Olympic Stadium Discussion and Questions

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Crouchend_Hammer
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Re: Olympic Stadium Discussion and Questions

Post by Crouchend_Hammer »

I think people's opinions of the Olympic Park and environs itself will definitely have some influence on their attitude towards the stadium. It won't be a primary trigger but i think it would play some role, even if sub-conciously

For example, I love the Olympic Park and environs as an area/ sporting complex/ entertainment space and spend a fair bit of time there at weekends. As such, my opinion towards the new stadium is probably more positive than most.

Whilst i don't like the actual 90 minutes experience when seating in my seat very much [although my view is decent and I have a good laugh with mates] everything else about the match-day experience i quite enjoy. but as i said i think that is because i do like the Olympic Park and used to hang about a bit in Hackney wick before the move as well

If you don't like the Olympic Park, or feel no affinity to it, then i can see how that would impact everything negatively
NorthBankAlliance
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Re: Olympic Stadium Discussion and Questions

Post by NorthBankAlliance »

Coops wrote:I was purely talking about geographically. But what is West Ham's manor these days? The area has changed so much, fried chicken is the local delicacy these days rather than pie mash and eels.
I get you, but the Olympic Park we're situated in is in a made up Postcode, and is a trek from anything half resembling a West ham matchday experience that you'd get in Upton Park, East Ham, Plaistow, Canning Town etc...

Arsenal you're slap bang on top of Holloway Road & Drayton Park...

We've got Hackney Wick :hush:
Marlow Vaderman
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Re: Olympic Stadium Discussion and Questions

Post by Marlow Vaderman »

So many points of view.
But surely we must all agree on a few things.
Firstly, and the most important, is regardless of your feelings toward OS we must all be able to see that we were rinsed. Many promises were broken. The stadium isn’t a world class football stadium. The seats are much further from the pitch than Upton Park. We are not first in the queue as anchor tennants (no more Boxing Day football, Westfield more important) to name just a few.
Secondly there is the despicable way that traders and businesses in the Upton Park area have been treated. Ken’s Cafe and Nathan’s Pie &Mash plus the loss of trade for the pubs. Again promises were made of trading pitches and pop up bars around the stadium. And of support from the club. What happened there then?
Thirdly there is the need for change. Some feel the bulldozer is the only solution, some feel major changes to the bottom tier would improve things. Even the people that like the stadium must have things that they would like improved. Can anyone really get a beer and a pie during HT and not miss KO second half? I haven’t mastered it yet in three seasons.
Lastly I’m sure no one can be truly happy with the attitude of the club towards US, the supporters (not consumers or customers either). How difficult would it be for them to reach out and build bridges. Something that never occurred to me till it was voiced the other day on an interview I saw was this. When Bubbles took the corner flag in the pitch he was making a statement. If I was the owner or chief executive I would have been falling over myself to speak to him. Yes, he’s been banned and I know for a fact that he accepts this and knows his ban will never be overturned. But the club could have reached out and opened dialogue and from that day worked with supporters to mend the broken relationship. Instead of this they threw some money around and made a few veiled promises about seating moves “one day”. This shows in my book the level of disrespect for the core fan base.
My point is that most of us would like to see things done differently. The only way we will achieve any level of change is to unite as one big loud voice. We don’t have to build a new stadium overnight. But what we need to do is force the club to sit down and talk. We can only do this if you are all behind us, United for change.
So who will make themselves heard.
Young, old, male, female.. all people and all points of view welcomed. Our only interest is making things better for YOU so why wouldn’t you join us?
Stand together.. as Hammers... United...
COYI
MV ⚒⚒
goa127
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Re: Olympic Stadium Discussion and Questions

Post by goa127 »

What you say is very true crouchend as evidenced by those who say "I've never set foot inside the bowl".
I used to work at the Stratford Express when it was next to the Builders Arms in the early seventies, watched the 1970 world cup matches on the COLOUR TV in the Swan and used to drink in the Yorkshire Grey, Two Puddings and Reflections (Frank snrs place) so Stratford has a lot of memories for me. Obviously things have changed a lot but I prefer the choice of pubs to those at Upton Park. For many people leaving the Boleyn ground was the biggest issue. It doesn't matter if we'd have moved to the best stadium in the world, they didn't want to move. That's fair enough if it's how you feel
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Coops
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Re: Olympic Stadium Discussion and Questions

Post by Coops »

NorthBankAlliance wrote: I get you, but the Olympic Park we're situated in is in a made up Postcode, and is a trek from anything half resembling a West ham matchday experience that you'd get in Upton Park, East Ham, Plaistow, Canning Town etc...

Arsenal you're slap bang on top of Holloway Road & Drayton Park...

We've got Hackney Wick :hush:
Yeah I see what you are saying and you are right.
I actually quite like Hackney Wick before a game. But it is so far from the old match day experience. There was always something a bit edgy about the boozers around the old ground that is missing from the new place. Also the buzz coming out of the tube and all of the familiar faces, stalls, smells etc. It was steeped in history and it could never be repeated on a man made island next to a shopping mall.
Crouchend_Hammer
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Re: Olympic Stadium Discussion and Questions

Post by Crouchend_Hammer »

Coops wrote: Yeah I see what you are saying and you are right.
I actually quite like Hackney Wick before a game. But it is so far from the old match day experience. There was always something a bit edgy about the boozers around the old ground that is missing from the new place. Also the buzz coming out of the tube and all of the familiar faces, stalls, smells etc. It was steeped in history and it could never be repeated on a man made island next to a shopping mall.
This sort of links to my point above about the Olympic Park. People's attitudes to the new gaff will be influenced by how much they enjoyed the match-day experience at the old place. I used to love the actual stadium experience at the old place, the two hours or so i was in the stadium, but was never really into the pre or post eating or drinking vibe round there, and except for rare occasions didn't spend much time in the local vicinity.

I now find myself making a prolonged day of it with the mates i go with, more than I ever used to, but that is because i prefer the various options around the new stadium, whether that be Hackney Wick or East Village. I even appreciate the multitude of food and beer options that are inside the stadium near block 137 [which are improving]

Because i am positive towards that part of the whole match day experience, it means i am probably more accepting than others of the actual rubbish part when the game is actually being played
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The Old Man of Storr
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Re: Olympic Stadium Discussion and Questions

Post by The Old Man of Storr »

MV - I was thinking exactly this only last night after watching a video post from Bubbles .

Paul Colborne isn't a thug , he isn't a criminal , he's a passionate West Ham fan and a gentleman - it may have served his purposes better had he been a thug seeing as our Chairman is drawn to such people but I digress .......

When Paul planted that corner flag in the centre circle he was making a statement , he didn't throw coins at our Chairman , he didn't hurt anyone , he was trying to get Sullivan's attention in a more peaceful manner , a re-enaction of the Bond Scheme protest of 1992 . If our Chairman was a true fan as he says he is then surely he would have empathised with a fellow fan instead of banning him for life , he should have invited him to Theydon Bois for a chat and a cup of tea to discuss man to man what made a mild mannered gentleman so angry he felt the need to invade a football pitch - Paul is 61 for crying out loud !

I'd be having second thoughts if I was David Sullivan - if he wants the whole of the Support on his side and not just the Yes Men .
costa75
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Re: Olympic Stadium Discussion and Questions

Post by costa75 »

A lifetime ban for running on the pitch, for whatever reason, is a disgrace.
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sussexhammer74
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Re: Olympic Stadium Discussion and Questions

Post by sussexhammer74 »

I think another point of view should be added to the stadium to both those who like, and dislike it.

The opposition's view of the stadium. I read the Opposition's view put up on this site most weeks. I don't think I have ever read that the stadium is a good one for football. Also reading the match threads on here. You read positives and negatives views on a stadium (atmosphere, food, drink, location) of the people who travel away to our games.

I have a few mates who have gone to our stadium as opposing fans and sat in the away end. Generally have said nice stadium but not a stadium to watch football in. Feel detached from the action. Usual stuff that you hear on here about it.

Dont think we heard so much about the negatives (on hear, social media, pub) of the Boleyn as we do about the negatives about the Olympic place. Perhaps everyone accepted the negatives as the norm and got on with it.

This place has divided the fan base like brexit has done to the country. Not sure if that is a good thing or not.
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Up the Junction
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Re: Olympic Stadium Discussion and Questions

Post by Up the Junction »

sussexhammer74 wrote:I read the Opposition's view put up on this site most weeks. I don't think I have ever read that the stadium is a good one for football.
Critics will say that's because it's deliberately edited that way.

But, I can genuinely say I'm yet to read a positive word about Stratford on any other team's forum... and for obvious reasons I visit those more than most.
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Dwight1970
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Re: Olympic Stadium Discussion and Questions

Post by Dwight1970 »

There is a lot fair points being made, I lived in Stratford for 6 years at the turn of the Millennium and still have a property there so as an area I do have some attachment to it, I will add as an area the changes in my view including the London Stadium I look at all of them in positive way.

Where I guess I differ is that when it comes to staging football matches the area and more emphatically the stadium itself come a second best to most other football grounds and more importantly for me the Boleyn Ground.
The stadium itself is flawed in so many ways that it borders on damn right dishonesty to ever have marketed in any other way than a makeshift venue that say that we rent it out like you would a marquee whenever we stage a home game, to call it world class for football is delusional. Additionally the location of the stadium within the area simply doesn't lend itself to supporters getting there early especially in the winter months which isn't surprising for a venue designed for use in the summer months.

For someone who never really enjoyed being at Upton Park or has limited experience of other stadiums I can fully understand how they feel positive about playing in Stratford but personally whilst I don't hate the place it does leave me underwhelmed and feeling deceived.
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S-H
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Re: Olympic Stadium Discussion and Questions

Post by S-H »

Would an away fan say even if they did like it though? Plenty of our fans weren't particularly impressed with Spurs new stadium, not that I'm comparing the two stadia, but I think in general fans/rivals won't be complimentary, more often out of spite.
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Re: Olympic Stadium Discussion and Questions

Post by NorthBankAlliance »

S-H wrote:Would an away fan say even if they did like it though? Plenty of our fans weren't particularly impressed with Spurs new stadium, not that I'm comparing the two stadia, but I think in general fans/rivals won't be complimentary, more often out of spite.
Upton Park was regularly voted one of the best aways...
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Up the Junction
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Re: Olympic Stadium Discussion and Questions

Post by Up the Junction »

The stadium isn't the problem, per se. That can be fixed, if there is motivation to do so.

The crux of the issue is and always will be the lies the fan base were told before moving to Stratford, the lies that resulted in 85 per cent of those polled apparently supporting the move (see the quote above in my 2:06am post, pg 640).

Whether that be Gold's "we'll not move unless the seats are as close to the pitch as they are here [at the Boleyn]", or Brady's "it has helped us to increase attendances and, therefore, the revenue that we are able to invest" - they have hoodwinked and/or lied, consistently, to us all.

And just like Brexit, and the enormous "£350m to the NHS every week" lie, people won't stand for it. And until the Board put it right, and deliver what they promised, I think they can expect the criticism/protests to continue.
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Phil S
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Re: Olympic Stadium Discussion and Questions

Post by Phil S »

I've seen plenty of away fans say they liked the Boleyn...and hate the new ground
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Re: Olympic Stadium Discussion and Questions

Post by HammerMan2004 »

UTJ has it right.

I don’t particularly care where I watch West Ham play football. It’s the people I watch with that makes it enjoyable.

The lies were the problem.
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Estuary
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Re: Olympic Stadium Discussion and Questions

Post by Estuary »

Phil S wrote:I've seen plenty of away fans say they liked the Boleyn...and hate the new ground

That the current default, but I know plenty of away support who dreaded going to UP, they felt intimidated, but not by the team, by the walk to and from UP station and crowd.
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Phil S
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Re: Olympic Stadium Discussion and Questions

Post by Phil S »

Up the Junction wrote:The stadium isn't the problem, per se. That can be fixed, if there is motivation to do so...
I've stolen that and posted on HU
I hope you don't mind, it is credited to you (and kumb)
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Estuary
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Re: Olympic Stadium Discussion and Questions

Post by Estuary »

Up the Junction wrote:The stadium isn't the problem, per se. That can be fixed, if there is motivation to do so...
Yep.
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Up the Junction
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Re: Olympic Stadium Discussion and Questions

Post by Up the Junction »

Phil S wrote:I hope you don't mind, it is credited to you (and kumb)
Not at all, Phil. :thup:
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