Arthur Wedge
Well-known member
It means you are brilliantly efficient and take your chances
It’s just nonsense at the end of the day
It’s nearly as bad as the drivel Arteta keeps coming out with
It means you are brilliantly efficient and take your chances
It’s just nonsense at the end of the day
It’s nearly as bad as the drivel Arteta keeps coming out with
Don Barzini
Assistant Pro
@PJ87 can I ask you about your stadium?
Reason being is I was listening to a Forest podcast this morning and one of the guys on there went to the game yesterday. He jokingly referred to it as "The Taxpayer's Stadium".
What was the deal there? Far as I know you guys don't actually own it, but basically have full control of it, get to keep all ticket revenue etc and all for a minimal rental fee. Is that accurate....?
I mean it seems like a good deal, but from what I've heard your fans are less than thrilled with it. The Forest fan was saying it was nowhere near as good as Upton Park and the atmosphere was awful - to the point that you could hear Potter shouting instructions from where he was sat. You can argue that might be because of the performance at the time, but it's not the first time I've heard criticism of the stadium.
Never been myself and I never went to Upton either, but genuinely interested in Hammers fans views. Would you rather still be at Upton?
Reason being is I was listening to a Forest podcast this morning and one of the guys on there went to the game yesterday. He jokingly referred to it as "The Taxpayer's Stadium".
What was the deal there? Far as I know you guys don't actually own it, but basically have full control of it, get to keep all ticket revenue etc and all for a minimal rental fee. Is that accurate....?
I mean it seems like a good deal, but from what I've heard your fans are less than thrilled with it. The Forest fan was saying it was nowhere near as good as Upton Park and the atmosphere was awful - to the point that you could hear Potter shouting instructions from where he was sat. You can argue that might be because of the performance at the time, but it's not the first time I've heard criticism of the stadium.
Never been myself and I never went to Upton either, but genuinely interested in Hammers fans views. Would you rather still be at Upton?
@PJ87 will reply giving the fans perspective but the reason they have such a good deal is because the Olympic team made an absolute horlicks over it. It was going to become a white elephant after the games, with no tenant in it at all. It would hold a couple of athletics events each year, big whuppy doo. That would have cost the taxpayer major money. West Ham have got it on a great deal, it is a bad deal for the taxpayer but it could have been worse. If the atmosphere is rubbish, that is their punishment for getting a ground on the cheap
, and also it being one not actually designed for football.If you want a proper football stadium, visit the Harry Hill / David Dickenson Stadium next season
Tashyboy
Please don’t ask to see my tatts 👍
Jumping in on this, city are/ were in a very similar situation when we went to the council house aka COMS stadium now Etihad stadium. City for a decade or so earlier were looking to move. Manchester applied for the Olympics and were unsuccessful. If they got them. City were moving into the stadium. Which was to the West of Manchester. When that never happened City looked to increase capacity at Maine rd. I have a copy of the plans Missis T bought for me as a pressie. Around the same time Manchester got the Commonwealth games and City were asked to move in the COMS stadium. Now a lot of major athletics tournaments have proved very costly for the City’s that have hosted Olympics and Commonwealth games etc. with a massive stadium not being used afterwards. And Athens is a classic example amongst others. City moving into the stadium after the games was massive and so was the generation of the former eastlands also known as wastelands.
The Big difference between Citys ground and West Ham’s is that in the planning of the Etihad stadium. The day after the games.The running track was ripped up and another level was built into the stadium to make it more of a football stadium as against the stadium that West Ham have with the track still around it. There is more of a football atmosphere at City, only just on some games
. Since the original stadium was built at Manchester. It had been improved 3 times with the current extension being built.When City moved into the COMS. They moved in on a 250 year lease, City pay Manchester City council a % of gate fees based on what attendance City were getting at Maine rd. anything from Concerts etc goes straight to City. It is a deal that works for. City and Manchester City council.
Re would I sooner be back at Maine rd. not a cat in hells chance. It was nice and unique, but the stadium and the area was a dump. City were planing to change the stadium precisely because it was dated.
Re Forest. Am chuffed to bits that they now have the plot of land behind the Main stand which will allow them to stay where they are. Again it is a situation that is beneficial to both Forest and the Council.
Edit to say, am sure City gave Maine rd to the council as part of the deal. There is now a supermarket on the grounds I believe.
RichA
Well-known member
Obviously not a West Ham supporter but been there to watch football and rugby league games.
In terms of getting from outside to your seat and leaving at the end it was the most efficient I've ever experienced.
But as a spectator I felt you could really tell it was designed for athletics, not football. Just a bit too far from the pitch and the elevation of the stands seems quite shallow, which exaggerates the distance even further. Maybe you get used to it.
Bunkermagnet
Journeyman Pro
I was lucky enough to go to the Olympics there. As a stadium it was fantastic, and my feeling is it was a crying shame it was reduced down and given over to football, when it could have been the target for all young athletes to perform at the Olympic stadium.@PJ87 will reply giving the fans perspective but the reason they have such a good deal is because the Olympic team made an absolute horlicks over it. It was going to become a white elephant after the games, with no tenant in it at all. It would hold a couple of athletics events each year, big whuppy doo. That would have cost the taxpayer major money. West Ham have got it on a great deal, it is a bad deal for the taxpayer but it could have been worse. If the atmosphere is rubbish, that is their punishment for getting a ground on the cheap
If you want a proper football stadium, visit the Harry Hill / David Dickenson Stadium next season
Arthur Wedge
Well-known member
The deal West Ham have got is supposed to be very very good
They get all the benefits without any of the outlay
Imo it always seems like the fans are too far from the pitch because of the make up of the stadium and there were lots of moans and groans about the stadium from fans
Don’t think they can get rid of the track etc
Harry Hill@PJ87 will reply giving the fans perspective but the reason they have such a good deal is because the Olympic team made an absolute horlicks over it. It was going to become a white elephant after the games, with no tenant in it at all. It would hold a couple of athletics events each year, big whuppy doo. That would have cost the taxpayer major money. West Ham have got it on a great deal, it is a bad deal for the taxpayer but it could have been worse. If the atmosphere is rubbish, that is their punishment for getting a ground on the cheap
If you want a proper football stadium, visit the Harry Hill / David Dickenson Stadium next season
Arthur Wedge
Well-known member
The Olympics there and at other arenas were brilliant
It is a shame it’s wasn’t kept as just pure athletics but that wouldn’t be financially viable
Athletics doesn't generate the money to support it, not even close. It would have declined like so many other Olympic stadiums over the years if that had been its future. It had to be a football stadium after the Olympics, anything else really was not practical.
I've seen a mock up of the two of them in front of the club crest, posted on an Everton fans FB page. Someone was going to make the connection at some point, better to own it upfrontHarry Hill
Orikoru
Tour Winner
I'm out of the loop, what's the gag with Hill and Dickinson?I've seen a mock up of the two of them in front of the club crest, posted on an Everton fans FB page. Someone was going to make the connection at some point, better to own it upfront
Don Barzini
Assistant Pro
This one…?I've seen a mock up of the two of them in front of the club crest, posted on an Everton fans FB page. Someone was going to make the connection at some point, better to own it upfront
Attachments
Don Barzini
Assistant Pro
The new stadium has been renamed The Hill-Dickinson Stadium. After a law firm I believe.
I like Harry Hill.
And I like David Dickinson.
But which is better......?
Fade and Die
Medal Winner
The stadium is just one of the things that the match going fans hate the board for. TBH my seat is great, we are 17 from the front and have a great view, but we used to be towards the back and its like watching subbuteo, and the gaps behind the goal are ridiculous. Its noisy when it gets going because its a big ground but most of the time its poor. Not helped by the tripe on the pitch.
The deal Brady did with the government was great from a business point of view and there can be an argument that West Ham saved the stadium becoming a white elephant.
Its a converted Athletics' track and it shows. I would like it if we owned the stadium so major changes could be made but it seems unlikely the present owner would be interested in that (why would he when he can rent it for peanuts?) Maybe a new owner would be interested? there is a "rumour" of some Misogynistic American Billionaire coming in. Would make sense if we owned the stadium, reduced its footprint and capacity to about 54000, then sell off the spare land. That at least gives West Ham some assets, because at present all we have is a few decent players and are in the Premier league. If we go down next year we would lose both and then what would we be worth? Next to nothing.
I am reluctant to have an American owner though because once the Yanks are the majority of the Owners in the Prem you can wave goodbye to relegation and promotion. and we will be playing for the SoccerBowl!
Orikoru
Tour Winner
I have been to it for a couple of gigs and it was crap for them as well. So far away from the stage that the sound wasn't even in sync with the artist's movements. And if you're on the top tier and need to go get a drink or use the toilet, you have to walk down several flights of stairs to the ground floor for all that. Rubbish. Not to mention the convoluted march to and from the train station.
Swango1980
Well-known member
Tashyboy
Please don’t ask to see my tatts 👍
I can think of 115 reasons why it appeals to meThe idea of no relegation is starting to appeal to me much more
Aztecs27
Money List Winner
Wonder if Bournemouth have a big game coming up any time soon?? timing of this news seems very coincidental.
Fabrizio is an absolute toxic stain on football.
Arthur Wedge
Well-known member
It’s not really new news tbh we have been after him for a while now
Fade and Die
Medal Winner
The hike fronm the stadium to Stratford is a killer after a game. I go a different way after a particularly bad experience of queuing for 40 minutes in the pouring rain with my old dad and son.
