West Ham crest is back at Upton Park as fans rescue, recover the lost emblem
Those entering the Bobby Moore Stand at Upton Park used to peer up at their marvellous emblem as they clanked through turnstiles 52 to 56. Now they can marvel at it again, after the old West Ham club crest was rescued, restored and returned to E13.
The 10ft by 8ft crest was feared lost after the demolition of Upton Park in 2016 until, by chance, it was discovered gathering dust in a storage unit in Greenhithe, Dartford, Kent in 2021. It cost £8,750 to prise from its owner, with the money raised by fans who wanted to keep it in the West Ham family amid interest from an overseas buyer.
It will now adorn the side of the old Supporters’ Club in Castle Street — currently occupied by UK Fitness Club and opposite where the Bobby Moore Stand once stood — after an additional cost of £164 for planning permission and £1,860 for installation.
Beneath the badge will be a plaque which reads: ‘The Boleyn Ground may be gone but this generation will never forget and future generations will always know that this was once the beloved home of West Ham United.’
An official unveiling is set for noon tomorrow before West Ham take on Sheffield United at their new home, the London Stadium. Supporters are being invited to come and indulge in some nostalgia if they can navigate their way there amid the train strike.
Tony Carr — West Ham’s former academy director who helped Rio Ferdinand, Joe Cole, Frank Lampard, Declan Rice and many more find their feet in football — will be among those present.
Supporters’ group Hammers United, who boast a 20,000 membership, led the fight to reclaim the crest, but their chair Paul Colborne stresses this was only achieved by the fanbase coming together as one. It took countless volunteers, not least Sean Burke, who
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