In this week’s addition of our weekly throwback segment, we speak to Lee, 34, and a lifelong Hammer on his first experience of the famous Boleyn Ground.
“I don’t think you ever forget your first game at your team’s home ground. Mine was a fairly low key game being the 2nd round, 2nd leg of the League cup against Bradford City. For me though, maybe not to many, it was a very special game. It was 1991 and my uncle (a huge West Ham fan) took me and other members of our family. All of my family are West Ham fans and at the age of 9 the excitement started even before we got to the ground. The journey to Upton Park was like no other. My uncle drove through the streets of East London and the closer we got to the ground, the busier it got. Hordes of people with our trademark Claret and Blue shirts on weaved their way through the traffic. Even at that early stage I could feel the buzz and it was something that would stay with me for the rest of my life. We parked up and joined the Claret and Blue army, with me wearing my scarf proudly like so many others. I felt like part of the furniture. We walked along the Barking Road and turned left into Green Street, I was immediately hit with the intoxicating smell of hot dogs. There was loud chanting from a group of fans and someone letting off an air horn, which I’d only previously heard on Match of the Day. It seemed all so surreal. Suddenly we stopped walking and we were on the end of a queue. I asked my Uncle if this was the queue to get in but he proclaimed this was only just the queue to get our programmes, the crowds were so vast. I didn’t actually know what the word “programme” meant, but I could see all of these men walking away gazing down at tiny little booklets. My uncle paid the man at the little stool and placed one into my hand. This programme had the word “Hammer” spread across the top In Claret and Blue with a picture of West Ham captain Ian Bishop running with the ball and in close pursuit of him Nottingham Forrest’s Gary Parker. I was absolutely lapping up the whole match day experience and the programme; I still have to this day. The next queue we joined was to get into the West Stand Upper where we would be seated. I could hear the click of each turnstile as we inched closer, and I certainly wasn’t thinking of school the next day. It was now my turn to click the turnstile and I was in. After a few flights of stairs I found myself mesmerised by the pitch, which was an impossible shade of green illuminated by the floodlights which stood tall at each corner of the ground. We got to our seats but I couldn’t take my eyes off the hallowed turf of the Upton Park pitch. Suddenly a huge roar greeted the players as they emerged from the tunnel, Bubbles was playing and everyone was joining in. Another loud roar went up with the starting of the game; I was transfixed from start to finish. Even at that young age I felt the passion from the fans and was eagerly awaiting the goal that everyone was expecting. When it finally came it did not disappoint with 17,000 fans (including myself) jumping up with a load cheer. Mike Small got the opener and I was delighted when we notched 3 more times through Trevor Morley, Kevin Keen and George Parris, winning the game 4-0. Coming out of the ground I got one of those hot dogs and it was the taste of victory, all part of the experience of course what an amazing night that was. I have just recently flicked through that programme and was astonished to find that my ticket cost £12, 26 years later and I recently went to a League Cup game that cost me less and they say how football was less expensive in days gone by!”