[Football] Interesting Summary of the Olympic Stadium and what it’s done to West Ham

[Gwylan]

The fans started protesting a year or two back when the owners didn't spend on players. Then, when they did, they spent poorly - that's the key.

Yeah, but that is the point. That's why clubs can't guarantee European football - you can't guarantee all that expenditure will mean anything. El Pres posted something a few days back about the net spend of clubs over the years and Everton were fifth biggest spenders - how much European football have they had over the years?

From the dildo brothers' point of view, they've done what the fans wanted: they've spent a fair bit of money, they got a PL-winning manager in and fans still aren't happy.

Of course, it's easier to see it from the outside where it's clear what a balls-up WH have made of things but the fans must have been aware of this.

I'm grateful for Tony Bloom but if he said in the summer "I guarantee European football in a couple of seasons" I'd wonder what drugs he was on

 

[Wozza]

I'm grateful for Tony Bloom but if he said in the summer "I guarantee European football in a couple of seasons" I'd wonder what drugs he was on

Only because of where we are now. If we had finished 12th last season and Tony promised an extra £100m over the summer, we'd be dreaming.

 

[blue-shifted]

Yeah, but that is the point. That's why clubs can't guarantee European football - you can't guarantee all that expenditure will mean anything. El Pres posted something a few days back about the net spend of clubs over the years and Everton were fifth biggest spenders - how much European football have they had over the years?

From the dildo brothers' point of view, they've done what the fans wanted: they've spent a fair bit of money, they got a PL-winning manager in and fans still aren't happy.

Of course, it's easier to see it from the outside where it's clear what a balls-up WH have made of things but the fans must have been aware of this.

I'm grateful for Tony Bloom but if he said in the summer "I guarantee European football in a couple of seasons" I'd wonder what drugs he was on

I agree with you.

Any West Ham fan who voted on the basis of being promised European football is an idiot and it's difficult to have much sympathy for them.

Forget the survey which may or may not have been the greatest example of information gathering in the world, if West Ham fans wanted this stopped they could have done it. There was plenty of time. It's not like when Belotti sold the Goldstone. If they wanted to mobilise against this sale they could have done. Marches, demonstrations, involving local press and MP's . There might have been a bit of this, I don't know, but if it was on a big enough scale it would have worked.

But it didn't happen. Why? The great majority of their fan base were completely sucked in by the short term prospect of a few more positions up the league.

I actually think, the Dildo's have done their bit of this front. They've taken the money which they've got from selling their ground and being awarded a (next to) free stadium and spent it on the team. Their wage bill (though I don't have the figures to hand) must be top half. The problem, being is that they haven't spent well.

But this happens, fans must know it. Now they face an existential threat if they do go down

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/51277627

I feel sorry for their fans because they've lost so much, but I can't help thinking how much they've bought it on themselves

 

[blue-shifted]

Only because of where we are now. If we had finished 12th last season and Tony promised an extra £100m over the summer, we'd be dreaming.

Dreaming but realistic. £100m guarantees nothing. There are teams who've spent a lot more than that are failing

 

[blue-shifted]

100% I love all the brick and ironwork detailing in some rebuild baseball stadiums. Modern take on what gives each ground its unique character. Part of the ongoing destruction of the heart and soul of football in this country is the soulless bowls we now have, and taking blue and white glasses off, the Amex is just another ‘meh’ nothing experience if we’re honest. Nice views from your seat, but a four stand stadium with a modern take on our old, unique floodlights, one in each corner looming over the stadium, how fantastic would that have been?

Amex is better than your saying.

I think it's a genuinely beautiful building. The way the curved arches blend into the landscape still has me gazing at it with a mixture of pride and wonder .... mind you I still look at my Mrs like that and objectively speaking she's no oil painting

 

[sparkie]

FC London ( West Ham ) will always have a queue of tourists wanting tickets and a queue of international billionaires wanting to buy the club.

This seems like it was always the plan.


West Ham fans have had their club stolen from them. At some point there will be an AFC Hammers which will return to the roots and soul of the old club.

 

[Stat Brother]

I'm not entirely sure why this 'spent badly' myth has appeared.

I'll hazard a guess all 5 (five) mercy me)) of their strikers would walk into our starting 11.

We'd be waving our willy around town if Haller rocked up at the AMEX.
Who's taking Webster over their centre backs?
Rice v Stephens?

Sure they've held onto some unproductive aging stars, but we can hardly mock them for that.

They seem completely unable to pick a manager and are very palace in the way they paper over the cracks with first team money.

 

[papajaff]

Yet they never crop up when talking about financial doping.

Can someone please remind me of the deal they got.

You are deliberately mistaking GSB with the fans. This is the fans we are talking about here, the ones who wanted to stay at Upton Park.

 

[Stat Brother]

You are deliberately mistaking GSB with the fans. This is the fans we are talking about here, the ones who wanted to stay at Upton Park.

That's the very point many on here are making:-

'How many fans wanted to stay at Upton Park?'

What they wanted they got.
They wanted out because Upton Park was holding them back, it was stopping them taking their rightful place at the top table of Europe's elite.

What they were told they were getting wasn't even close to being delivered.

They were repeatedly lied to about the new stadium.

They've been lied to about the clubs future.
Although they have to take some responsibility for believing the messengers.

But they don't seem too put out on the rare occasions when things are going well.
Yet completely apoplectic when losing.


Here's a loosener referencing what the fans were promised v what they got:-
https://www.football.london/west-ham-united-fc/news/brady-west-ham-london-stadium-14418774

 

[Wozza]

A fun read...

Hammers a hot favourite for European football – West Ham 2019/20 Opposition Preview
https://www.thisisanfield.com/2019/...football-west-ham-2019-20-opposition-preview/

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

But they don't seem too put out on the rare occasions when things are going well.
Yet completely apoplectic when losing.

So you are suggesting that the original West Ham poster is apoplectic now and in your view would have been totally accepting of the ground when fifth in the division?

Because it seems a very measured, thoughtful, sad post to me. Where do you see the apoplexy ?

You are the one carried away by whatever point you are making - which unless I have missed something is something along the lines of - fans are far more accepting of a situation when they are winning and not so accepting when the are losing.

 

[papajaff]

That's the very point many on here are making:-

'How many fans wanted to stay at Upton Park?'

What they wanted they got. They wanted out because Upton Park was holding them back, it was stopping them taking their rightful place at the top table of Europe's elite.

What they were told they were getting wasn't even close to being delivered.

I am totally confused as to your point now. On one hand you say they got what they wanted and then post this very interesting, I may say, apology from Brady.

Which is not what they were promised or indeed wanted, hence the understandable apoplexy. I would say that the vast majority of Hammers fans would have preferred to stay at Upton Park. And yes this may be hindsight but the OS is a terrible place to play Football. We are agreed on that aren't we?

 

[highflyer]

gazing at it with a mixture of pride and wonder .... mind you I still look at my Mrs like that and objectively speaking she's no oil painting

If your Mrs reads NSC, I reckon she is going to have some very mixed feelings about that comment...

 

[Stat Brother]

I am totally confused as to your point now. On one hand you say they got what they wanted and then post this very interesting, I may say, apology from Brady.

Which is not what they were promised or indeed wanted, hence the understandable apoplexy. I would say that the vast majority of Hammers fans would have preferred to stay at Upton Park. And yes this may be hindsight but the OS is a terrible place to play Football. We are agreed on that aren't we?

Sorry yes I could have added just a couple of words to offset the confusion.

They got what they wanted - a shiny new 60k stadium

The stadium that was 'sold' to them, by the owners, bares no relation to what they were given.

In hindsight I doubt many Hammers fans would have tearfully, but happily, waved goodbye to Upton Park for the bigger and better thing of The Olympic Stadium, but that doesn't detract from the fact they did.


Yes there were protests, who can forget them surrounding and storming the Directors Box.

By Christ, if there's anyone left, the place will erupt if Lil Old Brighton turns them over.

But they are results dependent, suggesting as awful a place the OS is (I haven't been) it's lack of homeliness is used as the crux to beat the board when they've made yet another unfathomable managerial appointment.
[MENTION=21158]Weststander[/MENTION] seems to be doing a very good job of explaining what I mean, fingers crossed he can step in again.

 

[Weststander]

Sorry yes I could have added just a couple of words to offset the confusion.

They got what they wanted - a shiny new 60k stadium

The stadium that was 'sold' to them, by the owners, bares no relation to what they were given.

In hindsight I doubt many Hammers fans would have tearfully, but happily, waved goodbye to Upton Park for the bigger and better thing of The Olympic Stadium, but that doesn't detract from the fact they did.


Yes there were protests, who can forget them surrounding and storming the Directors Box.

By Christ, if there's anyone left, the place will erupt if Lil Old Brighton turns them over.

But they are results dependent, suggesting as awful a place the OS is (I haven't been) it's lack of homeliness is used as the crux to beat the board when they've made yet another unfathomable managerial appointment.
[MENTION=21158]Weststander[/MENTION] seems to be doing a very good job of explaining what I mean, fingers crossed he can step in again.

You're correct imho that most West ham fans attending the new stadium do bury the hatchet when they're winning home games, and threatening the top 6. That goodwill soon disappears when the playing side goes belly up.

This is not the first spell of concerted anger, it was only 18 months ago I think, where the Gold's or Sullivan's did a Bellotti and ran from the stadium. Also where the fan planted the corner fag in the middle of the pitch. Fighting against stewards too.

Then apart from those often new supporters, there's a huge groundswell of anti-Board opinion from their traditional fan base, who have been pretty consistent. The awful, athletics, stadium their main gripe. The Board had said that the proposed move would make them a club competing in Europe, challenging for the best players.

In fairness to those supporters, they didn't know that the sight lines, sight distances, low pitch of the lower deck and lack of atmosphere were going to materialise, until the first matches there. No doubt sold an incredible experience with flashy 3D graphics before the move.

I've watched KUMB forums a fair bit over recent seasons.

 

[blue-shifted]

I'm not entirely sure why this 'spent badly' myth has appeared.

I'll hazard a guess all 5 (five) mercy me)) of their strikers would walk into our starting 11.

We'd be waving our willy around town if Haller rocked up at the AMEX.
Who's taking Webster over their centre backs?
Rice v Stephens?

.

They are only just above the drop zone having spent massively on players and with a thumping great wage bill. I'd say that's where the "myth" comes from

 

[blue-shifted]

If your Mrs reads NSC, I reckon she is going to have some very mixed feelings about that comment...

It’s ok.

I tell her I post under the name stat brother

 

[A1X]

It's almost like the stadium built for the athletics events at the Olympic games is really good at being an athletics stadium for big showpiece events and actually really rubbish at being a football stadium.

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

I have enjoyed my trips to the Olympic stadium, both in 2012 and our two away games v West Ham.

However, this is my first time upstairs.

It has a lot of hipster, food and drink concessions around the walkways outside the stadium. On top of this Stratford and outside the Stafford Shopping centre has a great selection of bars and restaurants.

https://foodism.co.uk/guides/where-eat-and-drink-near-london-stadium/

You can walk up to the velodrome and see the Olympic rings, and walk around what was the Olympic park. I imagine you could still get a boat to the ground.

You could even do a pre or post slide https://arcelormittalorbit.com

In the ground the away end is very separated, but you still have all the knob head home fans next to you. When they play well it is loud, just they seem to struggle against us and seem to vent at the own board.

Afterwards they make you walk a long way out (east) from the stadium to avoid their knob heads, so do not think you will get away quickly to either of the stations.

 

[herecomesaregular]

It's almost like the stadium built for the athletics events at the Olympic games is really good at being an athletics stadium for big showpiece events and actually really rubbish at being a football stadium.

And who could have foreseen that?!!