follow the team while you lot jack in going to watch them.Like other fans have said they will continue to support the team even if it was in the southern league on a mudbath covered in sh1t.
You lot jack it in because of rebranding.What happened to supporting the team on the pitch no matter what.
If you can give up watching the team because of a change of ground then you cant be that bothered can you.If you were you would carry on following the team no matter where they played.
I understand fans having memories of the good & bad times over the years at the Bolyen me included, but those times have gone. Like it or not they aren’t coming back so we have to make new ones at the new stadium. My view is it all looks wrong & are we really going to be here in 99 years time? Maybe one day we can buy it & dig down to get rid of the running track. But we have to get get used to it & stop the moaning
Hearing lifelong fan rob and all his looking through rose coloured spectacles makes me want to spit feathers.
The atmosphere in the betway stand in the last couple of seasons where i sat was terrible,it was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop.Most of the noise was coming from chav corner and the end of the chicken run next to the away supporters.
I actually like the new stadium and i would still go even if we were playing in the conference!.
Rob if you don’t want to go anymore give it up and let someone else who will follow the hammers through thick and thin have it.
This from an old “crinkly”in his early sixties.
I respect everyones decision,believe it or not lol.But please dont give me all this crap about not going anymore because of a stadium or matchday experience.Sorry but like others pointed out i would watch us on a ploughed field sat on a milk crate!!
If fans can give up going to support the team because they dont like a stadium or some stupid ‘branding’ reason then im afraid i don’t understand it.I couldn’t give up going to watch us,it aint even an option for me.
I wouldnt take the old crusties comment too seriously bas.I think the lads are on about a few crusties elsewhere who never stop crying & whining about not being at the boleyn anymore 😉
Rick you speak a whole lot of sense! Hear hear