West Ham say 'emotional' farewell to Boleyn Ground as final game raises £75,000 for charity

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Vaishali Bhardwaj28 September 2016

West Ham have labelled the beginning of demolition work at their former Boleyn Ground home as "emotional", but insist the Hammers' rich history in Upton Park will be felt "for years to come".

Developer Barratt London will today begin the process of knocking down Upton Park, West Ham's home for 112 years until May, which is expected to take a number of months to complete.

The London developer will then build 842 homes, including 211 affordable houses, shops, a library and new cycle routes on the site and also commemorate West Ham's time in the area with a new statue of Hammers legend Bobby Moore.

The centre circle of the Boleyn Ground pitch will also be preserved in a landscaped courtyard while the half-way line will be illuminated through the use of in-laid lighting.

Former West Ham midfielder Jack Collison praised Upton Park as being a "special place" as he acknowledged on Twitter the beginning of demolition work on Wednesday, a view that has also been echoed by the club.

"Wednesday is the start of an emotional process for the hundreds of thousands of West Ham United supporters who have such fond and special memories of the Boleyn Ground over the last 112 years," a West Ham spokesperson told Standard Sport.

"From Geoff Hurst's six goals against Sunderland to Paolo Di Canio's wonder volley, Trevor Brooking's Cup Winner's Cup masterclass to Winston Reid's epic finale winner, these memories will live with our supporters forever.

"Now the legacy of our famous old home will be felt throughout the area for years to come, with Barratt London committed to delivering a project that honours the site's rich heritage.

"Rather than sell the land to the highest bidder, the West Ham United Board elected to sell to the bidder who offered the best legacy for West Ham United, the Boleyn Ground and, most importantly, our community.

"The developers have now promised to deliver a hat-trick of improvements to the area - jobs, homes and legacy."

Farewell: The Boleyn Ground hosted its last football match
Barratt London

Barratt London, who completed the purchase of the Boleyn Ground from Galliard Homes in August, hosted the final-ever football match at the stadium on Tuesday afternoon to raise money for charity.

The tournament featured 24 five-a-side teams made up of employees from companies involved in the re-development of the site, and raised about £75,000 for Children of Heroes, MacMillan Cancer Support and The Silver Line charities.

Speaking about the re-development of West Ham's former home into residential houses, finance director at Barratt London, Tom Olsen, said: "The entire team involved in redeveloping Upton Park recognises the heritage embedded here and we are keen to mark the start of its new era with an event that will benefit a variety of charitable causes."

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