23/2/12 SAB Olympic consultation

[upton girlie]

My kid is on the SAB - he is 14. Is that young enough?

On an additional note, members were also allowed to be elected/selected for the SAB, with the back up of ST holders.

I do agree that there does seem to be (on average) an over 30's representation at the meetings, however, that really isn't the clubs fault. Perhaps they should rally up the under 30's for the next selection.

[Rio]

I think one thing to consider here is that bearing in mind that the average age of SAB members is 40+ IMHO, and therefore with more reason to be emotionally attached to the Boleyn Ground.

That the fact the majority are in favour in move is perhaps a surprise?

[Johnny Byrne's Boots]

I'm not on the SAB, nor do I have a season ticket but I am over forty. And over fifty. My feeling and the feeling of quite a few of my generation is that the Boleyn as it is now is but a shadow of the Boleyn we knew as a small boy and with which we fell in love. Gone are the stands so close you could reach out and touch the players as they took a throw in. Gone are the electric night games under the floodlights. Gone is the intimidating atmosphere, the peanut sellers, the North Bank, South Bank and Chicken Run engaged in a war of who can sing the loudest. 'Our' Boleyn is already gone.

What we have now is all 'Corporate this' and 'Sponsor's that', in a sanitised entertainment viewing experience. Stratford is much more like what we have now than what we grew up with, so moving wouldn't be such a wrench for us older types.

Better transport links and the chance of getting a late ticket have tipped the balance in favour of the move for me. I support West Ham United, not the pitch and stands.

[Rio]

My feelings exactly JBB.

What a lot of people are clinging on to are of times long gone. The Boleyn died when redevelopment kicked in. What we have now is a mishmash if badly designed and for the large part cheaply built stands which aren't fit for purpose. Memories are just that. Memories. We will never get those days back. You can count on one hand truly magical days since redevelopment happened.

[Francoisvander or else]

My feelings exactly JBB.

What a lot of people are clinging on to are of times long gone. The Boleyn died when redevelopment kicked in. What we have now is a mishmash if badly designed and for the large part cheaply built stands which aren't fit for purpose. Memories are just that. Memories. We will never get those days back. You can count on one hand truly magical days since redevelopment happened.

The things you learn eh, if you don't like what your witnessing or experiencing don't bother going simples. Every game for me is magical, even the **** ones give me reason to remember them for one thing or another, if you think moving to the OS is going to deliver better results then I think you are being extremely arrogant. The single largest stand in London not fit for purpose, all seats with good views apart from the restricted view seats in the chicken run but even they are fine, inside toilets, but I will admit you have to quewe for a drink but that's hardly an inconvenience.

Not many magic days since redevelopment and whose fault has that been over the years? Certainly not the fans who pay week in week out, I would suggest lack of investment by previous administrations which is why certain people at every opportunity have asked how much extra revenue will be at the managers disposal after a move, and guess what no one has given an answer. Don't you think it's a bit worrying that a business which relies on us the fans is unable to tell us what the main benefit will be. If your asking people to up sticks then it's a very very sad day if people think a good reason for moving is they might get served a beer quicker at half time or they might not need to quewe so long for a train, don't you think that given people some financial numbers might make it easier for people against the move to swallow?

[Francoisvander or else]

My kid is on the SAB - he is 14. Is that young enough?

On an additional note, members were also allowed to be elected/selected for the SAB, with the back up of ST holders.

I do agree that there does seem to be (on average) an over 30's representation at the meetings, however, that really isn't the clubs fault. Perhaps they should rally up the under 30's for the next selection.

Well next time he or she goes can they mention that my 14 year old son and his 5 season ticket holder freinds (all under 16) don't want to move and wont be renewing if we do, they will just go to away games which will be a great financial saving for me and the rest of the dads

[Rio]

The things you learn eh, if you don't like what your witnessing or experiencing don't bother going simples. Every game for me is magical, even the **** ones give me reason to remember them for one thing or another, if you think moving to the OS is going to deliver better results then I think you are being extremely arrogant. The single largest stand in London not fit for purpose, all seats with good views apart from the restricted view seats in the chicken run but even they are fine, inside toilets, but I will admit you have to quewe for a drink but that's hardly an inconvenience.

Not many magic days since redevelopment and whose fault has that been over the years? Certainly not the fans who pay week in week out, I would suggest lack of investment by previous administrations which is why certain people at every opportunity have asked how much extra revenue will be at the managers disposal after a move, and guess what no one has given an answer. Don't you think it's a bit worrying that a business which relies on us the fans is unable to tell us what the main benefit will be. If your asking people to up sticks then it's a very very sad day if people think a good reason for moving is they might get served a beer quicker at half time or they might not need to quewe so long for a train, don't you think that given people some financial numbers might make it easier for people against the move to swallow?

Who said I don't like what I experience or witness?

I just stated that in my opinion the ground doesn't hold the same magic ad it did before redevelopment took place.

Arrogant? I never claimed moving will give us better results. Though I do feel it will give us the platform to move to the next level and achieve them. But like most thing in life, nothing's certain.

I said by and large the ground wasn't fit for purpose. Which apart from the West side it isn't. Football is a business now. The 3 other stands aren't designed well enough to deliver efficient services for us fans.

As one of the fans who pay week in, week out I'm not blaming us at all. Previous administrations to blame? Yeah partly. But not as much as the Football Association for not putting in place restrictions in allowing the influx of television money to flood into the hands of players and parasite agents making football increasingly unaffordable for a lot of ordinary people.

Perhaps when the club are actually allowed to tell the majority, they will. Then it stop all this nonsense, the air of paranoia and increasing mistrust of certain supporters.

My reasons for backing the move are not to get a beer quicker. I don't drink in the ground. Not to queue so long after a game? On the whole I don't leave until a few beers afterwards. It's because I think it will increase the clubs chances of success. Enable future generations to have access to football.

Sorry if that's arrogant

[Mr_Andersonn]

Well next time he or she goes can they mention that my 14 year old son and his 5 season ticket holder freinds (all under 16) don't want to move and wont be renewing if we do, they will just go to away games which will be a great financial saving for me and the rest of the dads

I would suggest you start asking the club to apply for larger away allocations that we currently seem to be getting.

The club will more than likely issue away season tickets, which will only be available if you hold a home season ticket.

I'm thinking it will not be as easy as saying "we will oly do away games"...

[Francoisvander or else]

Pre season tours will still be easy enough and I have a few friends who will go to the OS and don't do away games so league games won.t be a problem, I also intend to keep a couple of season tickets and punt the tickets out each week, hence away tickets won't be a problem just hope it doesn't change the demographics of our away support but thanks for your concern

[Hampshire Hammer]

On an additional note, members were also allowed to be elected/selected for the SAB, with the back up of ST holders.

I do agree that there does seem to be (on average) an over 30's representation at the meetings, however, that really isn't the clubs fault. Perhaps they should rally up the under 30's for the next selection.

Any group that is in essence self selecting runs the risk of being unrepresentative of the whole, I'm not knocking anyone who did step forward or the club just stating a fact. For instance a supporter may travel 50 or 100 miles for games but not be prepared to do it for meetings - so do you get the supporters from further away. Your son stood because you did I assume, how many lads in their twenties for example would want to be involved?

In the absence of information it is only natural for some people to be suspicious of what the final stadium design will be, when they get bored with moaning about G, S and B they move on to others. That plus there has always been the suspicion in some minds that SAB was a means for GSB to say "we consulted the fans" and do what they wanted anyway.

[Pop Robson]

Pre season tours will still be easy enough and I have a few friends who will go to the OS and don't do away games so league games won.t be a problem, I also intend to keep a couple of season tickets and punt the tickets out each week, hence away tickets won't be a problem just hope it doesn't change the demographics of our away support but thanks for your concern

That is a good idea, buy one of these cheap ST's they'll be selling in the upper tier at the OS, knock it out to cover your costs and easy access to away games or even Cup Finals !!!

[Francoisvander or else]

You know it makes sense

[Rocketron]

You know it makes sense

Only problem is you've discussed on a public part of this site that the club read.
Expect Season Tickets to have a photo in future.

[Francoisvander or else]

So what your saying is the club will remove the opportunity for people to give their tickets to friends to use when they can't make a home game at a time when they openly market the fact you can sell your ticket back to the club

[Rocketron]

So what your saying is the club will remove the opportunity for people to give their tickets to friends to use when they can't make a home game at a time when they openly market the fact you can sell your ticket back to the club

Absolutely.
If the person using your ticket is invloved in something that requires a banning order, You will be banned.
If you sell the ticket legitimately, you won't.

[Pop Robson]

viagogo

Until we play Wigan or Stoke on that cold Feb night

[WHUTerry]

As Pinky has said 'get ready to be well and truly shafted', from what I can see people in SAB (with a few exceptions) are already bent over with their trousers down getting ready to take it

So because a majority of SAB members may have been receptive to a move if certain conditions are met, they're assuming the position. The SAB are not an elected group; the SAB may not necessarily even be 100% demographically representative I don't know, but what I have seen is that the SAB are made up of people who care deeply and passionately about the club, perhaps even as much as you. That's why we've stepped up because we want to ensure that there is at least some form of dialogue with the club. I saw the pages and pages of comments in the OS feedback document the SAB pulled together last year, a document which I would say had a lot of negative comments about the move. The SAB members had clearly put in a lot of time and effort to make sure ALL opinions were forwarded to the club. We do not control what the club says or does but we all care about the club's future and therefore deserve a little bit more than childish comments.

Yeah but imagine how important they feel....

100% wrong. I don't know what the motivations are of every single SAB member but I can tell you it's a group who care deeply about the club. I've seen that in the meetings. I care deeply about our club and I joined the SAB because I saw it was the only channel available to fans to feed in comments to the decision makers. Apart from the OS group, there are groups tasked with amongst other things helping the club improve benefits for season ticket holders, improve community links and how to raise more money for charities such as the BMF. Perhaps instead of slagging off decent West Ham fans, you may want to get 5 fans to nominate you so you can join. If you don't fancy that, how about you step up yourself and set up an independent supporters body. I've stated previously that a body like this would have been a great vehicle for fan's representation. The problem is we don't have one so how about a bit of credit for fellow fans that have volunteered to at least ensure some channel of communication is open.

[eastsider]

Great post WHU Terry

[Doc H Ball]

The SAB are not an elected group; the SAB may not necessarily even be 100% demographically representative I don't know.

Doesn't stop you having your own e mail chain, arranging your own (open) meetings, electing a chair etc etc

I saw the pages and pages of comments in the OS feedback document the SAB pulled together last year, a document which I would say had a lot of negative comments about the move. The SAB members had clearly put in a lot of time and effort to make sure ALL opinions were forwarded to the club.

Shame the document never made it to the LLDC then

If you don't fancy that, how about you step up yourself and set up an independent supporters body. I've stated previously that a body like this would have been a great vehicle for fan's representation.

The Club have stated that they would not recognise a Supporters' Trust, which they have to do for one to be set up.

[WHUTerry]

Doesn't stop you having your own e mail chain, arranging your own (open) meetings, electing a chair etc etc[/color]

In terms of 'chairs' I assume you mean the nominated person for each group who's collating feedback to be sent to the club? That's not a chair. That's just someone who's given up their own time to pull together the feedback. I wasn't at the last meeting but having received the emails that's my understanding of it. The team at the club is from I can see fairly small so it's sensible to receive feedback from a few people rather than over 100. If I wanted to speak to the club directly I would do. As for (open) meetings and email chains can you clarify what exactly you're referring to?

Shame the document never made it to the LLDC then

As I said before I joined the SAB to ensure that communication existed between the club and the supporters. The document you referred to was meant to provide qualitative feedback from the supporter base to the club to inform them as to what supporters would deem acceptable. I'm doing this from memory but was it ever meant to be forwarded to the LLDC?

The Club have stated that they would not recognise a Supporters' Trust, which they have to do for one to be set up.

Do it anyway. If it's a respected well-run organisation with a decent membership that's speaking to the media, then it would be in the best interests of the club to enter into dialogue and by doing that recognise it. Until that happens the SAB remains the main channel for communicating the opinions of a wide range of supporters. The challenge to people who are continually critical of SAB members to step up themselves and set up something better still stands.