Memorial Grounds

Memorial Grounds was the home stadium of east London football club Thames Ironworks from the beginning of the 1897-98 season, until the end of the 1899-1900 season. The team continued to play at the stadium, under its new name of West Ham United, until they moved to the Boleyn Ground in 1904. The Memorial Grounds stadium was situated at the east end of Memorial Avenue, Plaistow, close to where West Ham station now stands. The faint outline of the cycle track is visible on aerial photographs.

After being evicted from their previous permanent home at Hermit Road in October 1896, Thames' chairman Arnold Hills leased a temporary piece of land for the team at Browning Road, East Ham. However, the new situation was not ideal, so Hills earmarked a large section of land in Canning Town for a new stadium to be built upon. The new home cost £20,000 of Arnold Hills' own money to build.

The Memorial Grounds was opened on Jubilee Day, 22 June 1897, to coincide with the sixtieth anniversary of Queen Victoria's coronation. Aside from a football pitch, the stadium contained a cycle track, a cinder running track, tennis courts and one of the largest outdoor swimming pools in England. It was said at the time that the grounds, with a capacity of 100,000 spectators, were "good enough to stage an English Cup Final."

In November 1897 Arnold Hills secured an agreement with London, Tilbury and Southend Railway (LT&SR) to build a station at Manor Road. The LT&SR board approved this in February 1898 and Mowlem's was given the contract to build a four platform station, allowing for the proposed quadrupling of the line. The station was completed in May 1900 but did not open until 1 February 1901 as West Ham

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