West Ham: New Stadium, New Era?

After 112 years of historic footballing moments, the curtain finally closed on Upton Park Tuesday night, or to give it its proper name, the Boleyn Ground. As Premier League side West Ham prepare to move into their brand new stadium next season, the Queen Elizabeth Olympic in Stratford, London, the players and supporters made sure that the last match ever to be played at Upton Park would go out with a bang.

West Ham have played at The Boleyn Ground, a.k.a Upton Park, for 112 years.

Their opponents Manchester United also had very good reason to ensure they came away with a victory. With their bitter city rivals Manchester City placed just 2 points ahead of them in 4th position, Man U only had to win their final 2 games of the season to ensure their participation in next season's Champions League, dumping their nosy neighbours out of the competition in the process. Considering both West Ham's and Man U's vested interest in the game, along with the media's relentless publicising of the significance of the match, it is no wonder the match was a highly charged one.

What was meant to be a memorable experience for all those associated with West Ham, quickly descended into mayhem, as fans viciously attacked Man U's team coach as it arrived at the stadium. Their window was smashed as bottles and pellets were thrown at them, causing the start of the match to be delayed by 45 minutes. And it didn't stop there. Supporters turned on their own club, as some of the stadium's seats and signs were ripped from its foundations and taken presumably as memorabilia. The club previously mentioned their intention to auction off artefacts from the ground to fans.

In the midst of the chaos West Ham did manage to win the match. Having been 2 goals down, the Hammers completed a memorable fight back worthy of any match, as they snatched a 3-2 victory and cast serious doubt of their opponents' Champions League qualification prospects.

Despite the unsavoury incidents that marred either side of the 90 minutes, the positive result brought an era of top-class football at Upton Park to a fitting end. Let's hope their move to the Olympic Stadium marks the start of another memorable 112 years.