So the last few weeks West Ham fans have been very vocal over how they feel about the move to the Olympic Stadium some good and some not so good!
Personally I feel the move for West Ham to the Olympic Stadium is a fantastic move for the club and a move that is right to help the club move forward and not only that but to also help us in a financial way to.
With the capacity of the Boleyn Ground being 35,016, the Olympic Stadium nearly doubles that at 60,000, matching the Emirates Stadium. During our last full season in the Premier League (2010 – 2011) West Ham earned £81 million which made us the ninth highest earning club in the Premier League, only £7 million behind Manchester City. £18 million of this revenue came from match days at The Boleyn.
As previously stated the Olympic Stadium has the same capacity as the Emirates, and Arsenal earn £95 million match day revenue. I am not saying we will match the revenue of the Emirates but we should come close to what Spurs earn at White Hart Lane which is £43 million which mean a hell of a lot more money generated by the club from the Stadium tickets alone. This would surely mean easier and more readily available match day tickets and more special offers for families so that all can come and enjoy a West Ham match day together. The stadium would not only compare well to Premier League top flight clubs but also those in other parts of Europe, meaning it would be a key venue for competitions.
Generating more income would mean more money available to put back into the club which would mean a bigger, stronger club that could compete well in the transfer market. What bigger draw can there be for any player than to play at a fantastic stadium and for a club that is not stuck in the past and wanting to move forward? Also the potential for sponsorship deals and external revenue that comes with a higher profile team is huge.
Reducing the costs by moving from the Boleyn to a rented stadium would not only provide more cash flow for transfers, but could attract other potential investors which Gold and Sullivan have openly stated they are seeking. This happened at Manchester City and although I would not want to be seen to be buying the league as they have, it would add security that West Ham has longed for and pave the way to progress back to the glory days.
Many people discussing the move to the Olympic Stadium on social media sites are already voicing concerns about the change in atmosphere during matches without a match being played or a ball being kicked. Surely as fans we are responsible for creating the atmosphere and the Hammer spirit regardless of the ground. We should be singing as loudly and as proudly as possible whether we are at Upton Park, the Olympic Stadium or any other ground in the leagues. The criticisms being made are mainly regarding the distance of seating from the pitch. Plans have been made for retractable seating to combat this concern and the position of the seating was not an issue during the Olympic events when the crowd were deafening at times.
As a lifelong West Ham fan I do not wish to disregard our past, the memories or achievements that have happened at Upton Park or what we have produced, but it is important that we start to create a new legacy and future for the club. Progression is vital to ensure the security of the club rather than the yo-yoing and uncertainty of recent years. The two things that would complete this move for me would be to move the Boleyn Tavern and the statue of Wilson, Hurst, Peters and Moore to the Olympic Stadium to make it really feel like home as if taking your own furniture.
Real fans support the club not where they play!!
It won’t be the same as the Emirates. Stratford is being rebuilt to hold just under 50,000 with the capacity to add 10,000 at a later date if we need it.
Good read.
No one likes change but this is a massive opportunity for West Ham, we should be thankful that the stadium is just down the road as in reality we can do very little else with the Boleyn. Most clubs would jump at such an opportunity, spurs were even willing to relocate the club, they can see the potential! Not only can it potentially increase our revenue and standing in English football, it will stop us falling behind some ‘smaller clubs’ like Southampton who have the will and capacity to extend their ground far beyond our current capacity. If the Davids are good to their word that tickets will be cheaper and more affordable for the fans then there is no reason to think that we can’t drastically increase the fans we already get through the gates. We also have some of the best fans in the country, I’ve no concerns over the atmosphere, we will be able to replicate it in the new venue if it happens.
Spot on mate. The fans produce the atmosphere, not the stadium. If we can fill it, imagine 50/60k hammers fans right on top of the pitch, it’ll be one of the most intimidating grounds in the league. Onwards and upwards! COYI
I am looking forward to the move, I have a 6 year old son who loves West Ham and so for me to go to a game without him is not an option, however living in Essex getting him home at a reasonable hour is difficult in the extreme. I am not a fan who will leave before the end which I know I could do but to be honest why go if your going to miss the end. By the time the game finishes, you tussle with the crowd you walk to the tube, you wait for an hour to get on a tube you take 20 minutes to get to Stratford, 40 mins back to Chelmsford and a 15 mins drive it is a nightmare. Better rail links, more entrances to get onto the platforms will make life a lot easier for so many more families to go so we will have no problem in filling it week in and week out and if they do reduce the price whole families will attend together and bring back that family club feel that it had when I used to go with my dad years and years ago. Of course I will miss the Boleyn, I have been going there for over 30 years but as a club it is needed and not just for my selfish transport reasons. Players will want to play in a stadium like that, it will be the equivalent of playing at Wembley every week so we can attract the better players, the more fans the more money for transfers. I dont want to buy the league but this will give us a lot of options to improve as a club.
First of all the capacity will be around 47k not 60! If Gold’s promise of cheap affordable tickets is true then (around £20-25) then this negates the extra income from ticket sales. We will not have stadium naming rights!! so the loss of potentially 10-15 million..we will not have the franchise for food and drinks in the stadium, another loss of income plus we’ve have to pay 2-3 million rent for the stadium per year.. all this has more or less been confirmed by the LLDC…where is the benefit to the club??
Also planning permission was given to increase capacity of the Boleyn to just under 44k in 2007-2008, so why not go ahead with that??
Sorry,
above post was meant to say 2001-02
Until the plans are published, this debate has moved no further in 2+ years. These back of the fag packet number calculations are flawed to say the least. The OS capacity number is wrong – we are looking at below 50k on first conversion – leaving the capacity margins between OS and a Boleyn East Stand redevelopment much smaller. Upton Park’s redundant platforms can still be reopened to alleviate transport issues.
I am undecided until I see those plans. A decent conversion might make this athletics stadium workable (but not as good as the Boleyn). A sh1t job (which seems likely after all this sh1tdealing going on), a sold home and break from our history would do irreparable damage.
“Real fans support the club not where they play” – of course but that doesn’t mean we have to accept a potential sh!t sandwich without the facts.
I support West Ham but also believe that where we play is very important. Who would want to move to a soulless stadium where we are too far from the pitch and there is no atmosphere.
The beauty of the Boleyn is how compact and close to the action you are. We’ve all been to grounds that are much bigger, have bad sight lines and have no atmosphere.
The argument over income means nothing if you can’t fill the stadium week in week out. If the fans are not happy with the seating and atmosphere then they won’t come through the turnstiles.
If I’m paying £50+ for a day out then I want to make sure that I get the best value for my money, or I don’t go.
Once we move it is too late to go back if the fans don’t like the new stadium.
I tidally agree with Poole Hammer. it will have no atmosphere and will end up with no home. What happens id thing do not go right for the Stadium we do not have one. This is not about football this is about Green street being rejuvenated and Upton Park site will go for heeps of money, We do have plans passed to make Upton Park bigger so that argument is not validated. So when do we see the plans ? When it is to late to do anything about it. So we have retractable seats, DO WE GET A ROOF because everyone will get soaked. And complaints about seats at the Olympics I have heard many, infact l was coming home from London and met some people who had been to the Olympics and l was wearing my west ham jacket and they said Good Luck if you go to watch Football there you will be miles away.I and think many do support the club but to tell us we should be prepared to do that wherever we play is an insult. Hundreds of pounds over many years l have spent on 3 Season tickets and l am very annoyed to have someone tell me l should carry on doing this regardless,or made to feel guilty if l do not want to accept a New Stadium built for Athletics. Do not compare us with Man City they have a Billionaire backing them and the mere fact that they can spend money like it is going out of fashion, is why they get all the fans turn up as they do. I have been to City before this guy bought it and believe me it did not have as many as we had at Upton Park.
Are fans really cared about l do not think so. Football now is all about money we do not really matter .
“Real West Ham fans support the club not where they play”……And there ends any sensible debate on the subject.
Sorry Carl but until some real facts are released by the club your article is no more than wishful thinking
Carl, I totally agree with everything you say and I also share your optimism however I cannot support the closing line “Real West Ham fans support the club not where they play”.
Whilst I am in complete agreement with the article I think it important to respect the wishes and opinions of the fans who feel differently, I am certain the majority of fans will feel the OS move is right. I wouldn’t say the people who feel differently are any less “real fans” than those who support the OS move.