West Ham co-chairman David Gold warns fans not to spoil Boleyn farewell by invading pitch

David Gold has warned that West Ham's Upton Park farewell could be scrapped if fans invade the pitch.

The Hammers have arranged a lavish closing ceremony to mark their final game at the Boleyn Ground against Manchester United on Tuesday night, live on Sky Sports, before their move to the Olympic Stadium next season.

Around 450 former players have been invited to the match, although the club have kept their precise plans for the occasion a secret.

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And joint-chairman Gold is urging supporters not to ruin their big night by running onto the pitch after the final whistle.

"It's very important. You want this all to go smoothly," he said. "It can only get delayed, or dare I say it possibly even cancelled, if there's a pitch invasion.

"I urge fans to keep an eye, particularly on the youngsters, to make sure they don't invade the pitch.

"This is a momentous moment in the history of the football club. It's important to the football club that we say farewell.

"We're going to have arguably the whole football world watching this event, so don't spoil it chaps. It's so important."