West Ham United are delighted to announce that the Centenary Stand at the Boleyn Ground is to be renamed the Sir Trevor Brooking Stand.
The Barking-born former England midfielder - who spent his entire career at West Ham from signing professional terms in 1965 until his retirement in 1984 - will be the guest of honour for the visit of SSC Napoli on Saturday 8 August, with the match to be played for the Bobby Moore Cup. Sir Trevor will take part in the pre-match presentations when the club will formally commemorate the re-naming of the Centenary Stand.
Speaking to whufc.com, the Football Association's director of football development said: "It is obviously a terrific honour which I am very grateful for because this is my club. It will be my club forever. The great thing was being able to spend my whole career with West Ham, having a stint as caretaker manager and as a director and then going to the FA.
"I still try and get to most of the home games. On my travels, if I am in a cab or something then everyone talks to me about West Ham because they know I am associated with the club. It is something I am only too pleased about whenever it happens. We have a very passionate and loyal support."
Sir Trevor, who scored five times in 47 games for England, will become the second Hammers great to have a stand named after him following the unveiling of the Bobby Moore Stand in 1993. The Centenary Stand, which replaced the old North Bank, originally got its name after being opened two years later, exactly 100 years after the formation of the club's forerunners Thames Ironworks.
It was felt the time was right to honour a man who had given so much to the club, not least in helping the team win the FA Cup in 1975 and 1980. The end of this season will mark 30 years since the latter success, when Sir Trevor stooped to head in the only goal of the Wembley final against Arsenal. Now 60, he also won the Hammer of the Year award an unprecedented five times and overall scored 102 goals in 635 appearances.
West Ham United CEO Scott Duxbury said the renaming of the stand was the perfect way to recognise the integral role Sir Trevor has at the club. He said: "We are determined to pay tribute to those that have helped make this club what it is today. A year ago, the No6 shirt was retired in honour of Bobby Moore and we were keen to do something memorable to mark Sir Trevor's achievements.
"I know how much he means to everyone connected with West Ham United and I look forward to us being able to show our appreciation when we play Napoli next month for the Bobby Moore Cup. He is not just one of our greatest ever players but also one of the country's best - and he continues to give so much back to the game in England."