Guest Post by Paul Cramer
I have been supporting West Ham since the late 60’s, although I was too young to realise, my dad later told me that in the first game he took me, Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters all played. I’m really proud to have known that.
My greatest ever Boleyn memory was the 75/76 European Cup Winner Cup semi-final 2nd leg match against Eintracht Frankfurt. I have never in all my 46 years as a Hammer heard Bubbles sang so loud and with so much passion. Even the stewards were singing. I get goose bumps even now thinking of that night.
Trevor Brooking’s winning goal on a rain soaked muddy pitch under the lights, when he switched the ball from his left to his right and calmly slid the ball into the bottom corner is my favourite Boleyn goal moment of all time.
It was that night that it all clicked for me and the connection with the club and the stadium was made that would last a lifetime.
I know a lot of people are going to find it hard and will miss the old ground, I will too however if we stay we are basically saying we are happy accept more of the same and let’s be honest very little success. To those who say we have now got a great squad and the future is looking bright, I would say that without the Olympic Stadium next season we would lose Payet, Kouyate, Lanzini and probably Cresswell and probably a couple of them to Spurs.
That’s what people have to remember when saying we should stay.
I have enjoyed reading through lots of fantastic stories and memories, best thing about them is they are safely stored in the memory bank forever. I think it’s best to plan what you want to do for the last game in advance.. maybe a photo here and there, a goodbye visit to Ken’s café or the chip shop outside the station.
I plan to sit in my seat for a good while after the game and think of as many moments as I can, all the mates who were part of the experience and all the various positions we stood or sat. No doubt I will get choked up but it needs to be done for my own personal farewell.
The clicking of the turnstile as I enter the ground for the last time will have so much more meaning. I’ll look around at all the usual season ticket holders in and around me that have become my second family over the years. I haven’t talked to them all but they are always there and a reliable presence. I’ll even miss the woman behind me that moans at everything, even if we are 3-0 up. I won’t miss the 3 year old who constantly kicks the back of my seat though!
Final thought …. I wonder if the person responsible for switching off the floodlights for the last time will understand the enormity of that moment.