Would you watch football at this ground?

[Zola4ever]

With the final piece of turf being laid at the London 2012 Olympic Stadium, West Ham fans can now finally get an impression about how their new home will look.

One of the principal reasons why the Hammers were awarded the stadium was because they promised to keep the athletics track around the ground but looking at the photos of the completed stadium, some fans might be thinking of investing in binoculars as well as a season ticket.

According to The Guardian, West Ham plan to spend £90m "on a stadium upgrade in an effort to fix the problems suffered by other football-club tenancies of Olympic stadiums", which will involve "retractable seating and a new roof, in an effort to keep the noise in".

However, the track is going nowhere, so the club have their work cut out if they hope to recreate the famous intimacy of their current home Upton Park.

Anyway, have a look at the pictures below and make up your own mind - feel free to leave your comments below.

Would you watch football in this stadium?

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/blogs/wor ... cle/40589/

i got a feeling fans wont be sitting up there but its a big distance away

[HammerMan2004]

The type of camera used to take pictures like in that post doesn't give a fair idea of how far away the pitch looks.

[Mr_Andersonn]

Just zoom your browser up to 1000% which may give a better representation of how we may view it...

[eastsider]

Yes I will watch football there....Cannot wait actually!!

[mushy]

The type of camera used to take pictures like in that post doesn't give a fair idea of how far away the pitch looks.

On the other hand if you watched the news shots when they layed that final piece of turf, you would have seen the gap between the grass and the front row seats. It was bloody miles away, lets not pretend otherwise.
Anyone who thinks we are only a tracks width away is in for a rude awakening.

[HammerMan2004]

I'm not saying we're not far away from the pitch. I'm saying those pictures are not a true reflection.

[The Rebirth]

Yes I will watch football there....Cannot wait actually!!

You and me both.

Hopefully I get a viewing soon too!

[The Rebirth]

On the other hand if you watched the news shots when they layed that final piece of turf, you would have seen the gap between the grass and the front row seats. It was bloody miles away, lets not pretend otherwise.
Anyone who thinks we are only a tracks width away is in for a rude awakening.

LOL if anyone thought that after all the images we've seen then indeed they are!

[JonG86]

On the other hand if you watched the news shots when they layed that final piece of turf, you would have seen the gap between the grass and the front row seats. It was bloody miles away, lets not pretend otherwise.

Ones that used a camera with a lens on it?

[mushy]

Ones that used a camera with a lens on it?

I would think so, not sure if they have invented one without a lens yet.
Possibly the same type of camera they use when filming games for MOTD or Sky at UP,I dont see many saying that those cameras exaggerate the distance between pitch and stand, so why should the ones of the O/S be any different?

[Muddy]

The type of camera used to take pictures like in that post doesn't give a fair idea of how far away the pitch looks.

Camera or not, the seats are still a sodding great way away from the pitch.

[mushy]

I was there today, all the cameras in the world would not bring that pitch any further towards the stands.
I reckon we MAY have dropped a right bollock here.

[WestHamIFC]

The type of camera used to take pictures like in that post doesn't give a fair idea of how far away the pitch looks.

Then why don't you simply watch it on a 'neutral' BBC TV Camera?:

http://www.kumb.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=130344


Dress it up anyway you like, it' f**king ridiculous how far the seats are from the pitch.

Far from attracting bigger crowds, then fans will abandon this in droves once they realise what an appalling match day experience this will provide.

RETRACTABLE SEATING around the entire ground is the only option that will save this mess.

[the pink palermo]

Dress it up anyway you like, it' f**king ridiculous how far the seats are from the pitch.

Far from attracting bigger crowds, then fans will abandon this in droves once they realise what an appalling match day experience this will provide.

I agree with your first point but not your second , at least not entirely .

I have absolutely no doubt the ground will be full or at least at the same occupancy level the Boleyn currently enjoys i.e around 90% or so , around 55k .

They'll be new fans - and to be fair some returning fans , but a fair number of the current fans will not accept such a degraded view .

Gerald Ratner had no problem selling crap jewellry until he told people it was crap .Providing there is a sustained marketing effort I have no doubt the club will sell most seats most weeks .The question is how much for , and will revenues from ticket sales increase significantly ?

Personally I doubt it .

Where they will cash in is inthe Corporate market - and not just on match day .Conferences , meetings etc - a very lucrative market with the travel infrastructure in Stratford .

I question though to what extent the football club will benefit from that .I am not aware of any definitive statement from the club on this .

[mywhufc]

I was there today, all the cameras in the world would not bring that pitch any further towards the stands.
I reckon we MAY have dropped a right bollock here.

[York Ham(mer)]

A football pitch is bigger than that patch of grass. They're going to have to lay some turf over the running track when a match is played.

[Pop Robson]

A football pitch is bigger than that patch of grass. They're going to have to lay some turf over the running track when a match is played.

Err, a football pitch is narrower than the patch of grass and only slightly shorter the pitch will not overlap onto the running track

It's as bad as it seems

[the pink palermo]

Err, a football pitch is narrower than the patch of grass and only slightly shorter the pitch will not overlap onto the running track

It's as bad as it seems

Oh Pop , you're just being negative ! It's shiny, it's new , it must be better ....and anyway who actually wants to see the game...

Get with the program !

[HarrowInnHammer]

Everything about this is a calamity, closing off the upper tiers behind the goals will look pony. Black and White seats will look pony and the amount of foreign day trippers / non West Ham will be pony so why are people so keen on the move. Mark my words it will tear the soul out of West Ham.

[pbenjy]

I'm going to reserve final judgement until I've seen what plans the Daves come up with for the staium in football mode, but **** me the seats at the ends are long way from the pitch.

Does anyone know what the view is like from the seats down the straights? How does it compare with the East Stand at UP?