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FROM humble beginnings at Hermit Road to their present home at the London Stadium, West Ham have played in a variety of stadiums.
However, one destroyed venue with the Hammers’ name attached was ironically never played at by the club.
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The venue in question is the suitably named West Ham Stadium, which operated between 1928 and 1972 in Custom House, east London.
During this time, West Ham played a few miles away at the Boleyn Ground – where they stayed from 1904 until 2016.
The stadium – designed by Britain’s foremost football Archibald Leitch – played host to Thames Association FC and could fit 120,000 fans in, with 80,000 capable of occupying the bottom stand alone.
Instead though, the ground has the record for the lowest-ever attendance in English Football League history, when just 469 fans turned out to watch Thames play Luton in December 1930.
Due to being in a catchment area with West Ham, Charlton, Millwall and Leyton Orient, Thames struggled to attract crowds and only stayed in the Football League for two seasons between 1930 and 1932.
Football, however, was not the only sporting event hosted there, with greyhound racing, speedway, stock car racing and baseball all having events.
A track circumference of 562 yards – the largest in the UK – made it ideal for greyhound racing, with the ground hosting the classic Cesarewitch race until 1972.
Speedway and stock car racing attracted huge crowds as well, with one meeting between England and Australia bringing in 82,400 in 1933.
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However, in late 1971 it was announced by Newham Council that the ground would be sold for re-development, with its demolition coming in 1972 after being sold for £475,000.
There now are 200 houses which stand where the stadium once did, while many of the road names were taken from former speedway stars.
These are; Atkinson Road (Arthur Atkinson), Croombs Road (Tommy Croombs), Young Road (Jack Young), Wilkinson Road (Arthur ‘Bluey’ Wilkinson), Lawson Close (Aub Lawson) and Hoskins Close (Johnnie Hoskins).
Meanwhile, West Ham are entering their ninth season at their present home of the London Stadium, formerly known as the Olympic Stadium.
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