Former West Ham United manager Harry Redknapp has said that the Hammer supporters need to forget about Upton Park.
The transition to the London Stadium has not been a universally positive one, there have certainly been some teething issues, but Redknapp says it’s time to move on from the Boleyn ground.
“They can’t do anything about Upton Park now, Upton Park is gone. It was a great stadium – they had the chicken run, it was a great place to play,” he told the Daily Express.
“But they need to move on. They’ve got a great new stadium now, they’re filling it every week which shows you the support they’ve got. That’s their home now [so] they’ve just got to get used to it.”
OPINION
Redknapp is pretty spot on, here. Upton Park was a phenomenal ground, the atmosphere was incredible and the supporters really made it intimidating for the opposition. They were close to the pitch and they could affect the action, which is one of the problems the fans have with the London Stadium because of the athletics track. There are problems with the club’c current ground, there’s no doubt about that, but it’s where they are now so there’s no point pining for the Boleyn Ground. The facilities at the London Stadium are far better than at their old ground and it’s aesthetically very impressive. They still pack it every week so it’s clear that their issues haven’t actually affected their support of the team. They still covet the Upton Park atmosphere, though, and that’s what they need to move on from. There’s no point wasting energy on something they can’t change so it’s best to get used to the new place and make the best of it.
