bubbles500 wrote:Have we actually had official confirmation about the reconfigure back to football .I think para games end the end of July so will give us about 6 weeks to September the 9th presume that will be enough ?
Para Athletics run 14th - 23rd July
World Champs run 4th - 13th August
bubbles500 wrote:Have we actually had official confirmation about the reconfigure back to football .I think para games end the end of July so will give us about 6 weeks to September the 9th presume that will be enough ?
Adding on to that - can anyone explain how the 'retractable' seats work? My understanding is that we store some scaffolding under the stands and all the seats are off-site to be put back together like a jigsaw, is that right? And what happened to the 'innovative retractable seating' - was this knocked on the head for costs? Sorry, some of this might be in the thread and I've just not followed it closely enough.
If the above is true, LLDC have really messed it up. I look at the Singapore National Stadium, with an actually innovative approach and a 48 hour turn around time, and I weep.
The mob that were meant to do the retractable seating went bust, which meant once again we got the cheapest option, basically a load of seats cobbled together on scaffold, its like a huge meccano set.
A combination of the taxpayer paying too much and our owners contributing nothing means we are where we are (as Lady muck is fond of saying).
Thanks mushy - that's pretty much what I thought. Shame as it could have been really neat if they'd put thought and effort into it. Were the original company the ones planning the proper retractable stuff rather than the 'huge meccano set'?
I'm guessing the Singapore one had retractable seating designed in from the outset. I was never clear how on earth it was deemed possible to install true retractable seating into an existing structure designed without it.
mushy wrote:The mob that were meant to do the retractable seating went bust, which meant once again we got the cheapest option, basically a load of seats cobbled together on scaffold, its like a huge meccano set.
A combination of the taxpayer paying too much and our owners contributing nothing means we are where we are (as Lady muck is fond of saying).
The West Ham Way
We can't have a home fixture in the first 3 games of a football season, because our stadium won't be fit for football. Only we could end up with such a ridiculous deal.
Yes, i was never sure what form the retractable seating would take, as you can see with the Singapore model, they were able to move a complete tier downwards and them move the front rows backwards.
We were never able to do that as we cannot go down. My guess is ours were on some sort of wheels that were just somehow wheeled out of the stadium, not much different to what we have now really.
Its all down to a lack of planning from the start, they wanted this stadium but had no real thought at the time what to do with it afterwards, apart from taking the top tier away and leaving it as a 25,000 seater athletics stadium, which would have been another white elephant.
The public have been shafted, so have West Ham supporters.
Lots of very negative tweets about LS after Guns n Roses .Accident waiting to happen ,worst venue ever been too etc .Seems like nothing has really been learnt .I have no idea of the response during the olympics ,but don't remember such negative comments .Did the running of LS change hands after the olympics ? Does make me think as well that the club took way too much stick when the issues were clearly down to current management of LS .It could actually end up being a half decent venue if they could just get someone decent in to run it .Actually saw a comment as well "Don't panic this isn't Hillsborough " which is utterly disgusting and that steward should be found and sacked immediately.
Apparently there is an article in The Times suggesting that Everton's new stadium could include a removable running track. I wonder whether it'll be as much of a shambles as the LS. Something tells me there's will be fit for football and fit for running.
The more I think about what we have done the more angry I get.
Missing out on a home game for 3-4 weeks at the start of the season is a disgrace.
Don't agree with "Does make me think as well that the club took way too much stick when the issues were clearly down to current management of LS"
It was down to the owners that the club moved into the LS. No one forced them to sell up and move. They agreed a deal with the landlord that gives them next to no control or say in critical areas such as safety.
If they and their mouthpiece brag to all and sundry about what a wonderful job they have done then they should make sure they do the walk as well as the talk.
Some will say in view of the way they performed last season they have got off lightly.
How often are these athletic events held ? Yearly, bi-yearly ? No pre season game at the stadium and no home fixtures for first 3 weeks means additional pressure in our 1st home game when it eventually kicks off.
I'd also guess that missing out on pre-season "glamour" fixtures costs the club fortunes as well ?
Such a shoddy pathetic worthless agreement which clearly is meant for nobody's benefit but the board.
Pretty sure stadium will be converted every year to athletics and also concerts .But I'm hoping this season will be only one with delayed start as the world championships .Saying that if they are having some sort of athletics every year and concerts ,I'd imagine the pitch will have to be relayed every year as well .I think it's very likely we will never have pre season home friendlies while this agreement is in place .
Believer wrote:How often are these athletic events held ? Yearly, bi-yearly ? No pre season game at the stadium and no home fixtures for first 3 weeks means additional pressure in our 1st home game when it eventually kicks off.
I'd also guess that missing out on pre-season "glamour" fixtures costs the club fortunes as well ?
Such a shoddy pathetic worthless agreement which clearly is meant for nobody's benefit but the board.
The World Championships are a once in a blue moon thing but the anniversary games which double as the London Grand Prix on the IAAF's Diamond League is every year. I don't think that will have too much effect on our season start but will require the stadium to be switched to athletics mode every summer.
Also, I can't imagine the pre-season friendlies at the stadium make all that much money to be honest.
Last edited by James P on Sat Jun 17, 2017 12:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.
bubbles500 wrote:Lots of very negative tweets about LS after Guns n Roses .Accident waiting to happen ,worst venue ever been too etc .Seems like nothing has really been learnt .I have no idea of the response during the olympics ,but don't remember such negative comments .Did the running of LS change hands after the olympics ? Does make me think as well that the club took way too much stick when the issues were clearly down to current management of LS .It could actually end up being a half decent venue if they could just get someone decent in to run it
What are you expecting for a £15m contribution and £2.5m annual rent for a £750m stadium with circa £10m annual running costs?
Meanwhile, our owners are sitting on £400m in equity. They could've invested that in proper retractable seating in return for a % share of the stadium.
Drive down costs, farm out all responsibilities, make private profit from public money, donate to the governing party and use propoganda to paint an alternative picture. It's getting to be a familiar one....
Pop Robson wrote:Th 2nd Rd of the League Cup could place us at home last week of August,
Could ask spurs to borrow Wembley haha .But seriously what would happen .neutral ground or have to play it away ,maybe even rush green .Absolute disgrace to be in this position tbh .In reality our only 2 shots at winning something are FA cup and league cup .To possibly have to almost forfeit it is farcical.
Believer wrote:How often are these athletic events held ? Yearly, bi-yearly ? No pre season game at the stadium and no home fixtures for first 3 weeks means additional pressure in our 1st home game when it eventually kicks off.
I'd also guess that missing out on pre-season "glamour" fixtures costs the club fortunes as well ?
Such a shoddy pathetic worthless agreement which clearly is meant for nobody's benefit but the board.
Our first match at home last season was 4th August (NK Domzale) with the friendly against Juventus on the 7th August - a week before the season started. That was the first time the stadium had been used in football mode - no reason why it couldn't be ready in future seasons by the beginning of August.
This year's World Championship are a one-off and known about since November 2011 when London was selected - over a year before we signed the concession agreement.
bubbles500 wrote:Saying that if they are having some sort of athletics every year and concerts ,I'd imagine the pitch will have to be relayed every year as well.
It wasn't relaid last year after concerts as it's completely covered over and protected, so no reason it would be needed to be relaid again - other than when it's worn out.
