Thursday 31 December 2015 07:06, UK
The Boleyn Ground has been the home of West Ham for 112 years, but in 2016 the club will embark on a new adventure at the Olympic Stadium.
The Hammers will move on but memories of one of English football's famous grounds will remain.
With the help of West Ham favourites from past and present, Sky Sports looks back on what the Boleyn Ground means to people, what makes it so special and some of the moments that both players and supporters will always remember...
What does it mean to people?
"When you get to West Ham, the one thing I felt is that as you open every door, the history of the place oozes out," says Dean Ashton, the club's top scorer in the 2007/08 season. "It's just incredible when you see the fans and what it means to them. It meant the same to me to be at West Ham.
"You feel the expectations from the history of the likes of Bobby Moore, Sir Geoff Hurst and Sir Trevor Brooking. You feel a sense of responsibility to live up to that. I enjoyed that. I wanted to be a part of that club."
Tony Cottee, who made more than 300 appearances for West Ham over two spells, feels that connection too. "It becomes part of your identity," says Cottee. "When it comes time for me to move out of this world I will have 'Bubbles' played. There are a lot of fans who'll associate with what I'm saying because it becomes part of your life."
What made the atmosphere unique?
There have been many phases of the ground's development but those who recall the famous 'chicken run' in the East Stand have fond memories of the phenomenal atmosphere there.
"It was the ultimate place," says Brooking, who made 647 appearances for West Ham between 1967 and 1984. "It was the stage. It was like in Rome where the gladiators came out. It was the perfect showcase for a bigger football match."
While the nuances of the crowd have changed over the years, the tightness of the ground has always had the effect of making players feel as though the crowd was on top of them. "The fans are always in the game there, you can sense that," says Ashton.
Current boss Slaven Bilic also played for West Ham for two seasons from 1996. "I remember us literally celebrating the goals with the fans because they were two metres away," says Bilic. "That makes it special. When you score a goal, a pass is made or they see some sort of pressure in the middle of the park, they are delighted."
What were the most magical moments?
For Brooking, the 1976 European Cup Winners' Cup semi-final against Eintracht Frankfurt was a night to remember as West Ham turned around a first-leg deficit to reach the final. "Right up until the last minute it was in doubt, because we always knew that the second goal would cost us," says Brooking. "The place, the bubbles, the importance of the evening, was one that I'll remember forever."
Cottee has plenty of fond memories but few could compete with his first - scoring on his debut against Tottenham on New Year's Day 1983. "I couldn't ever replicate that feeling of a 17-year-old, as a fan, scoring for your club against Tottenham," says Cottee. "It was just an incredible feeling."
In the 1985/86 season, Cottee was part of a side that enjoyed the club's best-ever league finish. "It was a typical West Ham season," he says. "A rollercoaster. You start the season thinking they're probably going to get relegated. As it turned out, we nearly won the league."
In his second spell, Cottee's West Ham played the role of party poopers, denying Manchester United the title on the final day of the 1994/95 season. "The main thing I remember is Ludek Miklosko and he was fantastic," he says. "He just made save after save after save. You kept thinking they were going to score in a minute."
Much like Cottee, for Bilic it's the games against Tottenham that often stand out. He believes a 4-3 win over Spurs in 1997 was particularly significant. "That was a great game to watch," he says, "and it was the turning point of the season because it made us stay up."
Even the disappointments against Tottenham could throw up unforgettable scenes. West Ham captain Mark Noble scored his first goal for the club in a 2007 defeat. "We lost 4-3 and it was quite famous that I was crying on the pitch, but the emotion of it was just too much," says Noble.
The skipper feels that it's those players capable of moments of "magic" who really strike a chord. So it proved with Paolo Di Canio and his final home game for the club in 2003. He scored a late winner against Chelsea, and Brooking, then the caretaker manager, recalls the emotions.
"There were tears, the shirt was thrown into the crowd," says Brooking. "The place was heaving. Those are the moments with West Ham, when it happens and it happens well for them, there's no better place to celebrate and be."
Looking forward as well as back…
As the club enters its final year in residence at the Boleyn Ground, it's understandable that the countdown will be tinged with sadness. However, the opportunities that come with a larger stadium will be welcomed too. It's the chance to make new memories. But only after a fond farewell…
"It's really important that we give it the right send off that it deserves after 112 years," says Cottee. "We can all cry our eyes out and then we can move and look forward to West Ham trying to get into that top mix of English clubs, which is where they want to be."
