| WEST HAM UNITED |
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Boleyn Ground
The stadium is officially named “The Boleyn Ground”, in tribute to one of Keng Henry VIII’s wives, Anne Boleyn, due
to the nearby location of the Green Street House, which was occupied by Boleyn for a time. But most fans just call
this place “Upton Park”, which represents this gritty, hardscrabbled neighborhood in East London .
With a capacity of over 35,000 seats, the stadium is divided into four separate stands, all withy its own turnstiles
and separate access as well. The iconic castle like turrets along the face of the stadium’s Green Street façade are
the building’s signature.
Green Street is a gritty yet colorful accent to a West Ham game day here. As soon as one exits the tube station
(aptly named “Upton Park”), there is a tightly woven street replete with taverns, pubs, fast food operations offering
sushi, Vietnamese, pizza, burgers you name it. Street vendors are everywhere, hawking merchandise and the
smells of freshly girlled sausage and other sweet food smells hang over the street.
We tried an amazing sandwich consisting of a burger patty, thick slabs of bacon, cheese, a fried egg, and grilled
diced onions. Awesome. It all beats the meager concession offerings in the stadium, which take the term “ballpark
dreck” to a new height.
The stadium itself is very colorful, with wine red seats, adequately sized video boards in two of the end zone
corners, good sightlines, and roof overhangs to protect spectators from the elements. But the turnstiles entering
the building are very narrow, requiring husky fans to almost enter sideways, and the concourses are also incredibly
congested. Fans are not allowed to carry beer to their seats, so they are consumed in the concourses. Additionally,
sports betting is permitted, and a ticker runs along the end zone ribbon boards adjusting in game odds as the
game progresses.
Visiting fans are segregated from the rest of the crowds via their own dedicated entrance and section, with a
massive police and security presence here to deter any trouble from occurring. As for in game entertainment, don’t
count on cute video clips, t-shirt toss, or even for that matter the singing of God Save the Queen. A game night
sports experience is about as simple and pure as you can get. We soaked it all in, plus a 3-1 West Ham win over
Stoke City in a non-league Carling Cup matchup, with both go ahead goals happening in extra time.
to the nearby location of the Green Street House, which was occupied by Boleyn for a time. But most fans just call
this place “Upton Park”, which represents this gritty, hardscrabbled neighborhood in East London .
With a capacity of over 35,000 seats, the stadium is divided into four separate stands, all withy its own turnstiles
and separate access as well. The iconic castle like turrets along the face of the stadium’s Green Street façade are
the building’s signature.
Green Street is a gritty yet colorful accent to a West Ham game day here. As soon as one exits the tube station
(aptly named “Upton Park”), there is a tightly woven street replete with taverns, pubs, fast food operations offering
sushi, Vietnamese, pizza, burgers you name it. Street vendors are everywhere, hawking merchandise and the
smells of freshly girlled sausage and other sweet food smells hang over the street.
We tried an amazing sandwich consisting of a burger patty, thick slabs of bacon, cheese, a fried egg, and grilled
diced onions. Awesome. It all beats the meager concession offerings in the stadium, which take the term “ballpark
dreck” to a new height.
The stadium itself is very colorful, with wine red seats, adequately sized video boards in two of the end zone
corners, good sightlines, and roof overhangs to protect spectators from the elements. But the turnstiles entering
the building are very narrow, requiring husky fans to almost enter sideways, and the concourses are also incredibly
congested. Fans are not allowed to carry beer to their seats, so they are consumed in the concourses. Additionally,
sports betting is permitted, and a ticker runs along the end zone ribbon boards adjusting in game odds as the
game progresses.
Visiting fans are segregated from the rest of the crowds via their own dedicated entrance and section, with a
massive police and security presence here to deter any trouble from occurring. As for in game entertainment, don’t
count on cute video clips, t-shirt toss, or even for that matter the singing of God Save the Queen. A game night
sports experience is about as simple and pure as you can get. We soaked it all in, plus a 3-1 West Ham win over
Stoke City in a non-league Carling Cup matchup, with both go ahead goals happening in extra time.
