Britain’s beloved football stadium, used for more than 100 years, will be demolished (Image: Getty)
A popular British football stadium that has been in use for more than 100 years has been demolished and replaced with hundreds of apartments. The Boleyn Ground, also known as Upton Park, was the home of West Ham United from 1904 to 2016, before the club moved to the London Stadium in Stratford.
The ground opened on 1 September 1904, with West Ham defeating Millwall Athletic 3-0 in front of around 10,000 supporters. It was built on land previously used as a potato and cabbage field. Although many fans referred to it as Upton Park, the official name of the stadium was the Boleyn Ground.
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The Boleyn Ground was the home of West Ham United from 1904 to 2016 (Image: Getty)
The ground opened on September 1, 1904, when West Ham defeated Millwall Athletic 3-0. (Image: Getty)
The name comes from the nearby Green Street House. The house was often known locally as Boleyn Castle due to its association with Anne Boleyn.
Over the years, the stadium has been expanded and modernized. At the time of closure, the capacity was 35,016 people.
However, before becoming an all-seating stadium, the ground regularly hosted larger crowds.
The attendance record was set on 17 October 1970, when 42,322 fans attended a 2-2 draw between West Ham and Tottenham Hotspur.
Demolition work began in 2016 and continued until 2017. (Image: Getty)
The final match in the Bouling Round was held on May 10, 2016. (Image: Getty)
But by the 2010s, there was little room for further expansion. The stadium was surrounded by houses and roads, making it difficult for the club to increase its capacity.
After the 2012 London Olympics, West Ham signed a 99-year lease to relocate to the former Olympic Stadium.
The last match at the Boleyn Ground was played on May 10, 2016. In the final match at the stadium, West Ham defeated Manchester United 3–2, with Winston Reid scoring the winning goal.
After football ended, the stadium was briefly used during the filming of the action movie The Final Score, starring Pierce Brosnan and Dave Bautista.
This site is now home to the Upton Gardens development. (Image: Getty)
The development includes 842 apartments and homes (Image: Getty)
Demolition work then began in late 2016 and continued until 2017. The site has been redeveloped by Galliard Group and Barratt London.
It is currently home to Upton Gardens, a development containing 842 apartments and homes. The project includes a central green space located on the site of a former soccer field.
There is also a memorial garden dedicated to former West Ham captain Bobby Moore.
Some items from the stadium were saved, including the John Lyall Gate, which was moved to the London Stadium.
