Thanks again do all the answers to my previous questions. It just so happens we 'll be in the London area both weekend during our 16 days in England, Paris and Cardiff and I'd like to see a couple of games. I'll catch a game in the Championship on August 9th and hopefully the West Ham-Spurs match on the 16th. Anyone who posts here have any experience at the Boleyn Ground home of the Hammers? I've been to hundreds of sporting events in the US but this is my first Prem game. I'm looking for answers specifically for West Ham and their fans. I'm a Spurs fan but know enough not to cheer for them unless I'm in the away end. Thanks in advance
Posted by
Peterborough, ON, Canada
1546 posts
We did not have a great experience there, but that was way back in 2000 so hopefully it's improved.
Basically the crowd was so rough that we left shortly after halftime because we didn't want to be in the Tube with them all at the end. We witnessed racist shouting at the players (their OWN goalie, in fact). Also the dad in front of us shared his cigs with his kids, who must have been about eight and ten, if that!
We have attended two games at Anfield (2000 & 2013) and had very positive experiences there.
As I said that was a long time ago so it should have improved. There's certainly been a huge anti-racism campaign in the meantime.
Posted by
London, United Kingdom
135 posts
Hello!
I'm an occasional West Ham fan, and live only two Underground stops from the Boleyn. You will certainly get an authentic experience if you can get tickets for the Spurs - WHU game you mention! I envy you - I'm away then. It's the first game of the new season, which will generate a full house anyway but, as you will probably already know, Spurs are seen as Hammers' main Premiership rivals and it's always a highly-charged encounter. Not only that, but WHU beat Spurs three times last season, so the Spuds will be out for revenge....It is the second last season that West Ham will be at the Boleyn, as in two seasons' time they will move to the reconfigured Olympic Stadium in Stratford, a mile or two away, so your visit will be historic.
The net result of all this is that a) tickets will be hard to obtain; b) the ground will be full; and c) there will be a lot of noise and energy. The ground is in a multi-ethnic working class area of East London, so the surroundings are, shall we say 'tired' ;-) The ground itself is clean and tidy, with generally good sight lines (check seating out on the West Ham website). If sitting in a West Ham area do NOT cheer for Spurs!!! It is a compact ground though, with fans close to the pitch, so it can feel on occasion a bit like taking part in a gladiatorial contest. It is only half the capacity of the biggest Prem stadia. I'd also advise you to have a (soft) drink /snack before you enter the stadium, unless you want to brave the rush at half-time and are prepared to pay higher prices.
You should also expect lots of singing and chanting, much of which is likely to be a) ironic and b) not genteel! Recently there has been a controversy in the UK media (and police interest, from a racism perspective) about whether it is still 'OK' for fans of Tottenham to be referred to as 'Yids' - a historical allusion to the area of north London that White Hart Lane is close to, which has many Jewish inhabitants. This debate rumbles on. Generally though, racist/sexist chanting is much lessened, if not completely eradicated.
Lastly, and especially if the match has not gone in West Ham's favour, exiting the stadium five minutes before the match ends will pay you dividends if you want to avoid the crush and any possible negativity.