I seem to remember one transfer window where they promised they were going to spend whatever it takes to bring in a top striker, then they offered a pitiful amount for Defoe from Sunderland (all the more pitiful given that Defoe was Sunderland's only goalscorer at the time), and a couple of other bids that by that time were the sort top championship sides were paying for their strikers no where near what a premier league side would expect to pay, and it felt like they didn't actually want to spend money, just wanted to say they tried. So it feels weird to see so many in this thread talk about how much they're spending.
The stadium move was always going to be an issue. They didn't need to move, they weren't homeless. So the fans were being forced out of their home. With us, the on-paper-awful Withdean stadium was a homecoming, so we embraced it and did what we could to make it a fortress. To West Ham, the on-paper-awful olympic stadium is an unnecessary change, and one they resent. I'm not entirely sure where the idea that you have to have crowds of 50,000 if you want to compete in the premier league comes from. You need massive financial backing. That premier winners get 50,000 is more an effect, rather than cause, of winning the premier league. It's (usually) the investment from rich owners/recent historical dominance that wins the title.
The stadium move was always going to be an issue. They didn't need to move, they weren't homeless. So the fans were being forced out of their home. With us, the on-paper-awful Withdean stadium was a homecoming, so we embraced it and did what we could to make it a fortress. To West Ham, the on-paper-awful olympic stadium is an unnecessary change, and one they resent. I'm not entirely sure where the idea that you have to have crowds of 50,000 if you want to compete in the premier league comes from. You need massive financial backing. That premier winners get 50,000 is more an effect, rather than cause, of winning the premier league. It's (usually) the investment from rich owners/recent historical dominance that wins the title.