Guest post by Nigel Kahn
On Sunday I was treated to an early birthday present of a official guided tour around the Boleyn Ground. I must admit when I saw the cost (£35) my first thought was “HOW MUCH?”. It seemed a bit pricey for a quick shifty round the stand with a cup of tea, but I was pleasantly surprised, no actually I was really happy at the end after nearly five hours of time that passed quite quickly.
The tour starts with a meet and greet by the two West Ham legend hosts and generally it is usually Phil Parkes and Alan Taylor. In fact Taylor was taking the register and checking tickets as you walked into the room where the press conferences are held. I was paired with Alan Taylor and with around forty other fans as we made our way around the West stand looking in some of the nooks and crannies that we ordinary fans never get to see. The walk round the lounges was informative though did border on a sales pitch as Alan gave the different prices for every lounge we visited. Some were out of bounds though, in one lounge was a christening and in another there was a church which meet every Sunday, except match-day , so the Boleyn ground is actually a church now.
Trundling through the West stand we entered different boxes and the Chairman’s Lounge with its five round tables. Gold, Sullivan and Brady get a table each for their guests while visiting directors get another table and the final table is reserved for Icelandic friends who retain a 10% shareholding. I was told Tony Fernandes was less than complimentary about the welcome he received in the directors box when we played QPR, but that is likely to be a case of sour grapes of the so called life long West Ham fan.
Then on into the Greenwood and Lyall Lounge in the Bobby Moore stand to experience the view of the ground from a different perspective as corporate guests see the game. A slightly strange view with the curvature of the Bobby Moore stand roof but I am sure it doesn’t bother them as long as they are well fed and watered.
The ground is quite splendid when empty and it takes on a splendor. I think it is the quietness when standing by the edge of the pitch when no sound is to be heard. One room that was missed out, I don’t know why, was where they keep all the trophies. That cupboard must have been hidden somewhere. Part of the tour package is photos with your legend’s guide, one snap by the pitch and another snap in the dugout plus the chance to walk around the tunnel area together with both dressing rooms, which differ in facilities and size.
The day is ended with both groups back in the press room for a Hammers general knowledge quiz (with a prize) and then a Q&A session with the two former Hammers hosts. Both are great and enlightening regarding not only their own careers but the way they see football now days. Both mixed well with the crowd but Taylor’s friendliness shone out for me. He really made the day. Perhaps it’s the fact that he worked in his newsagent shop for many years dealing with the public has made him seem so down to earth. I did help him out with one question on his career by a fan, I reminded him that he played in European Cup Winners Cup final in Brussels.
I have deliberately not revealed many of the interesting things learned on the tour as the reason for this review is to encourage as many of you as possible to take the tour for yourselves. With less than two years remaining till the bulldozers move in and they don’t run that many tours currently I am confident every one that takes the tour will be glad they did so. At the end the cost was neglible to the good time that was had. I will give two things away, Karren Brady only will have white flowers, and after every home game the players must eat Pizza which is delivered at 4:30pm to main reception while the game is going on.
Lastly the Hammers Quiz, no googling the answers as I believe they change them every tour here are some of them as best as I can remember them.
1) Which player was booked the most in 2009/10?
2) Who scored the 1st hat trick of the 2005/06 season for West Ham United?
3) Which player was ever present in 2007
4) Which club was Liam Brady signed from?
5) Who scored the goal v Liverpool in the league cup final at Wembley?
6) Tony Cottee won only one trophy, with which club?
7) What year did Billy Bonds become manager?