WEST HAM UNITED FC at The LONDON STADIUM
It was only a matter of time before I would go to a WEST HAM UNITED football game. In fact, my first ever football match; booked as a family outing this December. I am from a tribe of Hammers supporters: a ‘true’ Londoner, born within a mile or so of the original Boleyn Ground, WEST HAM FC’s former home at Upton Park. Since 2016 they have been located at the LONDON STADIUM, constructed in nearby Stratford for the 2012 Olympics. But it’s not their spiritual home. That was demolished.
My cousin, upon hearing of our trip, requested I do an energy report. A little tricky in a stadium of 60,000 notorious supporters: wandering around with dowsing rods and a pendulum might not be my most enlightened move on match day :) But still, so much to observe energetically. It was fascinating. And really fun. I became a fan.
“Go…you might find yourself a boyfriend,” one of my friends said helpfully :). Indeed, there were a lot of men. And not what I expected. Growing up and visiting my aunt in East Ham as a child, I vividly remember the throngs of men marching through the narrow roads to the old grounds on match day. My dad used to take my brothers, but not me. For an energetically sensitive young girl (not that I knew I was sensitive then), it felt omnipresent and dangerous: a flood of male energy feeding the beating heart of the area. ‘The Hammers’ and ‘The Irons’ are nicknames for the club, both related to the original name which was ‘Thames Ironworks FC’, founded on the club’s Thames-side industrial past. I’m sure women went to the matches also, but it all felt very ‘male’. My experience of the LONDON STADIUM, by contrast, didn’t. At best ‘energetically neutral’ - which is testimony to the inclusiveness of a stadium built for all genders, abilities and nations to attend. But something, in the name of progress, has been lost. West Ham United has become, dare I say it, gentrified.
Our match was between WEST HAM and WOLVERHAMPTON. We won 3-0, our spirits elevated along with the crowd and the seating (there are no bad seats in the London Stadium, which creates a balance and sense of equality). The away fans (in one small corner) created the vocal impetus for responding waves of ‘I’m forever blowing bubbles’ and chanting, the energy flowing around the green pitch. I felt a cameraderie and kindness amongst the supporters: a common respect and inclusiveness of their own, aside from what was happening on the pitch. Energy circles within energy circles - at many levels. And unlike the stories of old (and somewhat disappointingly :)) no bad language or fights.
Observing the flows, I noticed the arena did not feel grounded - a bit floaty, which makes for a lightness though. It prompted questioning (I always like to find out the data after my observations) and I understand why: WEST HAM FC does not own the location or have exclusive use - in 2013 it secured a 99 year lease. Despite the agreement to reside there, and signage and memorabilia and parts of the old football club having been transferred, the grounds are not consecrated for their use. Like with us as individuals - and increasingly in the world - they cannot root themselves. Progress demands flexibility.
In the summer, UK Athletics move in. The lower seating is removed and the arena is returned to track and athletics ((UK Athletics have a 50 year lease). Commercial events - such as music concerts - are hosted out of season (with increased capacity to 80,000). The ‘venue’ is run as an enterprise. Like a well-kept hotel, this keeps the energy clean and the eye on the financial ball, to excuse the pun. But for the intention of the venue (and the energetic intention ‘held’ within its construction) the pitch isn’t the focus. Until match day.
Observing 60,000 people, of all ages and genders, observing the game was fascinating. Ninety minutes of presence and focus. Eyes focused to the players and a ball - watching it cut and flow through the air (which helps keep the energetics clear). We can find ourselves rarely looking-up, through the ether. There was something otherwordly about the experience in this great stadium: built as a legacy, with vision in mind. I could feel that for many it was a sacred experience - their church; their place in the world, even if they had been moved. And this humbled me. For one day, it was our family’s little church too - a way of remembering our dad; and for the younger members, of integrating their grandad and previous generations into today.
The ease of movement within and around the venue was impressive (and equally easier, I noticed, for fans to get up and leave their seats early - for a drink or the journey home). Located adjacent to the WESTFIELD shopping centre at Stratford and benefitting from numerous transport links, restaurant and cultural options (the new V&A museum opens in 2024), the stadium seats seemed to just fill themselves. No bottlenecks or queues, no bumping or jostling. And unlike the old club at Upton Park, everyone just seemed to disappear afterwards: absorbed into the purpose-built fabric of life. The match was done.
My take-home from WEST HAM United FC is: change has happened. We already live in the new world, energetically - and maybe the staunchest of characters are more flexible than we realise. A match in 2023 is worlds away from what it was just twenty or more years ago. And yet, energy must be preserved, too. Because from grass roots, dreams are built. A thread can continue, if it is nurtured and included - must be part of the discussions and contracts going forward (now that would be a fun consultancy job :)). Football may not be your life, but when it’s where you come from, it can make you see the whole of your life.
Love Delilah
Visited: 17.12.23
(see Instagram post for video of crowd singing '‘I’m forever blowing bubbles.’)