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West Ham's Upton Park farewell: Slaven Bilic says Olympic Stadium cannot be 'fortress'

Last updated on .From the section Footballcomments130

Boleyn Ground 1904-2016: Farewell Upton Park

It will be "impossible" to recreate the Upton Park atmosphere and make the Olympic Stadium a "fortress", says West Ham manager Slaven Bilic.

The Hammers play their final competitive game at their 112-year home against Manchester United on Tuesday.

West Ham will move to the 60,000-capacity London 2012 Olympics venue next season.

"You need to have a hostile atmosphere, be intimidating for away teams. Forget about it - no chance," said Bilic.

'Highbury felt dangerous, Emirates is for selfies'

West Ham fans
West Ham fans face a new route to their home ground next season

It was revealed in April that West Ham will pay £2.5m a year in rent to the owners of the Olympic Stadium, the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC).

At least £272m has been spent to convert the site for use as a Premier League ground but the club have contributed only £15m.

They have sold all their season tickets for next season, which the club say is in excess of 50,000.

This season, they have won eight, drawn seven and lost only three of their 18 home league games.

Arsenal relocated from Highbury to the Emirates Stadium in 2006, while north London neighbours Tottenham are undergoing redevelopment work at White Hart Lane.

West Ham: Slaven Bilic on leaving the Boleyn Ground and Upton Park

"When you played Arsenal at Highbury, it wasn't dangerous but you felt it," added Bilic.

"Then we played against them at the Emirates and we enjoyed it; the players were taking selfies.

"The Upton Park stadium was a first home. No matter where you move after that - if you move to a fancy apartment, a big house or to a mansion - your favourite one is always the first.

"You are losing something because it is impossible to make the Olympic Stadium a fortress."

'Not being at Upton Park will be strange'

Mark Noble
Mark Noble first attended Upton Park as a fan and is now West Ham captain

Midfielder Mark Noble has spent his entire career with West Ham since making his debut in 2004, making more than 360 appearances.

He has served as a fan, ball boy, apprentice, professional and now captain at Upton Park.

"How big could this club be? I don't think there is a ceiling," he said.

"Everybody has seen what happened to Manchester City, to Chelsea, over the years. With people in the world these days with a lot of money to burn, anything can happen.

"We are leaving a place that I have been coming to for over 20 years, first as a supporter.

"Every other weekend it's going to be strange to get in my car in the morning and drive to a game, and not down a street I know so well."

'The atmosphere inspired me'

Jack Collison
Jack Collison scored his first West Ham goal against Everton in 2008

West Ham co-owner David Gold grew up on Green Street, where Upton Park is located, and took over the club in 2010 with David Sullivan.

"My earliest memories were as a six- or seven-year-old boy was the excitement every Saturday," said Gold.

"At that age I used to come and watch the boys playing in the morning at 11 and then at 3pm the reserves. The following week it would be the first team."

Former midfielder Jack Collison, who made 121 appearances for West Ham but retired this year through injury, said: "I remember coming to watch games here as a 16- or 17-year-old and being inspired by the atmosphere and the players.

"It pushed me on to want to be in the first team and make my mark.

"I did manage that and I scored my first goal against Everton. I don't think I will be able to recreate that feeling of the ball hitting the net."

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130 comments

  • Comment posted by Your Call Is Important To Us, at 11:58 10 May 2016

    Urgh. Enough of the soppy Upton Park stuff. They CHOSE to leave and are doing so at the expense of the tax payer. Plenty of clubs have moved grounds in the past and got nowhere near this level of media coverage. What makes West Ham so worthy?

  • Comment posted by Dayzy, at 11:32 10 May 2016

    Just a bus stop in Leyton

  • Comment posted by D1679567367665, at 11:13 10 May 2016

    Etihad will never be Maine Road, Emirates will never be Highbury and TOS will never be Upton Park, but that is progress, so they say. Personally I think that the move to all seater stadia was the start of the end of the unique atmosphere football brought. Just glad I was there to experience it.

    Remember some great times against WHU over the years, good luck you Hammers!!!!

  • Comment posted by Macca2, at 10:54 10 May 2016

    I don't understand why the British tax payer is covering the cost of converting the stadium to be fit for use by West Ham. They are a business and should pay for it themselves. Oh no wait - they're in London.......any improvement to London is a benefit for all of the UK.

    Anyway, won't be the same atmosphere watching the match through binoculars. Hope you get spanked tonight.

  • Comment posted by kenny_burns_kneecap, at 10:30 10 May 2016

    Binoculars at the ready, Hammers fans....

  • Comment posted by User0922503184, at 10:22 10 May 2016

    The Boleyn is a special place but that's because we've had 112 years to create memories there. The new stadium is so much better. We (all Irons fans) just need to give it time. Proposals will be made there, kids taken to their first games and all the other good stuff too. I will miss Upton Park but I am looking forward to the club moving on... but never forgetting where it came from.

  • Comment posted by aintreehammer, at 10:56 10 May 2016

    Sad to see the last game at Upton Park, but onwards and upwards at the new place!
    Many thinks to all the players, managers and support staff who have given us such great entertainment over the years, plus the odd coronary!!
    And lets not forget some of the teams that have visited us and have also given us some great games and great memories.
    Lets hope that tonight's game is a fitting send off.

  • Comment posted by XTStevie1872, at 10:48 10 May 2016

    West Ham getting the OS is still deal of the century & my word they will be mega rich in the coming years ?? I'm not having a dig here as i suppose somebody had to get the stadium instead of knocking it down & with Sky's mega money deal too the coming season West Ham really will be up there with the big boys ??

    Happy times ahead & all the best................

  • Comment posted by SPL, at 11:03 10 May 2016

    Games at the Etihad and Emirates have a plastic feel to them, tourists and cameras everywhere with club shop bags. Soulless and detached, unfortunately its all about money so the owners make the deal because history, atmosphere, etc. etc. don't pay the bills

  • Comment posted by User0606334206, at 15:05 10 May 2016

    No-one mentions Spurs got £18 million of taxpayers money because they complained about West Ham offering to partially buy the stadium, forcing them to rent, which was a worse deal for the taxpayer or that Spurs were prosecuted for illegally going through LLDC's bins. What's better? An empty or misused stadium, or being used by all sports & getting money back for 99yrs? Be thankful it wasn't Spurs

  • Comment posted by D1679215935786, at 21:00 10 May 2016

    111. Posted by 95 North - Let Yourself Go

    Seriously? A bit of luck for a change? Do you forget the time they got lucky by fielding 3rd party owned players? Saved them from relegation and they got away with it!!!

    I can't believe the comments by David Sullivan regarding the coach either!

  • Comment posted by derek15sheds, at 10:56 10 May 2016

    wow there's some bitter people on here, not Westham's fault that they can negotiate a good deal, point your anger towards the people who accepted it.

  • Comment posted by bazinga, at 14:40 10 May 2016

    I cried when we left filbert street look at us now and we didn't pay for our new stadium either

  • Comment posted by User0606334206, at 15:15 10 May 2016

    72. Posted by wolf359
    West Ham have just sold 52,000 season tickets and had to extended the capacity by 6000, with another 6000 possible. Moving makes West Ham a big enough club, or to you every club has to keep in their place? Unlike Arsenal fans who complain when in 3rd place, West Ham have no expectancy, if we're relegated, we're relegated. We're only in the stadium about 25 days a year!

  • Comment posted by blues legend, at 15:22 10 May 2016

    Millwall should move to Madagascar

  • Comment posted by User0743573758, at 13:17 10 May 2016

    "emirates is for selfies"

    And wannabes

  • Comment posted by inoffapost, at 15:46 10 May 2016

    Wow...lot of hate on here. WH not responsible for the coverage so leave us out of that. As for the stadium, did Eric Clapton have to buy the Royal Albert Hall when he did 20 nights there? We are just a tenant. Spurs and Arsenal can do what they like with their own stadia (NFL/Concerts) and keep all the income. Any fault lies with LDDC and the UK Olympic Association and the 'legacy' deal they did.

  • Comment posted by dougie, at 12:12 10 May 2016

    West Ham are going to lose so much more than just a ground with this move. Part of their soul will go too as they fill up another corporate bowl.

    I've followed Watford round about 60 grounds and Upton Park and Ninian Park rank as the 2 best grounds for atmosphere and footballing experience.

    Most of the new grounds have zero atmosphere and only the colour of the seats tells you where you are.

  • Comment posted by U16529875, at 13:55 10 May 2016

    End of an era for the Hammers, Upton Park was always a great ground to go to. Plenty of side streets too, us Spurs lot had some great punch ups around there.

    Can't see the Olympic Stadium having the same atmosphere, both Upton Park and Highbury were great grounds because you almost sat on the pitch.

    It's a shame really, but I guess that is just modern football. Good luck to the Hammers...

  • Comment posted by Chris1566, at 14:43 10 May 2016

    #65 Yeah all those bankers from the north of England were to blame for the economic crisis right?

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