West Ham’s Heritage | Deathly silence from the boardroom speaks volumes

It brought to mind a similar moment of football heritage being safeguarded. Former Co‑Chairman David Gold once owned an extraordinary piece of the game’s history, which I was fortunate enough to see in 2017, during one of his charity open days at his home. In 2005, he purchased the second FA Cup trophy, used between 1896 and 1910 for £488,620 to keep it in the UK.

When it went to auction at Bonhams in September 2020, it sold for £760,000, with Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour emerging as the buyer, fitting given City had lifted that very trophy. Despite having a museum at the Etihad, he generously loaned it to the National Football Museum so it could remain accessible to the wider public.

West Ham themselves have invested heavily in preserving the club’s heritage, acquiring the 1966 World Cup winners’ medals of Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst, and Martin Peters, (main pic) as well as Moore’s entire personal collection for £1.45m.

Yet, despite these significant efforts, the club has never opened a museum to showcase these treasures. In a London Stadium Q&A back in April 2013, Karren Brady confirmed there were no plans for a museum at the new ground, despite earlier assurances in 2011 from West Ham that one would be included.

When I wrote about this for C&H in December 2024, the situation remained unchanged, and more than a year later there has still been no progress. The lack of club ownership of the stadium and its multi‑use nature continue to be cited as major obstacles, alongside insurance concerns.

Several supporters’ groups have raised the issue with the club, and the board is well aware that generations of fans want greater access to the club’s history.