Life at London Stadium hasn’t been plain sailing since we moved there in 2016.
A couple of years of battling against relegation and a couple of mid-table obscurity immediately after moving in led to anger and frustration amongst the fanbase.
It wasn’t what we left our spiritual home for and it certainly wasn’t what we were promised.
But things changed when David Moyes came back for his second spell. The Scot led us to two top seven finishes in the Premier League, three consecutive years in Europa, a Europa League semi-final and, of course, major silverware for the first time since 1980.
During that four year period, London Stadium began to feel more like home. We won more games than we lost, had some memorable wins under the lights and fans generally enjoyed going again.
It was always going to take time for Stratford to feel like home. Fans weren’t going to have a connection with the place until memories were made there. Indeed, there are still many fans who are struggling to find a connection, even with those memories banked.
But it’s a slow process and one that will eventually be cemented. The new generation of fans coming through, those who never got to experience Upton Park, will be the ones who will have that more than most. It’s all they’ll ever know, so of course, London Stadium will no doubt be their spiritual home in the future.
It sounds almost impossible but it’s the reality of the situation.
Despite all that, fans still understandably yearn for the good ol’ days at Upton Park. That’s where most of their West Ham memories originate from.
It was a classic football ground and one which many opposing players and fans have said they dreaded visiting over the years. It was our home and sometimes it was intimidating to visitors.
It wasn’t always a cauldron of noise some people will have you believe, but it could whip up an atmosphere when the fans were up for it, especially under the lights.
But it’s all gone now. It’s now home to 842 flats, which sell for between £350-500k.
A recent comparison photo has been released that shows what it looks like from above now, next to an old birds eye view of the stadium as we all remember it.
Upton Gardens consisting 842 flats where one bedroom flats sell for around £350,000 and 3 bedroom flats sell for around £500,000
Rentals for 3 bed appartment between £2,600 and £2,700 per month pic.twitter.com/SZpoOVmHX8
— West Ham Football (@westhamfootball) February 9, 2025
It’s a truly heartbreaking image but might also provide some closure to fans who would love nothing more than to return to Upton Park and forget our time in Stratford never happened.
It’s also reminder that while we had over 100 years of fantastic times at our old home, our new home is primed for us to create new ones. We’ve already done that numerous times before, and who knows what the future has in store?
