It was a day that took forever to come; some hoped it never would. Upton Park or the Boleyn Ground to use its formal moniker, was closing down. After 112 years the club was moving to Stratford, home of the 2012 Olympics. My final peep at the old ground came in April 2016 against Watford.
Standing at the gates my West Ham supporting brother excitedly took pictures. A flood of memories rushed through my mind. Each of them bidding for prominence as a dewy eyed nostalgia threatened to take hold. Tickets for home games were predictably scarce. I’d come across mine purely by chance so knew this would be the last time.
A 3-1 victory included a missed penalty and a late sending off. True to form games at Upton Park were never dull. This tired old stadium had been part of my life for the previous 41 years. Leaving the ground afterwards was a curious feeling, I was a bundle of mixed emotions.
But as we joined a snaking queue at Upton Park tube station I felt strangely unmoved. It wasn’t the same stadium I first visited as a boy. It had been redeveloped on three sides and the East Stand was all that survived. Yet it’s only bricks and mortar and we take our memories with us.
It was a view many Irons fans would not have shared as the final home game approached. Manchester United would be our opponents on 10 May 2016. The Mancs’ team bus was mystifyingly pelted with bottles on the way in. The game itself was a classic encounter as West Ham ran out 3-2 winners. But who lined up for the Hammers that night, writing themselves into club history, and where are they now?
Goalkeeper Darren Randolph joined from Birmingham in 2015. Although regularly capped by the Republic of Ireland, he often struggled to nail down a regular spot at club level. West Ham was his ninth club and ostensibly signed as deputy to regular goalie Adrian. Randolph briefly wrestled the gloves from him but was always destined to be a cup games goalie.
In 2017 he transferred to Middlesborough and was first choice between the sticks for three years. There was one last hurrah in 2020 when he re-joined the Hammers. His final stop was a one season stint with Bournemouth.
Michail Antonio was signed in September 2015 and had just completed his first season with the Hammers. Deep in utility mode, Antonio was deployed at right back against Manchester United. He had also filled a number of other roles including midfield, wing, turnstile operator and assistant groundsman.
Mickey scored the equaliser that night to bring the scores level at 2-2. He later entered into club folklore when he broke the Premier League goalscoring record in 2021. His contract runs out in June and has apparently rejected a new contract. If he does leave no one can say we haven’t had our money’s worth.
Winston Reid was born in Auckland with Māori ancestry and raised in Denmark. Rising through the ranks at FC Midtjylland, he later represented his native New Zealand at senior level. The defender signed for the Hammers in 2005 and looked a real prospect. However, his career was decimated by an appalling catalogue of injuries. Hamstring, shoulder, ankle, thigh, hip, abductor and the inevitable knee injury restricted Reid’s game time.
Despite his injury record, Reid signed an extension to his contract until 2023. However, in March 2018 he was knocked unconscious during a game; the resulting twisted knee kept him out for the rest of the season. He left by mutual consent in 2021 and wound down his career first with Sporting Kansas City and then Brentford. Winston Reid had the distinction of scoring the final goal at Upton Park when he fired home the winner ten minutes from time.
The textbook definition of ‘unsung hero’ must surely be Angelo Ogbonna. The Italy international was signed from Juventus in 2015 and plied his trade as a central defender for the next nine seasons. ‘Oggy’ was utterly reliable and made few mistakes. He sometimes fell victim to managers’ preference but was always on hand to play his part whenever needed. He remained an essential member of the squad and it was gratifying to see him on the pitch celebrating the Europa Conference League win in 2023. Oggy left at the end of the 2023/24 season.
Scouser Aaron Cresswell was released from Liverpool’s Academy as a fifteen-year-old. But gradually made his way in the professional game via Tranmere and Ipswich. The left-back was signed by West Ham in 2014 and went onto become one of the Hammers’ longest serving players of the Premier League era.
He blossomed at the club and gained the first of three England caps in 2016. An occasional dead ball specialist, Cresswell always had a good engine and regularly embarked on overlapping runs. Although injuries have taken their toll he remains a useful option more often than not coming off the bench. The 34-year-old signed a one year extension to his contract at the end of last season.
Manuel Lanzini had been signed on a season’s loan from Emirates club Al Jazira. An impressive campaign led to a permanent arrangement and seven highly productive seasons for the Hammers. Like Cresswell he was awarded full representative honours at the club. Lanzini won five Argentina caps but was sadly denied a place in their 2018 World Cup squad by a knee injury.
He was a classic South American number 10 with great vision and close control; there was also a penchant for the occasional spectacular goal. In 2020 he scored a fizzing 25-yarder against Spurs which rescued a point for the Hammers who were 3-0 down a one point. Lanzini left the club in June 2023 and re-signed for his boyhood club River Plate.
The princely sum of £7 million took Cheikh Kouyate from Anderlecht to West Ham in June 2014. The defensive midfielder quickly settled in and played a pivotal role in the team for the next four seasons.
The Senegal international was a solid and hardworking presence in midfield, effectively linking play and scoring some useful goals. Many were therefore surprised when he signed for Crystal Palace before moving to Nottingham Forest in 2022.
Never has a player gone from zero to hero then back to zero more quickly than Dimitri Payet. Little was known about the French midfielder when he was signed from Marseille in June 2015. He quickly established himself as a gifted playmaker and became top goal scorer with 12 goals in all competitions.
He was voted Hammer of the Year but many wondered how long West Ham could keep hold of him. Payet excelled at the European Championships in 2016 and his head was ultimately turned. In the following January he returned to Marseille under a cloud of accusation and counter claim; it was a short but very sweet honeymoon. Payet subsequently transferred to Brazilian club Vasco de Gama at the beginning of last season.
Mark Noble had, by this time, already ascended to fully qualified club legend. Dedicated one-club man and inspirational captain, he was the only home grown player in the starting lineup that night. Nobes went onto set the Premier League appearance record and seal a place in hearts of all Hammers fans. This rarest of birds finally retired in May 2023. Fittingly Mark Noble continues to serve the club as sporting director.
Diafro Sakho was another Senegal international passing through on his travels. The striker was signed from Metz and scored some useful goals in his four year stay, including the opening goal against Manchester United. After his stint with the Hammers, he returned to France and a subsequent odyssey that took him to Turkey, Switzerland, Djibouti and finally back to Nancy where he retired at the end of 2022/23 season.
When all his planets were in line Andy Carroll could be a devastatingly good centre forward. But a litany of injuries restricted his impact to one goal in every four games. After six seasons with the Hammers, Carroll returned to his native Newcastle for a short, unsatisfying spell. Similar cameos at Reading and West Brom followed. He currently plays for Amiens in the French second division.
Slaven Bilic was appointed West Ham manager in June 2015. A former player, the Croat had impressive managerial credentials including stints with Lokomotiv Moscow, Besikas and the Croatia national side. Bilic guided the Hammers to a highly creditable 7th place finish in the 2015/16 season.
Away wins against Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City were highlights but typically the euphoria did not last. After a run of poor results Bilic was dismissed in November 2017. He continued his journey as a happy wanderer as West Brom was sandwiched between spells in Saudi Arabia and China. He also spent one season with Watford before returning to Saudi for a second time.
For Manchester United it was another season of crushing under achievement. A 5th place finish in the Premier League and an FA Cup win could not save Louis Van Gaal’s job. For a club still adjusting to life in the post Fergie era it just wasn’t good enough.
As the fans drifted away on that last night they grabbed whatever souvenirs they could; a sign, seat number or a rusty bolt, it was proof they were there. We looked forward with some trepidation to a new home at Stratford. Now we have a major honour to associate with the London Stadium will the fans finally take emotional ownership – let’s hope so.
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