BOLEYN GROUND? OFF WITH IT'S HEAD

Tonight is the final time that West Ham United plays an FA cup game at the Boleyn Ground or as I always knew it, Upton Park. The Hammers got their name from the original club formed in 1895 at the Thameside Ironworks, a team which played at Hermitage Road in East Ham.

In 1897 the club moved to Browning Road (named after the philanthropist Robert Browning), who did good work, especially for housing, in the industrial dockland of London.

By 1904 West Ham found their home at a rented piece of land known as the Cabbage Patch in Green Street, linked to a Roman Catholic administration. The main building looked a bit like a castle and so it was called Boleyn Castle by the locals who knew that the building had an historic association with Anne Boleyn.

The local tube stop of course is Upton Park which may be a more familiar name for the ground.

The stadium, which first hosted Millwall in a league game, was gradually developed and during the 2nd World War some bomb damage to a corner of the ground did not help its modernisation. Most recently new covered stands have been built to honour the club's greatest players including Bobby Moore and Trevor Brooking. The record attendance before the development of all seater stadia was 42,322 v Spurs in 1970 and the latest record capacity has been counted at 35,550, all seated v Manchester City in 2002.

On the corner of Green Street and Barking Road, is the Boleyn Pub which holds many memories for its local West Ham followers, so there is a campaign to "Save" the pub which could well go out of action once the regulars move away. There is also the the famed Cassettari's Cafe where Malcolm Allison and his players used to meet and discuss tactics?  It was very much part of Hammers' history but now it is a solicitor's office.

You will know that the plans to move to the Olympic Stadium in the Lee Valley has been granted and the move takes place this summer. The John Lyall gates have already been moved across and from summer 2016 West Ham United will hold a 99 year lease with around 50,000 seats. Much will change in West Ham.

The old stadium will be knocked down and developed by 2018 into....guess what? .........loads of housing, retail units and leisure facilities, with some affordable housing but at the moment no social housing, a contentious decision. And don't bank on a "strong" legacy being left behind around Upton Park. The 2012 Olympic Games did not fulfil all its post games promises, so don't expect the people of the Hammers' spiritual home to benefit from its modernisation. They will not be blowing bubbles.

At the moment, areas around Maine Road in Manchester are still waiting development, leaving little improvement to the lives of those who used to live and work in the shadow of the famous Manchester City stronghold.

Brian Williams, a Hammerholic, has written a book about the move called "Reach for the Sky" which you may like to read.

36 out of the 92 league clubs have had ground moves, something that always affects the people and places around the old ground. The move is also bound to bring changes to the new area. Another little test for you would be to name as many of those as possible. So who is next? Tottenham???!!! A small move and one that might have social and economic repercussions.