England: West Ham sell Boleyn Ground to Galliard Property Group

The London real estate company Galliard Group has bought Boleyn Ground (35,000 seats), the stadium of West Ham United (Premier League), announced the club on 10/02/2014. The agreement will come into effect when the club moves into the Olympic stadium in London in 2016.

Gaillard Group will transform the grounds, often called Upton Park and named after the neighbourhood where it is located, into a building complex. A similar transformation occurred at Highbury Park, Arsenal's previous stadium, when the club moved to Emirates Stadium in 2006. Apartments, shops and leisure facilities will replace existing structures. The sale is estimated at €85.5m by various British media outlets.

The club justified choosing Galliard Group because it "honours the history of the club." The company plans to set up a consultation with fans of the club to rename future buildings after former players or famous events. The Galliard Group have negotiated with the family of Bobby Moore (108 international caps for England, 2 goals, captain of the English team, world champions in 1966, died on 24/02/1993 at age…