Decision on stadium likely to be delayed

An archive of news, events and discussion leading up to and post West Ham United's historic move from Upton Park to Stratford in 2016.

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paulhs1
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Re: Decision on stadium likely to be delayed

Post by paulhs1 »

Mr_Andersonn wrote:How many fans did we have at Wembley today? How many more tickets could we have sold?

Many of my mates including myself were unable to get a ticket.

Can we fill the Olympic Stadium? You bet your life we can...

Do we have the fan base? Of course we do...
I think there needs to be a relaity check here.

It was our first appearance at Wembley for 31 years, the first as the new stadium, a one off match that was a play off final. It is simply unrealistic to compare the demand for tickets for that match with a normal league match.
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Re: Decision on stadium likely to be delayed

Post by Mr_Andersonn »

My point is, we have the fan base.
I know many people who didn't get tickets. More so than did.
People have asked where are these so called addiitonal fans coming from, well they were out in force at Wembley.
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Re: Decision on stadium likely to be delayed

Post by paulhs1 »

Mr_Andersonn wrote:My point is, we have the fan base.
I know many people who didn't get tickets. More so than did.
People have asked where are these so called addiitonal fans coming from, well they were out in force at Wembley.
There is no debating the fan base, but does it mean they will come to a normal league match at Stratford. I heard so many people in the last 2 weeks state how "I want to watch us play at Wembley" I'm not so sure you will have as many people say the same thing for Stratford after the novelty has worn off. Our attendances and the need to lower ticket prices this season backs that up.
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Re: Decision on stadium likely to be delayed

Post by Iron-worx »

Mr_Andersonn wrote:My point is, we have the fan base.
I know many people who didn't get tickets. More so than did.
People have asked where are these so called addiitonal fans coming from, well they were out in force at Wembley.
Yes we have the fan base no doubting, more didn't get tickets than did, but that was for an extraordinarily attractive game.

Transport would be so much easier at the OS and that would attract many, if tickets cost less than at the Boleyn then that may reattract the many who have been priced out...

I've no doubt that for the more attractive games the gaff would be rocking, cheap tickets and pay at the turnstile availability for the less attractive games sounds likely too
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WHUTerry
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Re: Decision on stadium likely to be delayed

Post by WHUTerry »

paulhs1 wrote: 
There is no debating the fan base, but does it mean they will come to a normal league match at Stratford. I heard so many people in the last 2 weeks state how "I want to watch us play at Wembley" I'm not so sure you will have as many people say the same thing for Stratford after the novelty has worn off. Our attendances and the need to lower ticket prices this season backs that up.
Clearly demand for a Wembley final is always going to be higher. I think it provided further proof though that a large fan base is there. The point is that the people who wanted to see us at Wembley but couldn't get a ticket are still West Ham fans. The key is to work out how they can be converted into regular attendees at the OS. The right pricing structure, transport, atmosphere, how we perform on the pitch, etc will be the deciding factors but the potential is there.
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Re: Decision on stadium likely to be delayed

Post by Diogenes »

I believe our win on Saturday has now made the move inevitable.
We never did have a say or even the remotest chance of a say. I have said this before but I think worth saying again. Lets not waste anymore energy on trying to change things which are out of our hands and focus on trying to influence the things we can i.e. seating proximity to pitch, facilities etc. Who is right or wrong is pointless and devisive. A stadium, like a house, is only made a home by the people in it.
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Re: Decision on stadium likely to be delayed

Post by mywhufc »

Wembley we get 50,000 fans yet at home we struggle to sell out, part timers who only want to see the good times perhaps but will walk away when we hit a bad patch, you can't move to a bigger ground on that basis.
If wembley is used as a yardstick the daves won't need to offer cheap tickets because no £10-20 tickets on offer yet we still sell 40,000.
I've seen people say I want cheaper tickets and better players, good luck with that equation
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Re: Decision on stadium likely to be delayed

Post by brownout »

Millwall took the highest club support to Wembley a few years ago - 50,000. So have they got the support to fill a 60,000 seater stadium?
Of course we have large numbers for cup finals but if they weren't bothered enough to go to for example the Birmingham League game in April, or the semi final last year, how often will they go to Stratford?
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Re: Decision on stadium likely to be delayed

Post by EvilC »

Mr_Andersonn wrote:My point is, we have the fan base.
I know many people who didn't get tickets. More so than did.
People have asked where are these so called addiitonal fans coming from, well they were out in force at Wembley.
And everyone else's point is, they are of little relevance to the debate if they only turn out once a year for a marquee fixture.
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Re: Decision on stadium likely to be delayed

Post by WHURS »

How can you not attach relevance to the numbers at Wembley?

Every West Ham fan in the ground had to have either a season ticket, membership, or previous booking history. So that means 99% of the people there have already put their time and money into the club this year!! with thousands who either didn't use their own references through the year or just couldn't get tickets were locked out.

it does show with the correct marketing we will comfortably average 50k+ at the OS
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brownout
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Re: Decision on stadium likely to be delayed

Post by brownout »

WHURS wrote:How can you not attach relevance to the numbers at Wembley?

Every West Ham fan in the ground had to have either a season ticket, membership, or previous booking history. So that means 99% of the people there have already put their time and money into the club this year!! with thousands who either didn't use their own references through the year or just couldn't get tickets were locked out.

it does show with the correct marketing we will comfortably average 50k+ at the OS
So why can't we fill Upton Park - even for big games?
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Re: Decision on stadium likely to be delayed

Post by EvilC »

WHURS wrote:How can you not attach relevance to the numbers at Wembley?

Every West Ham fan in the ground had to have either a season ticket, membership, or previous booking history. So that means 99% of the people there have already put their time and money into the club this year!! with thousands who either didn't use their own references through the year or just couldn't get tickets were locked out.

it does show with the correct marketing we will comfortably average 50k+ at the OS
None of the fans in the Blackpool end required any of those things. Also, it's fairly clear that a lot of tickets went through the club and not the ticket office. The point is that you can't make every game a play-off final, no matter how hard you try. Where were all these people for the bog standard games, this season and last?

Like the guy said above, given that Millwall had 50,000 at Wembley, do they need a 60,000 seater stadium?
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Re: Decision on stadium likely to be delayed

Post by Denbighammer »

WHURS wrote:it does show with the correct marketing we will comfortably average 50k+ at the OS
I reckon you'd be lucky to get over 50,000 people once or twice a season and that would be dependant on television picking the right fixtures (i.e. our most attractive games NOT being on SKY).

With TV showing more and more matches I can see attendances dipping if anything. People simply cannot afford it. Even the bloody train fare from our Essex heartlands is extortionate. For a STH based out there you can take your £700 ST and add £200 in travel costs. People can't afford it. I've already seen one poster on here question having a ST as so many games will be televised.
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Re: Decision on stadium likely to be delayed

Post by Mr_Andersonn »

My guess for us not filling Upton Park is the availability of decent tickets.

Every time I apply for a ticket I end up at the back of the Alpari or tucked up away on the sides of the Bobby Moore Upper.

I am not a season ticket holder but have gone to a fair number of games over the years and the casual fan does not get a decent choice of seating and rightly so as this should go to the regulars.

Maybe the OS will give a greater variety of seating, and a greater variety of pricing, I don't know, it's just a guess.
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Re: Decision on stadium likely to be delayed

Post by Denbighammer »

Mr_Andersonn wrote:My guess for us not filling Upton Park is the availability of decent tickets.
I'm not having a go but do you honestly think that the good seats in the OS will be available to the average fan who doesn't either have a.) a ST or b.) a lot of cash to spend?

If your complaining about the views now, particularly those offered to the casual fan such as yourself, I cannot see how you won't find the addition of a running track an appealing prospect?
Mr_Andersonn wrote: Maybe the OS will give a greater variety of seating, and a greater variety of pricing, I don't know, it's just a guess.
On this point, I think you're absolutely correct. There will be ore variety of tickets available but the quality of the views and experience will, in all probability, suffer. The cheap seats will offer a significantly worse view to the fan who has neither the means nor inclination to lash out £50-70 for a boggo league match, so they will be forced to sit miles away, disconneted from the action and taking the club further away from our ethos as a homely, vibrant family-orientated club.
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Re: Decision on stadium likely to be delayed

Post by Mr_Andersonn »

Until we know what will happen with the lower tier we cannot really comment on the views there. As it stands the complete lower tier is unsuitable. But, If the stadium plans are anywhere as decent as Mr Gold suggests then the lower tier will house about 15,000 - 20,000 all much closer to the pitch than it currently is.

From what I have seen, I personally think the views from the upper tier seem decent enough and there will be atleast 25,000 - 30,000 non corporate seats in the upper tier.

I believe our season ticket holders are about 17,000, It will be interesting to see what this number is if and when we go the the OS.

The decision should have been made by now and we should have seen the plans but unfortunately we now have to wait until July.
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Re: Decision on stadium likely to be delayed

Post by Yorkshire 'ammer »

I think it's a sensible decision to delay the announcement by 8 weeks. It gives the legal bods extra time to get things locked down air-tight and it stops the games being sullied by those who would no doubt use the event as a platform to voice consternation and fuel their own agendas. You can't take or threaten legal action if you don't know who's going to get it.
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Re: Decision on stadium likely to be delayed

Post by hadleighhammer »

Mr_Andersonn wrote:My guess for us not filling Upton Park is the availability of decent tickets.

Every time I apply for a ticket I end up at the back of the Alpari or tucked up away on the sides of the Bobby Moore Upper.
If daytrippers don't go as they don't like the views they certainly won't go to the OS.
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Re: Decision on stadium likely to be delayed

Post by bobcar »

Denbighammer wrote: With TV showing more and more matches I can see attendances dipping if anything. People simply cannot afford it. Even the bloody train fare from our Essex heartlands is extortionate. For a STH based out there you can take your £700 ST and add £200 in travel costs. People can't afford it. I've already seen one poster on here question having a ST as so many games will be televised.
For me it adds on around £400 and a lot of people travel further than I do (Berkshire).
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Re: Decision on stadium likely to be delayed

Post by prophet:marginal »

Mr_Andersonn wrote:My point is, we have the fan base.
I know many people who didn't get tickets. More so than did.
People have asked where are these so called addiitonal fans coming from, well they were out in force at Wembley.
Fans without memberships are fans that pick and choose their games and I now include myself in that.

However, last season, when I was STH, we didn't sell out the semi-final of a domestic cup competition.

Wembley is and was a one-off event. The OS will be half-full at best for most matches.
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