West Ham United, in conjunction with Barratt London, hosted a ceremony at the Boleyn Ground Memorial Garden on Saturday to mark its temporary closure, as part of the next stage of the careful and respectful redevelopment of the site, ahead of a new memorial area opening in the future.
The event was attended by around 100 family members who heard readings from the West Ham United Chaplain Reverend Alan Bolding, and Ray Fuller, whose wife’s ashes are scattered at the site. Families also had time for quiet reflection and the opportunity to collect personal items.
Jake Heath, Supporter Services Manager at West Ham United said: “We are honoured to have been able to work so closely with the families to ensure that the new memorial area is something we can all be proud of. The Club is truly thankful for the families’ input and wishes, which sit at the heart of the new memorial area.
“It was lovely to see so many in attendance at the Memorial Garden ceremony, and the families have said it was a fitting tribute to their loved ones, at a place that will always be very special.
Ray Fuller said; “It was an honour for the Reverend to come and ask me to do a reading. My wife’s ashes have been here for nine years now. It’s a privilege to be here for her. I’ve been with the Club now for 30 years now and this is the only place I know that has something like this. This is a family, this isn’t just a club, West Ham is a family.”
Any remaining unclaimed items have now been carefully and respectfully collected by the Club, and will be stored on a temporary basis, while every effort is made to reunite family members with any items.
Any items that remain unclaimed after this process will be added to a memorial capsule, which will be buried at the site ahead of the area reopening.
The existing trees and soil will remain intact, and when reopened, the new planter will encompass the existing soil. As previously communicated, the proposed design of the new Memorial Garden area carefully and respectfully considered all feedback from family members. We have worked closely with Barratt London on the design principles and considerations that have led to this point.
The Memorial will include a line of text dedicated to all loved ones remembered at the site: “This area is dedicated to the memory of all the West Ham United supporters who are remembered at the Boleyn Ground, the Club’s home from 1904-2016.”
The names of those remembered will also be included on a series of angled engraved plaques, which will be more easily readable on the side of the corten steel planter.
The Memorial Garden area will become part of the public space when all landscaping is complete, providing a lasting, fitting tribute to loved ones remembered there. The Club and Barratt London will update on the final designs of the Memorial Garden area at the appropriate time ahead of the Garden reopening in 2022.
Stephen Thompson, Managing Director, Barratt East London, comments: “Upton Park has a long and significant history, and one of our primary goals throughout its redevelopment is to create a new community that sensitively reflects what came before.
“We appreciate the importance this location holds to the families of those who have been remembered in the memorial area. We are proud to be working so closely with West Ham to ensure the memorial area remains a fitting and lasting tribute to those who are remembered at the Boleyn Ground.”
The Club and Barratt London are dedicated to ensuring the process of closing the existing Garden is a transparent and open one.
We’ve gone to great lengths to contact those who may have relatives remembered at the Garden so that we can inform everyone of the process to create the new redeveloped memorial area, however if the Club has not managed to contact you, please do get in touch with us directly at [email protected] as we’d welcome the opportunity to discuss the plans with you.