Stratford 2012 [POLL]

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Do you support David Sullivan's plans to move WHUFC to the Olympic Stadium?

Poll ended at Fri Jan 22, 2010 2:43 pm

Yes
376
55%
No
146
21%
Depends
163
24%
 
Total votes: 685

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Cardiff here we come.....
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Re: Stratford 2012 [POLL]

Post by Cardiff here we come..... »

David Dein* said the thought of West Ham United at the Olympic Stadium scares him :D

If we can get some type of success over the next few years & promise of cheaper tickets/season tickets we could fill 60,000+

Lets f**king scare them.

Lets scare them all :lol:

Move.

Roll on Champions League Football season 2017/18

:raver:

*Sorry.amended.Thought it was Arsen Wenger
Last edited by Cardiff here we come..... on Tue Jan 19, 2010 3:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Ted Fenton
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Re: Stratford 2012 [POLL]

Post by Ted Fenton »

On the assumption that shrewd operators like Sullivan and Gold won't pay megabucks for converting and renting (I think they could be looking at the conversion costs being borne by the current 'owners' to get rid of a white elephant/albatross), I'm in no doubt that the move should be made. The club didn't stay put at the Memorial Ground, where my grandfather first watched us play, and now we should be as bold and as mentally unfettered as they were all those years ago. The running costs of remaining will inevitably increase every year and if we are to be ambitious we really do need to have a larger capacity stadium; achieving that by developing the chicken run's successor would not come cheap and, in my opinion, would be a waste of money.

As the question of age has been raised, just let me say that it now over 60 years since my first visit to watch us play at the Boleyn Ground.
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Pop Robson
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Re: Stratford 2012 [POLL]

Post by Pop Robson »

Carlitos_Cole wrote: Just over 30, why?

I've been going over there from the age of ten and yes I love the place but its not viable any more for us.
Just, that I think the younger supporters will be more open to a move. I picked 30 as I though that would be the sort of age anyone over would be happy to stay at UP.
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Lennie Hammer
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Re: Stratford 2012 [POLL]

Post by Lennie Hammer »

I'm happy to move to Stratford. The Boleyn has never been the same since it became all-seater so, for me, it's not like we're leaving the proper Boleyn because that atmosphere has been lost anyway.

The point is, we can only say yes, if we believe our new Chairmen that we're still £100m in debt and HAVE to move to clear the debt and compete. If everything was rosy and we weren't in debt then I'd probably say no.
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Carlitos_Cole
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Re: Stratford 2012 [POLL]

Post by Carlitos_Cole »

Tel The Hammer wrote:Anyone got any idea about how much the ground that the Boleyn Ground is on is worth?

Could clear a helluva lot of debt...
I'm sure we would need to spend money on the OS to make it a 'football ground' as such, that money would go towards doing so I should think.
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Turns to Stone
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Re: Stratford 2012 [POLL]

Post by Turns to Stone »

I'm 28 and haven't got kids yet, but to be honest I'd be sad if I couldn't take them to the Boleyn....on the other hand, if ticket prices keep climbing I won't be able to take them anyway (though as TPP says that's likely to happen wherever we end up!

The train station is a nightmare though!

My concern would be that we'd end up looking like with Arsenal when they played their Champions league games at Wembley! Oh it's a nightmare of a decision! Right, I've made it....I want to stay where we are!

And I'm not even that old! Maybe I want my head examining...or maybe I just like tradition!
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smuts
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Re: Stratford 2012 [POLL]

Post by smuts »

The thought of just renting the ground is slightly worrying.....and do we really want to say goodbye to Upton Park? :?

But cheaper prices? Expanded capacity? :think:

I'm not sure at all....the positives and negatives are almost equal.
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sutts07
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Re: Stratford 2012 [POLL]

Post by sutts07 »

As a site it is fantastic... but it would have to be a football stadium first... not an athletics stadium!
I think that would mean flattening the scaffolded Olympic Stadium after the event and starting from scratch... will they finance that? Not on their own!
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Re: Stratford 2012 [POLL]

Post by mushy »

the pink palermo wrote:For entirely selfish reasons I would have to decline the Stratford bowl .

I have the best seat in the house at the Boleyn and have too many memories of watching some of all the all time greats to want to move .

I am lucky , I can afford the tickets and fully understand how those less fortunate may be seduced by the propsect of cheaper tickets , but let me say very clearly that will not happen .

Yes the inrfastucture will be better at Stratford , and Joyful can pop into the new shopping centre , but it ain't the Boleyn , ain't where I saw Bonds, Brooking,Devonshire,Cottee,Gale,McAvennie, Martin, Lampard,Taylor, Cole (J) , Rio , etc etc
Older fans will have been lucky enough to have seen our greatest ever player and must shudder at the thought .

Whilst I fully support the G&S ownership , this one is not for me .

No .
but what you have now is not the Boleyn either as we know it apart from the old East stand. Even the pitch is differeent so how anyone can get nostagic about the present Upton Park ****hole is beyind me. The place is soulless, there are no decent pubs around or eating facilities. Traffic and transporatation are a complete joke as well.
i would however only vote for a move to Stratford as long as someone guarantees a roof over my head. nobody has yet so its a 'depends' vote.
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Pop Robson
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Re: Stratford 2012 [POLL]

Post by Pop Robson »

the pink palermo wrote:For entirely selfish reasons I would have to decline the Stratford bowl .

I have the best seat in the house at the Boleyn and have too many memories of watching some of all the all time greats to want to move .

I am lucky , I can afford the tickets and fully understand how those less fortunate may be seduced by the propsect of cheaper tickets , but let me say very clearly that will not happen .

Yes the inrfastucture will be better at Stratford , and Joyful can pop into the new shopping centre , but it ain't the Boleyn , ain't where I saw Bonds, Brooking,Devonshire,Cottee,Gale,McAvennie, Martin, Lampard,Taylor, Cole (J) , Rio , etc etc

Older fans will have been lucky enough to have seen our greatest ever player and must shudder at the thought .

Whilst I fully support the G&S ownership , this one is not for me .

No .
:thup: Gold said he lived at 442 Green St and Bobby Moore had his shop in later years at 542, I love the history of the place and after many years going I feel at home in the area. Some moan about access, can't see why. Those that now drive will be struggling to get anywhere near the OS to park.
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Carlitos_Cole
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Re: Stratford 2012 [POLL]

Post by Carlitos_Cole »

Pop Robson wrote:Just, that I think the younger supporters will be more open to a move. I picked 30 as I though that would be the sort of age anyone over would be happy to stay at UP.

Ah I see, well yes maybe you're right.

I'm sure that everyone here including G&S just want what's best for the club. :crest:
Knaphill
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Re: Stratford 2012 [POLL]

Post by Knaphill »

Having watched the live G&S interview I'm now much happier with the prospect of moving to Stratford and getting the club on a more secure financial footing - the success and survival of the club has to be more important than their playing address, (within reason).

Naive I may be, but I do feel that we might finally have owners that actually care and can show sensible fiscal management.
joyful
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Re: Stratford 2012 [POLL]

Post by joyful »

I'm 52 and I voted yes, but my support is conditional on no running track!

Agree with Ted. At some stage in the future we'll be doing organisers a favour by taking it off their hands.

The Gullivans strategy is cool too -- market their stadium bid as a way to bring top flight football within reach of the working man in "one of the country's most deprived areas". I expect to see a bit about inter-racial harmony and football as a tool for community cohesion in the near future too.

Just the sort of thing to fit with the "olympic legacy" bid and the soft-style Cameron conservative agenda.
Broomfield Hammer
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Re: Stratford 2012 [POLL]

Post by Broomfield Hammer »

Pop Robson wrote:Just, that I think the younger supporters will be more open to a move. I picked 30 as I though that would be the sort of age anyone over would be happy to stay at UP.
Not sure about that. It's over 40 years since my first visit to the Boleyn, but if they could get the post-Olympics conversion right, I'd support a move. Of course it would be a wrench to move, but for me this would be a head over heart decision.
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Carlitos_Cole
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Re: Stratford 2012 [POLL]

Post by Carlitos_Cole »

mushy wrote: but what you have now is not the Boleyn either as we know it apart from the old East stand. Even the pitch is differeent so how anyone can get nostagic about the present Upton Park ****hole is beyind me. The place is soulless, there are no decent pubs around or eating facilities. Traffic and transporatation are a complete joke as well.
Bang on, I agree with you on all points. :thup:
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Pez.
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Re: Stratford 2012 [POLL]

Post by Pez. »

I would hate leaving our home but it is no longer viable if we want to compete with the top 6 in the league... And the OS without the running track would be a great opportunity that would be to good to turn down.. Anyone wanting to stay where we are now truly do you think we can survive on 34,000 people each week?
:crest: COYI
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Pop Robson
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Re: Stratford 2012 [POLL]

Post by Pop Robson »

Carlitos_Cole wrote:
quote "mushy"] but what you have now is not the Boleyn either as we know it apart from the old East stand. Even the pitch is differeent so how anyone can get nostagic about the present Upton Park ****hole is beyind me. The place is soulless, there are no decent pubs around or eating facilities. Traffic and transporatation are a complete joke as well.[quote

Bang on, I agree with you on all points. :thup:
I have no trouble with travel or beer and food :thup: Depends what you call decent though :wink:
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Fred Poster
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Re: Stratford 2012 [POLL]

Post by Fred Poster »

All day long...

Got to move with the times. :thup:
AMC1964
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Re: Stratford 2012 [POLL]

Post by AMC1964 »

ok quick background. I'm 45 and I've been going to the Boleyn Ground for 41 years this year. I saw Moore and Hurst and Peters and all the great players since. Yeah, great memories, I'll always have them. Those days are gone. They are in the past.
The Boleyn hasn't really been the same since we seated the West side, and then the Run and then the two banks. We've done a half job of rebuilding it, and the old East Stand looks properly crap now, although it's a lovely place with character.

The G&S team that have just taken over are obviously no mugs and I doubt they'll take the OS on without some significant changes, but they seem to be in a position to go and talk to the right people. The Tories appear very willing to talk about making changes should they win an election, unlike the current bunch who have ransomed themselves to the IOC and Athletics to win the 2012 Games. Even a 25,000 seater Athletics stadium is still going to be waste of space and no Rugby Union team will fill that every other week either.

The Boleyn is now dated, and it's facilities are pretty poor at best. The full on scrummage under the West Side at half time just to take a piss is bad enough. To get a beer you need to leave your seat 10 mins early. And to get a pie, you need to stay down there when the game starts.
Yeah I still love it to bits, but then I remember that getting there is a total pain, especially when the tubes aren't running. UP station is a disaster awaiting us all, especially with the current policing policy.

Stratford, well plenty of parking for sure. Big road links by 2012. Major rail links including the Eurostar at some point near future. and only one stop on the Jubilee line for the boys and girls coming in from South Essex to West Ham BR.

Yeah we'll have to find new places to have a beer (although we've already done that in Stratford this season anyway), and there's gonna be a few pubs in the UP area that will suffer.
But to dismiss it totally out of hand would be a little daft. Lets see what G&S have to say and do over the next few months before we all knock it back.


PS Karen Brady is gonna let me play with her baps for writing this. :lol:
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Carlitos_Cole
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Re: Stratford 2012 [POLL]

Post by Carlitos_Cole »

Pop Robson wrote:
I have no trouble with travel or beer and food :thup: Depends what you call decent though :wink:
Have you been to Kens Cafe? :D

Ruff as you like!
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