The other ground West Ham used to play at…
As West Ham prepare to move to a new ground it's worth remembering we have another old ground apart from the Boleyn. Earlier this year I visited the Memorial Recreation Grounds near West Ham tube, which is where West Ham played before moving to the Boleyn in 1904. In the centre of the park there’s a sculpture by Theresa Smith commemorating
both Thames Ironworks FC and the HMS Albion disaster. Thirty seven spectators drowned when the Albion was launched from Thames Ironworks in 1898 and several viewing platforms collapsed. Smith’s sculpture
takes the form of 11 metal posts laid out in the shape of the hull of HMS
Albion, but also representing West Ham’s 11 players. Attached to each metal rib
is a ship worker’s hammer and it all works rather well.
4 comments:
I have great memories of this place.
1954 at Napier Road Scool which was on the opposite side of the outfall sewer to the ground. I lived in Corporation Street in an American nissan hut and remember walking past home on my way to play football at the ground with my boots tied together over my shoulder. In those days my dad made my studs from pieces of punched leather and a few nails to fix them to the boots which were basically ankle boots.
The stand was still in place and the pitch was covered in cinders, my right knee still has the scar from the cinders that went in after a cruching tackle on an opponent (honest).
Never to be forgotten
COYI
Some great memories, thanks for sharing. Seen the few pictures of West Ham playing there that exist and the crowd round what I think was the cycle track. Hope the Olympic Stadium does't have too many cinders!
Also have a brilliant memory of this place, I used to play for Eastleigh school when i was 12 years old, then moved to Cumberland school, when they both played each other at the memorials. Cumberland lost but i scored. Against all my friends and they called me a traitor.
Also have a brilliant memory of this place, I used to play for Eastleigh school when i was 12 years old, then moved to Cumberland school, when they both played each other at the memorials. Cumberland lost but i scored. Against all my friends and they called me a traitor.
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