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Hammers to sell Upton Park

London - West Ham United have announced on Monday they'd agreed to a deal with a local developer to sell their existing Upton Park ground in east London once they'd moved to the nearby Olympic Stadium in 2016.

Meanwhile the daughter of West Ham great Bobby Moore -- England's World Cup-winning captain in 1966 -- said the developers, the Galliard Group, were keen to provide a permanent memorial to her late father on the site of the Boleyn Ground -- the official name for Upton Park.

"We opted to reach an agreement with Galliard because they are a local London developer and employer with origins in east London," said Hammers vice-chairman Karren Brady.

"We know they are committed to working closely with the local community and Newham Council on proposals to transform the site into a residential and retail village, which will benefit the local community and east London's regional economy.

"The deal demonstrates that we have been true to our word by securing the regeneration of two areas of east London through our move to the Olympic Stadium in 2016.

"In addition, and most importantly for us, we can see that Galliard are passionate about working with West Ham United to engage their supporters to help deliver a fitting legacy that will honour the tradition of the famous ground."

She added: "We are confident that West Ham United fans will be excited about their vision and the way they plan to respect more than 100 years of West Ham history at Upton Park."

Statues of Moore, who died of cancer in 1993, already stand outside of Upton Park and Wembley, England's national stadium in north London.

But Roberta Moore said she was pleased with plans to further honour her father, widely regarded as one of football's greatest central defenders.

"I have always believed that there should be some form of permanent West Ham United presence at the Boleyn Ground site after the team leave and I'm really pleased that the centre point of the development is planned to be named in honour of my father," she said.

"Hopefully the new sculptures and buildings being proposed will also help ensure that a lasting legacy to the Club, my father and his team-mates is left at Upton Park."

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