West Ham

[BUTTERBALL]

As intimidating as it could be, i loved a trip to The Boleyn over the years. A proper old football ground.

Anyone with half a brain cell could see the Olympic stadium was always going to be a soulless bowl. It's was built open at the back (although they've put an advertising strip around it) and it just doesn't contain sound very well or have that authentic football ground feel. It sits on windswept land with very little around it mid-way between Stratford and Greenwich. The old ground had proper East End shops (including pie, eels and mash), pubs and market stalls around it and a fantastic match-day vibe.

At least with somewhere like Manchester City's ground that was built for the 2002 Commonwealth Games ground it was actually constructed with football in mind. The Olympic stadium never was. It sits on windswept ground between Stratford and Greenwich and you won't ever be able to generate that same match-day atmosphere.

Spurs must be delighted they didn't win the bid, they are developing their ground on their doorstep (next door) and will reap the rewards for that when they move in.

I'm very surprised at West Ham's on-field decline though with the quality of player they have. Can't blame it all on the stadium.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

As intimidating as it could be, i loved a trip to The Boleyn over the years. A proper old football ground.

Anyone with half a brain cell could see the Olympic stadium was always going to be a soulless bowl. It's was built open at the back (although they've put an advertising strip around it) and it just doesn't contain sound very well or have that authentic football ground feel. It sits on windswept land with very little around it mid-way between Stratford and Greenwich. The old ground had proper East End shops and pubs (including pie, eels and mash) and a great match-day vibe.

At least with somewhere like Manchester City's ground that was built for the 2002 Commonwealth Games ground it was actually constructed with football in mind as they bought it off-plan. The Olympic stadium never was. It sits on windswept ground between Stratford and Greenwich and you won't ever be able to generate that same match-day atmosphere.

Spurs must be delighted they didn't win the bid, they are developing their ground on their doorstep (next door) and will reap the rewards for that when they move in.

I'm very surprised at West Ham's decline though with the quality of player they have. Can't blame it all on the stadium.

Can't say I know many West Ham fans, but the ones I do all wish they stayed at Upton Park.

 

[Steve in Japan]

Can't say I know many West Ham fans, but the ones I do all wish they stayed at Upton Park.

Thats what I would have thought but this suggests otherwise. Can't trust polls I know.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/22525290

 

[BUTTERBALL]

Thats what I would have thought but this suggests otherwise. Can't trust polls I know.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/22525290

Crikey! As the saying goes, be careful what you wish for.....

 

[joeinbrighton]

Dimitri Payet's pretty poor start to the season has been a significant factor too. Look at how their form nosedived last season when he was out injured. They are reliant on him as their talisman and so far this season he hasn't got going.

 

[el punal]

Why don't we feel sorry for Man City while we're at it?

Because they're top of the league with a 100% record?

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Thats what I would have thought but this suggests otherwise. Can't trust polls I know.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/22525290

I think the feeling is they have been missold the dream of the new stadium.

 

[Steve in Japan]

I think the feeling is they have been missold the dream of the new stadium.

I'm sure they feel that and I'm not close enough to WHU politics to know the details, but they must have realised an athletics stadium may not be best suited for football.

 

[Raleigh Chopper]

Don't forget they only just beat Accrington in minute 96.
Karren Brady won't accept any responsibility though, a useless and very lucky MD and now on The Apprentice with the make shit and stack em high merchant Alan Sugar, useless at Spurs. Both make my piss boil.

 

[El Turi]

On a related note, there's not many better defenders around than Virgil Van Dijk. To think we were a couple of hundred thousand pounds away from signing him.

 

[GT49er]

I'm sure they feel that and I'm not close enough to WHU politics to know the details, but they must have realised an athletics stadium may not be best suited for football.

................................. or they were jealous of Withdean?

 

[Blackadder]

This is a strange one.

I still have Burnley and Hull to come down. Nothing will change my mind on that.

But who to come down with them? Sunderland are still my favourites.. but don't discount Swansea... or WHU. Think Stoke and B'muff have enough about them.

 

[GT49er]

I don't have any sympathy for them. Stitched up the taxpayer and as for the cowardly icf, pathetic bunch. They now have to play in a fake stadium that's a huge white elephant.

I don't have any sympathy with the Squatters either (surely they need a new nickname now that they are in Stratford? - Hammers is hardly appropriate any more)

 

[vegster]

Golds and Sullivan will probably pull the trigger pretty soon at this rate, they won't want to have the best stadium in the Championship.... either that or Sunderland will give Moyes the Spanish first... mind you both could be out on Monday 3rd October if results go against them.

 

[fat old seagull]

Their performance today was turgid, absolutely crepe. No sense of urgency, couldn't put together 2-3 passes, and the defence hoofed the ball out of the penalty area incessantly. Very poor....perhaps it's justice.

 

[Simster]

they won't want to have the best stadium in the Championship.

I'm afraid only six clubs will leave this division at the end of the season, so this won't be happening regardless.

 

[Rogero]

They had piped crowd noises coming from the tannoy. What a joke.

 

[Albion Robster]

Just out of curiosity, has Upton Park now been pulled down?
Presumably the ground was sold for flats for Russians and Chinese to buy?!

 

[Buzzer]

I can see this all going horribly wrong for West Ham. Looks like Orient dodged a bullet with that cursed stadium.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

Just out of curiosity, has Upton Park now been pulled down?
Presumably the ground was sold for flats for Russians and Chinese to buy?!

Is it too late to return to a proper football ground?