Blind Hammer looks at Plans for Essex County Cricket Club to use the Olympic Stadium.
One of the less commented on sporting connections is that which exists between West Ham United Football Club and Essex County Cricket Club. Up until now this connection has been relatively informal. As a supporter of both Essex and West Ham I have observed with pleasure the connections which have existed over the years.
Both West Ham and Essex share much of the same Hinterland. In his book Sporting Heroes of Essex and East London Phil Stevens focusses on the careers of Graham Gooch and Bobby Moore. Both were East London lads, growing up to dominate their sports on a World stage. It is reasonably well known that Graham Gooch is a massive West Ham fan, but what is less well known is Bobby Moore’s affection for Essex County Cricket Club. Bobby Moore was a talented cricketer and played for the Essex County Cricket Club youth team. Alongside Moore in the Essex Cricket setup was an even more talented cricketer, Geoff Hurst.
Sir Geoff Hurst only, in the end, played one first-class cricket match for Essex,] against Lancashire in 1962. However, he featured 23 times for the Essex Second XI between 1962 and 1964. You do not get to play even for the second side of a County Cricket team without being seriously good. Hurst was a talented wicketkeeper but clearly had history to make at West Ham as a footballer.
I remember as a lad growing up seeing the reports of West Ham players mingling with their cricketing counterparts in their respective preseason training regimes and I must confess it gave me a sense of warmth at seeing how well the clubs obviously got on then. As the West Ham Squad has become more globally sourced over the years and less focussed on East End talent the connections between the sporting clubs seems to have weakened.
Now, according to the BBC, it seems that the connections between Essex and West Ham are to be strengthened anew. I had read with interest a comment from David Gold earlier in the year that West Ham would lodge no objection if Essex County Cricket club was to use the Olympic Stadium. I also noted Essex had claimed that they retained excellent working relationships with West Ham.
BBC Essex is now reporting that Essex’s chief executive Derek Bowden wants to use the Olympic Stadium to host T20 games in 2018. The plan is to play two or three home T20 games in a two-week period. Boden also added;
“There may also be an England women’s or even men’s game or some invitational games as well as recreational cricket. The idea that Newham Borough Council have, in particular, is that it’s a festival of cricket from the grassroots up. The next stage for us is for the groundstaff to review the practicalities of a drop in square in a semi-artificial pitch which we know can be done.”
Boden does have some words of caution.
“We need to work through the cost of doing that and put together a business plan with Newham and Vinci, the other part-owners of the Olympic Stadium. It will come down to money as these things always do but with a stadium that can hold 62,500 people, the prospect of having local competitive T20 derbies, England and maybe even overseas friendly competitions is very attractive commercially, I think.”
It is interesting that Boden is already anticipating and expanded OS capacity of 62,500 which is presumably based on the West Ham plans for 66,000 less the capacity provided in retractable seating.
Now I would never suggest that a West Ham supporter has to be necessarily an Essex Cricket supporter like me. Yet there is an undeniable joint interest that both clubs have in reinforcing their ownership of their hinterland. For too long Essex have been absent from the East End. They no longer play at the Leytonstone Ground, and the festival at Valentines Park in Ilford ended years ago. BBC London no longer even covers Essex Cricket. From a cricket perspective Essex need to reclaim the East End, where historically some of their greatest players came from.
From West Ham’s perspective the size and opportunities of the OS should allow us to once again be the dominant club in our area. Areas of Essex, like Chelmsford, Southend and Colchester will be only a short train journey away from Stratford. I have a sister who has become a turn coat Arsenal supporter because of her Husband’s attraction to attending the Emirates. Even they now have pause for thought with the realisation that they are now only a half hour train journey away from being on the doorstep of the Olympic Stadium.
For me personally it will be a great scheme to be able to go to the OS and see some of the best cricket as well as the best football in the world.
COYI
David Griffith