Barry Hearn - bit of a chump

[Simster]

I read this morning how he wants Orient to share the Olympic stadium with West Ham:

BBC Sport - Leyton Orient consider sharing Olympic Stadium with West Ham

So he's gone from wanting to take legal action over them moving in, to turning his club into West Ham Lite. As if the idea of Orient playing in a stadium that seats 60,000 isn't stupid enough in itself.

 

[bhafc99]

He can f*** off forever as far as I'm concerned, for his comments after THAT 4-4 game.

 

[Tricky Dicky]

I read this morning how he wants Orient to share the Olympic stadium with West Ham:

BBC Sport - Leyton Orient consider sharing Olympic Stadium with West Ham

So he's gone from wanting to take legal action over them moving in, to turning his club into West Ham Lite. As if the idea of Orient playing in a stadium that seats 60,000 isn't stupid enough in itself.

I guess he's only trying to protect his club.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

He's like the kid in the class who always needs attention.

 

[Storer 68]

makes sense to me - that means the stadium can be used every week. One of the legacy probs with these big stadia is what to do with them after the need has disappeared. IMHO actually bunging Tottenham, West Ham and orient into it would make snse (they all WANT to be in it)

 

[AMEXican Wave]

Even if they cover the running track with movable seats, surely the views from each end will be terrible anyway, unless they completely rebuild the structure?

 

[Badger]

IMHO actually bunging Tottenham, West Ham and orient into it would make snse (they all WANT to be in it)

How do you propose they organise the fixtures for that?

 

[albion534]

People like him annoy me due to the fact he feels they should be in the stadium as they are closest to it

Also, the fact he thinks it will convert some orient fans to support west ham doesn't show good faith in the fans

 

[beorhthelm]

How do you propose they organise the fixtures for that?

i was going to say that, but with the number of non-Saturady games these days its probably do-able. you could even have double headers, Orient at 3, Spurs at 6pm.

anyway, some sort of sharing makes sence, bonkers to have so many grounds so close. same applies to Chelsea/Fulham/QPR.

 

[Superphil]

How do you propose they organise the fixtures for that?

If they can't work it out, then they could speak to one of the countries elsewhere (Europe and beyond) where they already do it.

 

[Badger]

i was going to say that, but with the number of non-Saturady games these days its probably do-able. you could even have double headers, Orient at 3, Spurs at 6pm.

anyway, some sort of sharing makes sence, bonkers to have so many grounds so close. same applies to Chelsea/Fulham/QPR.

I'm all in favour of 2 teams sharing a ground but having 3 teams sharing is always going to result in someone losing out.

 

[Austrian Gull]

The longer we go without playing them, the more I develop a bit of a soft spot for Orient and their fans.

But the idea of Oreint playing at the Olympic Stadium is akin to George Reyolds thinking Darlington needed a 25,000 seater stadium.

 

[middletoenail]

i was going to say that, but with the number of non-Saturady games these days its probably do-able. you could even have double headers, Orient at 3, Spurs at 6pm.

anyway, some sort of sharing makes sence, bonkers to have so many grounds so close. same applies to Chelsea/Fulham/QPR.

Imagine what the pitch would be like during the winter with that many matches.

 

[Easy 10]

Why on earth would Orients 4,000 - 5,000 fans want to be couped up in one little corner of a 60,000 seater stadium, half a mile from the pitch ? What does Hearn think he'll get out of it ? Sure from his point of view he might have a big posh box to watch it from, but what a spectacle. An almost empty stadium where all you'll hear is the hollow echo of players voices, and the odd remote chant filtering away from some far-flung corner of the ground. Dismal.

I know Brisbane Road is hardly the most engaging of venues, but it does at least suit their requirements and has had some improvements over the years. West Ham at the Olympic Stadium would be bad enough, but at least they'd go SOME way towards filling it. Orient though ? Madness.

 

[Basil Fawlty]

I doubt the Legacy Commitee and the Orient fans would want this to happen. Anybody who gives Barry Hearn stick, should be shot. The guy has totally reformed Darts and Snooker, into massive Sports. The Professional Darts Corporation is huge and he is slowly doing this with World Snooker. The guy deserves a knighthood!

 

[Tooting Gull]

I think he's played a reasonably smart game on the Olympic stadium. He's had Premier League clubs hopping around, and there is a good chance that a worst-case exit scenario is a decent pay-off to Orient from West Ham to make it all go away.

And even if it proves inevitable, Hearn does have right on his side. No League One club a mile or two away would want a Premier League club relocating to a 60,000 capacity stadium which no way could they fill at full price, and would have to do all sorts of deals and freebies. It would massively hit Orient. Plus it's against FL rules, and maybe FA as well.

 

[brunswick]

i think hearn has played this well from the off - they will gain from it somehow.

if they did get the stadium - more away fans would come, more tourist tickets, etc etc - there is lots to gain from it.

 

[Storer 68]

I'm all in favour of 2 teams sharing a ground but having 3 teams sharing is always going to result in someone losing out.

They played 7 matches of Rugby League over a weekend at the Etihad recently. I'm sure a stadium now could easliy deal with three games of football over a weekend......

"All 14 teams from the Stobart Super League are pitching up on City’s home turf for the Magic Weekend, with three games on Saturday and four on Sunday."