Opinion

As I noted on Sunday in my ill-judged build-up article to the West Ham match, football is one of the hardest addictions to kick. We just can’t help ourselves.

My 19-hour day ended once I had filed a downbeat summary of events on the pitch after it ended West Ham 3 Newcastle 1.

True to form, when I woke yesterday I was already looking forward to visiting the “London Stadium” again next season. Revenge is best served cold.

Away from the thud-and-blunder of Newcastle United’s performance on the greensward, what will I remember of a first trip to this area of East London, which billions and billions of taxpayers’ money transformed from a post-industrial wasteland into the heart of the 2012 Olympics?

The stadium itself is built on an island, bordered by various waterways. Outside this exclusion zone is a mind-boggling array of pubs, microbreweries, cafes, restaurants (some are all four in one). Many are repurposed small warehouses and industrial units, dating from when London was the workshop of the British Empire.

Sundays are still a bit different, partly because alcohol cannot usually be served before midday unless as part of a meal. In a...