When you must say goodbye, do it in style

Saying goodbye to something that you love is not the easiest thing to do. But when you have to do it, you should do it in style, just like West Ham United did it.  West Ham United found an epic way to say goodbye to their stadium, a stadium that has been their home for 112 years.  It can’t often be seen that football fans agree on one thing, but it seems to me that on a certain Tuesday night, every football fan, even for a minute, became a Hammer.

How did West Ham United succeed? In my opinion, an excellent mix containing everything that the club had to offer resulted in one of the most beautiful nights of football.

Here are 4 things all clubs should learn from Farewell Boleyn:

1. Be yourself

West Ham United may not be the ”prom queen” of the football clubs, but it definitely has some ”charm” that makes it ”Moore” than an ordinary football club. 

Anthem that is totally out of the box, relaxed communication on social networks and cool activities such as the singing of an e-sports player are just a few of the things that makes this club so special. 

I believe that West Ham United won many hearts just by being a little bit different, and it’s definitely a great thing that this club stays true to itself.  And when we add to this great marketing communication and strategy, the result is a sold out new stadium for the upcoming season.

Some not so romantic souls will probably say that this euphoria was caused just by the great results of this season, but I think that is wrong. West Ham United is a club that simply converts good moments into emotional stories that make a strong bond between them and their fans.

2. Combine past and present to make a better future

When you have a chance to finish one big era, it’s always good to remember the best moments from the past. West Ham United did a great job by letting fans choose the best moments. History of a football club is something that makes fans proud of and it’s always good to ewoke great memories. Before the last match on Boleyn Ground, fans had a chance to choose their best player and a goal.

This is a good way to spark some old flames and show your fans how important their opinion is to you.

Giving fans a chance to buy a piece of the old stadium and souvenirs that are especially created for this ocassions is also a great way to make the great moments last as long as possible.

3. Make it big

One of the biggest football clubs and rivals as an opponent on your farewell from the old stadium – sounds like a dream scenario. Some would say that it’s enough to make a spectacle, but it’s clear that a historic moment like that should be spiced up with much more.

Fireworks and a light show made a spectacular intro.

Reunion of former players and remembering the best moments once again to remind your fans why they love this club so much.

A chance to celebrate this moment with heroes of the season made another special bond between players and supporters.

Claret and blue taxies are cool for themself, but they’re even cooler when they’re driving playes onto the pitch.

Celebrating the 100th birthday of Mabel Arnold who is the season ticket holder for 82 years was also a wonderful thing to see. This heart touching moment was also shared by David Beckham who called it his favorite Boleyn memory.

Punk band The Cockney Rejects also did a great job in heating up the athosphere by singing legendary anthem “I’m forever blowing bubbles”.

The icing on a cake was the final action. The biggest of all, Bobby Moore, turned off the lights at Boleyn for the last time and ended one era of the club.

All of these things made for a night to remember and for a story that will be retold for many many years in the future. It became a part of West Ham’s rich history, a history that makes fans proud, and it makes them fall in love with their club over and over again. And that’s what every club needs!

4. Share it

Every good story today has to be shared on social.  West Ham United succeeded again in sharing the best moments and making fans around the world feel like they are a part of this great night.

Live Facebook videos gave fans almost a first hand experience.

[fbvideo link=”https://www.facebook.com/westhamunitedofficial/videos/vb.129911763708715/1186846764681871/?type=2&theater” width=”500″ height=”400″ onlyvideo=”0″][fbvideo link=”https://www.facebook.com/westhamunitedofficial/videos/vb.129911763708715/1186921271341087/?type=2&theater” width=”500″ height=”400″ onlyvideo=”0″][fbvideo link=”https://www.facebook.com/westhamunitedofficial/videos/vb.129911763708715/1188677141165500/?type=2&theater” width=”500″ height=”400″ onlyvideo=”0″]

Sharing behind the scenes video brought even more amazing moments and emotions.

Twitter was an excellent place to feel the emotion from Boleyn Ground. Numerous retweets by fans and sponsors gave them a much bigger reach.

Instagram provided us with simple but emotional photos that just make you shiver.

West Ham also passed with flying colors on Shapchat by sharing moments that made you even more interested in this special evening. It got even better with unique Snapchat filter that was created especially for this occassion.

I also like the fact that all the stories from this event are located in one place on West Ham’s website and that #FarewellBoleyn was used throughout the entire season to prepare fans for the big event.

By doing all of the above, West Ham United absolutely conquered social media and set the bar real high.

Conclusion

The 10th of May, 2016 will definitely be remembered as one of the most beautiful days in football history. West Ham United combined the best of past and present, game and emotions, additional content and created something wonderful. Whatever happens in the future of this club, they will always have this memorable night.

I just can’t wait to see what West Ham will do for their first match at the new Olympic stadium when they will hostJuventus. I can’t guess what will be prepared, but I’m pretty sure that I’ll like it.

Photo source:

Flickr