Three West Ham United legends are to be permanently honoured at London Stadium when the second phase of Champions Place stones are installed in early October.
Alan Sealey, Frank Lampard Sr and Alan Devonshire have been confirmed as the latest former players to have their career and achievements recognised at our iconic home.
Their images will be placed alongside the thousands of specially-engraved supporters’ stones, inscribed with personalised messages at the north-east corner of London Stadium.
Over 1,000 Champions Place stones will be installed in the first phase alongside the three legends from Sunday 1 October, to be in place before the Hammers’ first home game after the international break against Brighton & Hove Albion.
A second phase will commence in March, meaning Champions League stones are again available to purchase, giving supporters the chance to take their place in history at the Hammers’ home at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
Champions Place provides a lasting tribute to all the players and fans, past and present, that have made West Ham the team we love.
Personalised stones are available to order from just £60 – giving you the chance to make your mark at our new home or purchase a unique Hammers Christmas gift.
Order now at championsplace.whufc.com
Alan Sealey will forever be remembered as the goalscoring hero of West Ham United’s greatest-ever victory – the 1965 European Cup Winners’ Cup final triumph against TSV Munich at Wembley.
The London-born right-winger joined the Hammers from local neighbours Leyton Orient in 1961 and went on to make 126 appearances for the club, scoring 28 goals over the course of six years under legendary manager Ron Greenwood.
Just weeks after his Wembley heroics, Sealey sustained a badly broken leg in a freak training ground accident. The injury severely curtailed his career and he made just a further five appearances for the Hammers before joining Plymouth Argyle in November 1967.
After finishing his playing days with non-league Romford and Bedford, Alan settled back in Essex, but tragically suffered a fatal heart attack at the age of just 53 in February 1996.
Frank Lampard Sr is second only to the great Billy Bonds in the list of all-time appearances for the club, having turned out 670 times in the claret and blue over the course of an 18-year career.
After progressing through the youth ranks, the East Ham-born defender made his debut in a 3-2 defeat against Manchester City at Upton Park on November 18, 1967 and went on to establish himself as one of the most consistent and reliable defenders in the club’s history.
Most comfortable at left-back – although he could also play on the right – Lampard is one of only three players, alongside Bonds and Sir Trevor Brooking – to win the FA Cup twice with West Ham, in 1975 and 1980, when he famously scored a memorable extra-time winner in the semi-final against Everton.
Capped twice by England, after leaving in 1985 Lampard later returned to the club as assistant manager to his brother-in-law Harry Redknapp from 1994 to 2001, during which time the Hammers reached the second-highest top flight finish in the club’s history and qualified for Europe in 1999.
Alan Devonshire remains one of the most popular and revered midfielders to have worn the claret and blue shirt. Signed from non-league Southall for just £5,000 in September 1976, the slightly-built former Crystal Palace trainee quickly established himself at the highest level.
A skillful, tricky wide player who could use both feet to equal effect and formed an almost telepathic midfield partnership with Trevor Brooking, Devonshire famously provided the cross that led to Brooking’s winning goal in the 1980 FA Cup final against Arsenal.
Capped eight times by England, a tally that would have been far greater had he not suffered a serious knee ligament injury during an FA Cup tie against Wigan in January 1984.
Despite the injury ruling him out for more than a year, Devonshire returned to play a key role in the record-breaking 1985-86 campaign and eventually finished up making 448 appearances for the Hammers, scoring 32 goals, before moving to Watford in May 1990.