West Ham United will host a special celebratory event to mark their Final Game at the Boleyn Ground against Manchester United on 10 May
West Ham United are delighted to announce they will host a special celebratory event to mark their final game at the Boleyn Ground after next Tuesday's match against Manchester United.
The fixture will be the Hammers' final game at their home of 112 years and the Club have been working hard to make sure it will be an evening that will live long in the memory of fans the world over. The game and subsequent closing ceremony are set to be broadcast to a huge global audience as the interest in the Hammers' high-profile move to the former Olympic Stadium continues to capture the imagination of the sporting world.
Although the exact details of the celebrations are being kept secret until the night, the Club can confirm that, where contact details are available, every player to have made a first-team appearance for the Club has been invited to attend the game as a guest. Hammers of the Year will also be guests of honour as they and the 35,000 crowd bid farewell to the Boleyn Ground one last time.
As well as featuring legendary former players alongside the current squad and fans, the celebrations will also include spectacular lighting, music and big screen video to match the scale and emotion of the evening.
To ensure the event, which has a sizeable budget behind it, runs to plan, the Club are today reminding fans of the importance of staying in their seats come the final whistle.
Due to event planning and licencing laws for evening fixtures, the show can only take place if the pitch is clear straight after the final whistle, so if any supporters enter the field of play after the match, it will mean cancelling all or part of the celebrations.
Commenting on the final game plans, Joint-Chairmen David Sullivan and David Gold said: "This time on Tuesday, we will all be going through our usual pre-match routines as we prepare to visit the Boleyn Ground to support our team, West Ham United, there one last time.
"It will certainly be an incredibly emotional day from start to finish but I think if we were to have wished for a fitting fixture to bid goodbye to 112 years of history at the Boleyn, Manchester United under the lights would have been near the top of our list.
"We want it to be an evening that is ultimately about you, our loyal supporters, as it is you who have made the Boleyn Ground famous the world over.
"But to make it special we need your support. Any incursions on to the pitch will certainly mean cancelling the current squad’s richly-deserved lap of appreciation and denying some of our greatest ever players the chance to take the field for the final time.
"That would be a tragedy; for them and the Boleyn Ground.
"If we can present the post-match ceremonies as planned, we are sure you will walk away from Upton Park on Tuesday prouder than ever of the Club you support.
"We hope those of you attending have a truly special evening - together we will create memories that will live with us forever."