Ilford South MP Mike Gapes is a West Ham United Season Ticket Holder and lifelong fan.
Born in Wanstead and raised in Hainault, Gapes attended his first Hammers match at Arsenal in 1963, before becoming a regular at the Boleyn Ground the following year.
Now 64, the Labour Co-operative politician who delivered newspapers to Geoff Hurst as a child believes West Ham’s move to London Stadium will bring widespread benefits to both the Club and the area as a whole.
Seven months on from the official opening of London Stadium, are you seeing tangible benefits of having a Premier League club based on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, just a short distance from your Ilford South constituency?
MG: “I certainly feel that there has already been a regeneration impact of West Ham moving into London Stadium. The new stadium will become an iconic global brand image and certainly make both West Ham as a club and east London as a region more widely known.
“The West Ham Foundation does very good work. I hope it can be expanded to do more in neighbouring boroughs including Redbridge. Many young people can be inspired by having these world-class facilities permanently nearby.”
Do you believe West Ham United as Anchor Tennant provides sustainability for the Olympic Park and is serving as a catalyst for the regeneration of the Stratford/East London area, as was initially promised back in 2012?
MG: “Absolutely. We are already seeing the benefits. The Olympic Park has transformed an area which used to be so run down with old disused buildings and factories.
“Now, there is this great Park and the facilities and this Stadium within it, while there is so much construction of housing and offices and regeneration around.
“And when Crossrail starts operating in two years’ time the Stadium and the area will have fast train links from Shenfield through to Paddington, Heathrow and Reading.
“Previous Olympic stadiums in places like Montreal and Athens often became derelict white elephants, but having West Ham as the long-term anchor tenant means that can't and won't happen.”
As a Labour MP, do you take pride that your Labour Government and Mayor of London secured London 2012 and the Games now have a very real long-term legacy in the shape of the Stadium and the Park?
“Having said that it would not have happened without the visionary decision to invest in the initial bid and it should be recalled that, when Tony Blair's Government decided to bid for the 2012 Olympics, the general view was negative or sceptical.
“We had a great bid team which won in Singapore in 2007 by emphasising that the UK and London were diverse and open to the world.
“Another key factor was the commitment to a wide sporting and regeneration legacy. The Olympic Stadium served its purpose well at the time but, to get a long-term legacy, there had to be regular sustained use.
“This magnificent London Stadium does that. There have already been international rugby union and rugby league matches and athletics events here and I hope it will not be too long before we see cricket matches played in Stratford. It is a long time since I saw Essex play at Leyton and Valentines Park in Ilford, so I would love to be able to see them at Stratford.”
As a Season Ticket Holder, how has your experience of being a West Ham United fan changed since the move?
MG: “It’s changed a lot. I used to meet my friends for a pint before matches in the White Hart in Green Street and, when that closed a few years ago, I went to the Supporters’ Club on Castle Street. Then, just before kick-off, we walked up to our seats behind the goal in the Bobby Moore Stand.
“Now, we meet in a small, nice pub in Stratford and I have to allow 30 minutes to make sure I get into the ground before kick-off. The walk across the park past The Orbit has fantastic views.
“Generally, it’s a good experience and after matches, rather than waiting ages on the Barking Road for a 147 bus to Ilford or walking 25 minutes up Green Street to Romford, Road I now take up to 40 minutes walking across the Park and around Westfield to get back to Stratford station because of the sheer size of the crowd!
“My seat is upstairs near the back of the West Stand in line with the penalty area and the view is very good. There were some initial teething problems with the Season Cards, but they have been sorted out.
“There were also some stewarding issues but I'm pleased the Club has dealt with those and got some experienced people in now.
“The facilities are excellent. There are far more places to eat and drink and lots of toilets. It used to be awful at half-time behind the old Bobby Moore Stand, but now you can easily get out and back to your seat.
“I'm also pleased with the disabled access and lifts, while I have a friend who tells me the Accessibility Shuttle Bus also works well.”
Have the transport links made it easier for fans to get to and from matches from your constituency?
MG: “Travelling from Ilford station, or Gants Hill, Redbridge or Newbury Park on the Central line is very quick and less stops than going to Upton Park station via Stratford, West Ham or Mile End.
“But there is a longer walk from Stratford station than from Upton Park so it's swings and roundabouts!”
As a fan, presumably seeing your team play in front of 57,000 fans in a world-class was something that you could have only dreamed of as a youngster?
“Of course I was there in May 2016 for that sell out emotional final Boleyn game against Manchester United, but seeing the huge crowds here and the young children coming with the family groups and a huge range and diversity of supporters, including many from other countries, is something different.
“I was fortunate to see our great teams of the 1960s. They were almost entirely local home-grown players, but now our stars come from all continents and so do our fans, and we have a 21st century stadium too!”
What has been your standout moment at London Stadium so far?
MG: “It has to be the world class Andy Carroll overhead kick goal of the season against Crystal Palace. I got a great view of the cross by Michail Antonio as it was at my end.”
Finally, where do you feel your Club can go in the future?
MG: “This year is one of consolidation, I think. I doubt we are strong enough to get higher than about eighth. But next year with a cohesive group I would hope we can do better and perhaps have a chance in one of the cups.
“In the long term, I’d like to see us in the Champions League regularly and I would hope to see the Hammers win the title in my lifetime!”