Train £12 (Oyster cap)
Ticket £27
Chips £3
Tea £2-30
Programme £3-50
Total £47-80
After much planning, preparation and keying F5 to get a ticket, I finally managed to get to Upton Park. This joins a few grounds I've done in their final season, including Chesterfield, Morecambe and Worcester.
I decided to make a weekend of it, staying with a friend in nearby Hornchufch and visiting my Nan in Bromley in the morning. I arrived at the ground at about 2, and had some time to be a tourist, taking photos of the Boelyn Ground gates, the Bobby Moore statue, and the turnstiles on all sides. The stadium sits very much in the centre of a local community, with rows of terraced houses and classic London pubs on street corners. This is the kind of thing which is lost when clubs move to new stadia, no matter how shiny and sparkly they may be.
Today I was in the East Stand, which consists of a single sweeping tier under a somewhat low roof. Inside, the stand felt similar to Anfield's Main Stand, with a slightly wider walkway. I was almost on the back row, and sat pretty much next to a girder holding the roof up. All other stands have 2 tiers, and I managed to get some half decent shots of the empty ground before kick off. My ticket was actually 'restricted view' but in reality I had a good view of the pitch, which seemed to stretch a long way from left to right.
So to the football! West Ham came into this one having had a decent few months, and starting to play the attractive football associated with 'the West Ham way'. Their opponents Stoke have had a solid season so far, in what has proved to be a highly unpredictable league so far. West Ham had the best of the early exchanges, with Antonio looking a real handful in the attacking midfield. Stoke began to find a foothold in the game when Can Ginkel started to dictate some moves from the middle. They created the most notable chance of the first half when Afellay forged a half chance for Arnautavic, who couldn't convert. This was a rough-and-tumble game at times - Andy Carroll and Ryan Shawcross seemed to be having a running battle in the Potters' defence. West Ham's only real chance came when Mark Noble looked like he had been fouled, only for the penalty appeals to be waved away.
The match opened up considerably in the second half. Carroll's theatrical diving header went wide, and Arnautavic hit the cross bar with a free kick. The game see-sawed, with Cresswell having a shot saved, while an excellent move between Glen Johnson and Diouf was foiled by Adrian. Matching Stoke all the way, West Ham hit the post through Zarate with Enner Valencia unable to make anything of the rebound. In the closing stages, Diouf went clean through for the away side, only to be foiled by more excellent keeping from Adrian. West Ham then very nearly sneaked it when Valencia's effort was cleared off the line.
0-0 was probably a fair result. Like Liverpool vs Palace in November, this had been a good Premier League game. It had been a bit of a tourist trip I must admit, but I was glad to have seen a game here before the club move to the Olympic Stadium. I made it back to Hornchurch on the District Line, and kindly my friend picked me up at the station. As I waited in the cold and wet, I followed the Euro 2016 draw as it happened - Wales, Slovakia, Russia. I love this game!
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