The Olympic Stadium: Poll V

[WHUTerry]

great so we're moving to Stratford cos the Olympic Stadium has a better train station than the Boleyn Ground and there was me hoping it might be for football reasons

No one said that. There are many reasons being put forward. Clearly pro-OS people will emphasise improved transport links, but it's only one (albeit an extremely strong one) of several reasons for moving. Look at it a different way - do you think the Olympic Park during the Games could have been served better by a station like Upton Park. Only blind stubbornness would make you answer yes. Stratford was specifically designed to be at the centre of a transport hub that could enable a volume of people (which I'm sure would have been over 100,000 at some points during the Games) to get in and out via several inter-connecting tube and Overground lines as quickly as possible. The undeniable truth is that Stratford offers better access for the supporter base as a whole.

[HarrowInnHammer]

If the journey time between Stratford and Upton Park puts you off going, then frankly that's pathetic.
Funny people clock up hours and hours traveling over land and sea for the club, but a few can't stand the extra 15 from Stratford to UP.
Our ground is far from the worst for transport connections, people who go away must know that.

[Broomfield Hammer]

Remind me to lobby the railway companies to build a new station within walking distance of every fan ........

They're already on the case. Just this week plans were approved to build a new station with direct trains to Stratford 10 minutes walk from me!

[Denbighammer]

If the journey time between Stratford and Upton Park puts you off going, then frankly that's pathetic.
Funny people clock up hours and hours traveling over land and sea for the club, but a few can't stand the extra 15 from Stratford to UP.
Our ground is far from the worst for transport connections, people who go away must know that.

I'm with you on this one. I'm not sure I understand this obsession with saving a few minutes off the journey.

[WHUTerry]

If the journey time between Stratford and Upton Park puts you off going, then frankly that's pathetic.
Funny people clock up hours and hours traveling over land and sea for the club, but a few can't stand the extra 15 from Stratford to UP.
Our ground is far from the worst for transport connections, people who go away must know that.

When you have repeated weekend disruption where there are no trains running to Upton Park and no alternative overground, then it's a lot more than 15 minutes.

[HarrowInnHammer]

When you have repeated weekend disruption where there are no trains running to Upton Park and no alternative overground, then it's a lot more than 15 minutes.

So never any disruptions or problems getting to Stratford then?

[WHUTerry]

So never any disruptions or problems getting to Stratford then?

This is England, not Japan. Of course there are occasional disruptions and problems getting to Stratford. However, there will be more alternatives. When the District Line is down, your alternative is a long walk.

[HarrowInnHammer]

I always have more problems getting to Stratford than the route from Stratford to UP.
Bus at the worst.
Fact is UP isn't as bad for transport as it's made out to be.

[WHUTerry]

I always have more problems getting to Stratford than the route from Stratford to UP.
Bus at the worst.
Fact is UP isn't as bad for transport as it's made out to be.

We'll just have to agree to disagree I guess. Only time will tell once we move.

[Up the Junction]

Fact is UP isn't as bad for transport as it's made out to be.

Given your user name I suspect you don't travel on the C2C line. A few weeks on there will change your mind.

[Francoisvander or else]

C2C are the most punctual train operating company in the country and have been for the last few years. The fact is lots of train operating companies put off essential summer engineering works in the summer due to the Olympics and the Jubilee. Compared to the old days the C2C line is way better than when it was dubbed the misery line.

fact is in the 35 years ive been watching West Ham I have never been late for a kick off be that when traveling by road or rail

[Denbighammer]

fact is in the 35 years ive been watching West Ham I have never been late for a kick off be that when traveling by road or rail

Imagine how early you'll be when we move to the OS? You can get some serious shopping in at Westfield first!

[Heysel76]

UTJ
Can't we have a separate negative & positive thread, some of it is getting a bit tedious?
It's obvious certain people (on both sides) will never be convinced to change their minds.

[Up the Junction]

C2C are the most punctual train operating company in the country and have been for the last few years.

Good for them and the weekday commuters (of which I was one for some considerable time).

They've still been ****ing useless at weekends for the last three years, at least.

Can't we have a separate negative & positive thread, some of it is getting a bit tedious?

I'm not sure I see the point H - all you'll get is the antis spoiling to pro thread and vice versa.

[Heysel76]

I should've added a UTJ

[The Rebirth]

Quick summary

PROs

Iconic Stadium
Global exposure - people are still interested in the Olympics (still) worldwide as you could see by the Newsnow feeds and the different countries publishing that West Ham were highest rank bidder.
Best served stadium in the country. With direct access to mainland Europe (not sure if that German company will be operating on the line) which could be bringing in trains from Germany in a few hours.
Bigger capacity leaves room for growth and also in theory should allow cheaper tickets on a whole.
Spitting distance of the financial capital of Europe This is a good thing. Corporate sales should be up, now people have moaned about this but corporate are not there to tell everyone they stood on the old north bank they are there for the spectacle and to entertain their clients and of course spend money. It will have 0 affect on those out in the stands, and if you think they will, well in my opinion you're clutching at straws.
Cheaper tickets cheaper tickets open the game up to many people who couldn't go regularly and are West Ham fans. I for instance will be in a better position to take my whole family to games more often.

CONS

We leave our home for the last century - whilst remembering this is not our original home, we've certainly stayed there the longest out of all of our grounds
WC Winners statue stays on Barking Road and not moved to our new home
Not owning the stadium we play in
Memories / great nights and the last 100 years of history easily forgotten? - When people walk past will they remember in years to come that is where West Ham United played? or will they not bat an eyelid whilst they buy their weekly shop


IN BETWEEN
Retractable seats/temporary seats What's it going to be!
Cost to the club - The pitch will need to be replaced I think? We currently have undersoil heating and have a DessoGrassmaster pitch. The roof? the new seats? possible (but unconfirmed) transfer budget cuts?
Our chairman - are they doing this for a quick buck? even though the initial plans were sought by the Icelandics.
Terns of the lease We don't actually know what's going on with it?
Fit for purpose

I ignored the £9m a year rent because that's cobblers and you shouldn't believe we will be paying that.

For me I've tried to be straight down the line there. The pros out weigh the cons I'm sorry. The in between ones could potential turn into cons. Which I'm not expecting to happen.

If you would like to add anything please do

[Hammer110]

Think that is a fair summery of where we are Rebirth, although I would say the amount we actually pay wont be £9 million I believe what is being said is that the rent + catering + increased value of naming rights from us being there will be worth £9 million pa.

[the pink palermo]

Rebirth

I personally think the view is important .Retractable seating won't solve that problem for many attendees .

And it's the number one reason I won't be going .I really don't care what a ticket costs , it doesn't bother me ( although, as I've stated previously I would be delighted if those currently economically disenfranchised could afford to attend in future) , but if I cannot see the games details then why bother going ? I have been to Stadium Australia to watch a game of football - this after the stadium had been converted and reduced in capacity , and it simply wasn't possible to see the action .

Secondly , the basis of seat allocation .
The club have stated there will be a fair method of allocating new seats to fans who are long standing STH's at the Boleyn .
Frankly , I don't believe them .At every other club I go to the Corporate seats are always, without exception , the best seats in the house .Take someone currently sat on the half way line 5 rows back in the East Stand ,Possibly as good as you'll get .Do you really think they will be offered the same seat at Stratford, or do you think the Corporate dollar will win the day ?
Thirdly - the stadium is in the middle of nowhere .Fans will be trapped in a high cost burger zone .Don't be fooled by the proximity to Westfields .It will take exactly one incident of drunken fans storming through it to see the entrances locked 30 mins either side of KO .Don't believe me ? Buy an away ticket for Chelsea and try getting into the shopping centre there .Locked .

Fourthly - the transport only works if you have reasonable access at the other end to public transport .For me, it would be perfect .I could drink in my local till 2.15 and still make KO .Others , who don't live within a few hundred yards of a railway station aren't as fortunate .Anyway, I'll just drink in a pub near my local and watch the game on satellite as most of my friends currently do ( all former STH's - I'm the last one to give in) .
Fifthly - a significant increase in the number of away fans .Be in no doubt a home tie against Arsenal will see 20,000 gooners there .Home advantage ? I think not .Some will say it will improve the atmosphere , I don't agree .I reckon we'll hear people describing the OS as the closest thing you'll get to a neutral venue .

Sixthly - A stadium of that size in division 2 will be an awful experience .I've seen us relegated 4 times , and as much as I'd like to convince myself the last time was the last time , it may not be .Would you put your mortgage on Aston Villa ( big ground, cheap tickets, rich owner , allegedly good manager) , not going down this season ?

We'll see who the hardcore fans are then .They ain't the 600k on facebook , I'll tell you that for certain .

[stouffer]

Pinkie-you've described my seat in the East stand,that I've had since the 86/87 season.Like you I believe that there is no way that I will be offered a comparable seat at Stratford for any where near the cost at the moment.

[adie]

spot on Pinky, at least not everyone is blinded by a shiny new stadium and celebrity PR lies