Olympic Stadium Discussion and Questions

[Doyley72]

So first game of the new season at home and what changes have they made to make the "experience" better?

A few kids with big West Ham Badge flags around the pitch before kick off....!?

Its a start, but they have to produce more...make the ground more intimidating...i like what Gladbach do and have green lights to make the ground look like the clubs colours...have Claret lighting, changing to blue...maybe have flags on every seat....(the kids love it)....display cards, like they do on Bobby's anniversary, with different messages per game....do anything to whip up the crowd and make people want to arrive on time..

The bars are a disgrace...over priced (£5.15 for a pint of Amstel!!??), not enough screens or entertainment...why bother, stay in the pub and dont go to the ground early, unless they are going to do something to tempt people in and if so, advertise it...tell the fans they have something lined up...

Ideas above are just off me head and not all what i would put forward but surely they should be asking more from the fans like having a feedback channel on the main website and a poll on ideas to vote for?

[rhysvol1995]

Relocated from 215 to 153 this season so Saturday was my first game in the BML... much better experience all round - heineken bar/party deck is great, less queueing for a beer, better atmosphere. Just a shame about the result

[sutts07]

Have to say, the experience (game, performance and result aside) was a lot better than expected.

A lot of the same faces around us in 112 and those who like to stand have all migrated to one area, allowing those who like to sit the freedom to do so. Bar stayed open for a decent amount of time after and in general a common sense approach was taken by stewards.

- Still no PA system or TV on the concourse to make fans aware that the game is starting.
- Still horrendously busy and almost impossible to get a half time beer in (made worse by someone smoking next to the bar causing it to shut).

One thing that really stood out was the absolute contrast that now exists between some our own fans these days. Putting aside who was right and wrong, to see our own fans going at each other and asking stewards to throw each other out is nothing short of a disgrace.

[sutts07]

I never bother usually with the catering in the stadium but at half time yesterday decided to have a beer .I waited 5 mins and then someone decided to just close the bar . That was that, metal shutter down tough **** to the queue.. What a shambles

If you were in 112 - 113 area, this was due to someone smoking at the front of the queue. It triggered an alarm apparently and the shutters automatically come down.

How on earth they were not able to override the alarm and re-open the bar within minutes is beyond me, but likewise, we don't help ourselves at times.

Also baffles me that we can't just have 100's of pints standing there waiting to go at half time. Other areas of the ground have this but the area between the dug out and the away fans just feels like a completely forgotten part of the ground.

[bobd_uk]

Also baffles me that we can't just have 100's of pints standing there waiting to go at half time. Other areas of the ground have this but the area between the dug out and the away fans just feels like a completely forgotten part of the ground.

Probably worried about wastage/complaints about warm beer!

[Johnny Byrne's Boots]

They'd rather pour 100 pints and sell them than pour 200 and sell 190.

[DDHammer]

Beer price has gone up 20p in the Great Briton lounge, now £5.10 for a 400ml bottle of Heineken

Looks like they've stopped sticking the free beers out at half time as well, just the soft drinks until you ask the students behind the bar for one.

[@TFSH_WHUFC]

Moved from 133 to 139 to be a bit further back, found it difficult to see the touch line from row 11 in 133 so moved to row 24, much better but still not great.

Notice that the large suspended "HURST" shirt is badly peeling paint........cheap option from the club again, cant even get metal painted correctly.........looks dreadful!!!

Absolutely despise the hell hole .........maybe my last season, bring back the Rio lower stinking bogs!!!

RIP WHUFC.

[sutts07]

They'd rather pour 100 pints and sell them than pour 200 and sell 190.

Ironically they only have time to sell 80 doing it this way.

[costa75]

It has been clear to me from the beginning that the people running the stadium are clueless. What is more worrying is that we are now in our third season there and they are getting worse, not better.

[Wembley1966]

Have all the beer vans and food kiosks disappeared? Only saw Rib Man on the way back to Hackney Wick. Didn’t see any other vendors outside.

They've all gone from the area by bridge 2 and the bell. They had to have a separate generator to service the kiosks which they decided was not worthwhile so got rid of them. They also couldn't charge the rent they do for the ones by bridge 1 which are accessible at half time.

[wizzo_66]

People with no experience trying to run a football stadium in a stadium that isn't fit for football....

What could possibly go wrong?

[the pink palermo]

Let's not forget Karren Brady willingly signed the deal, more concerned with getting a cheap price than ensuring the venue was fit for purpose.

The responsibility for this mess rests squarely with the Board of West Ham United.

[Ozza]

Let's not forget Karren Brady willingly signed the deal, more concerned with getting a cheap price than ensuring the venue was fit for purpose.

The responsibility for this mess rests squarely with the Board of West Ham United.

And that **** Coe

[the pink palermo]

And that **** Coe

No !

Let's not get side tracked in to why the initial stadium design was as it was.

The fact is we willingly signed a deal to rent an all purpose stadium on a shared basis with others for what is effectively a peppercorn rent.

We did so to facilitate the sale of our ground to pay down debt, thereby increasing the value of the shareholders investment.

Gold, Sullivan and Brady decided to move to the soulless bowl despite the Chairman of another PL club saying the place should be knocked down.

They knew it wasn't fit for purpose, but still they moved us there .

Gold
Sullivan
Brady .

They're the ones who should shoulder the blame, yet each of them still holds their position at the club.

[Ozza]

I can't Pinky, I hate the smug little Tory ****

[griff123]

Pick and mix sweet stall inside to entice the kiddies, priced at a jaw dropping £25 per kilo Witnessed one bloke drop a bag on the scales and getting charged a penny short of £27, he could of bought his son a shirt for that price.

A kilo of sweets?! that is a hell of a lot of sweets!!!
People say a lot of fans these days seem to be on the sniff, that would be nothing on the kids, if all the kids were eating a kilo of sweets every game...imagine the sugar rush! ha

[marshboy]

If you were in 112 - 113 area, this was due to someone smoking at the front of the queue. It triggered an alarm apparently and the shutters automatically come down.

How on earth they were not able to override the alarm and re-open the bar within minutes is beyond me, but likewise, we don't help ourselves at times.

Also baffles me that we can't just have 100's of pints standing there waiting to go at half time. Other areas of the ground have this but the area between the dug out and the away fans just feels like a completely forgotten part of the ground.[/quote]


yes sutts it was 112,it happened last season as well .Why o why do they pour a plastic bottle into a plastic glass

[Johnny Byrne's Boots]

When a smoke alarm goes off there's a set procedure to follow. Just because there's someone smoking nearby doesn't mean that's the cause, or even only cause.

[Samba]

Let's not forget Karren Brady willingly signed the deal, more concerned with getting a cheap price than ensuring the venue was fit for purpose.
The responsibility for this mess rests squarely with the Board of West Ham United.

Note to self:
Never buy a car from Karren Brady; it might be cheap & it might look great but it won't have an engine & you won't have any way of ever putting an engine in.
Still, it'll be nice to look at.
And it was cheap.