This is already our third live appearance on Sky this season. And for the benefit of Mr. Murdoch our visit to West Ham United has been put back to Sunday, with the kick-off at 1.15.
By road it's a bit of a nightmare to get to Upton Park, as first you have to get there by coming into London on the M11 and then taking the congested north circular towards Barking. You will have fun trying to find somewhere to park. Your only option is street parking and many of the areas around Upton Park are residents only, with these restrictions enforced by the council's thirteen trucks. Even if you do manage to find somewhere to park legally you will still have to worry about the endemic level of local car crime.
The best area to head for to find a space is on the south side of the A124 Barking Road, the other side from the ground. All the roads surrounding Upton Park are guaranteed to be gridlocked after the game. Another option is to drive all the way round the M25 to junction 29, then take the A127 towards central London and turn left after a mile to head for Upminster tube station, which has a fair size car park and a direct service to Upton Park on the District Line. I'm told there is a good pub next to Upminster station, if you fancy a quick jar or several before catching the tube.
If you’re going by train, you can get the Hammersmith and City line from Kings Cross to Upton Park, but the queue at the tube station after the game can be horrendous. You might have to wait for up to 45 minutes, so you could be better off going for a couple of pints and letting the queues die down. The ground is less than half a mile from the tube station and you will find it by turning right along Green Street. Please note that West Ham tube station is nowhere near the ground.
There are several decent takeaways along Green Street, but if you happen to be desperate to try out some proper cockney jellied eels you need to pass the ground and head for 'Nathan's Pies and Mash Shop' on Barking Road. The official designated pub for away fans is the Central in Barking Road, but you could try the Millers Well (Wetherspoons), or the Denmark Arms, which are both close to East Ham Town Hall. You can reach these two establishments by getting the tube to East Ham, although it's about a twenty minute walk back to the stadium along Barking Road. Another option away from the immediate area is the 'Hamilton Hall' on Liverpool Street station, which is a fairly short tube ride from Upton Park. Apart from the Central, most of the other pubs near the stadium are for home fans only.
Wherever you go drinking you’ll need to be on your best behaviour, because the Met have issued the following message, and it looks like they’re feeling a little bit jumpy after the recent rioting on their patch. "During the West Ham vs Leeds game at the weekend, supporters will notice a strong police presence in and around the ground to ensure the safety of the fans and general public. Police will be taking a robust approach with anyone who causes anti-social behaviour or disorder during, before or after the game. Our main priority is the safety of the local community and supporters coming to enjoy a game of football. We ask for the co-operation of all fans to positively represent their football clubs and ensure it is an enjoyable day for all.” That’s you told!
The current capacity of the Boleyn ground is 35,333, and away supporters usually get 2,200 seats in a corner of the lower section of the Sir Trevor Brooking stand. But we may get the whole of the lower tier, which would be an allocation of 3,600. This stand opened when we were the visitors on the opening day of the 1995/6 season. The Leeds section has now sold out, and on the day West Ham will only be selling tickets to fans “with a booking history”. If you’re desperate you may be able to get a ticket from a tout, but the last time I had to resort to dealing with one of these gentlemen, it set me back £50 for a main stand ticket with a face value of £33.
This season tickets for the away end are £32 for adults, £19 for juniors and senior citizens, £16 disabled adults and £9.50 for disabled juniors and senior citizens. Getting food and drink inside can be difficult, as there aren't enough refreshment bars or people serving, so there tends to be a massive queue. When you do get served the food is quite disappointing, so it's probably best to get your scoff from one of the takeways before you go through the turnstiles. There will be no alcohol in the away section for this game.
West Ham should be on course to move to the Olympic stadium for the start of the 2013/4 season now that they’ve been chosen as the ‘preferred bidder’, but there are still a couple of legal challenges they will need to overcome. Some of their fans aren’t happy about the club moving to Stratford, and it could also have a devastating effect on the fortunes of Orient, whose ground is only a mile or so from the stadium. They s will retain the running track and the capacity will be 60,000, so it should be a lot easier for us to get tickets in the future. All of this will cost about £95m, which is quite a lot for a club already heavily in debt, so West Ham could be in a spot of financial bother if they don’t get back to the Premiership straight away.
Many thanks to West Ham fan Kenneth Russel for some of the information I've used in this piece.