Now Hearn wants to ground share

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.

Moderators: Gnome, Rio, bristolhammerfc, the pink palermo, chalks

Locked
User avatar
Hampshire Hammer
Posts: 10154
Joined: Mon Jul 14, 2003 3:18 pm
Location: Somewhere south of sanity
Has liked: 2429 likes
Total likes: 77 likes

Re: Now Hearn wants to ground share

Post by Hampshire Hammer »

Up the Junction wrote:Does this news change anyone's view about moving to the OS?
No so much this news story, more what the impact could be of a management company taking over the stadium and potentially renting it out to other teams. At the moment we are told that it will be "our home" decked out with West Ham colours and motifs. Will a management company see this as limiting income? It probably wouldn't put off Essex CC or the ECB from staging games, but would it put off a Rugby or NFL team? I can't honestly see Orient being able to pay the likely fees, except maybe for a one off, to use rough figures we're paying £2 million per annum - which is about £100k a match.
User avatar
Iron-worx
Posts: 5288
Joined: Tue Aug 16, 2011 12:44 pm
Location: Rebuilding Lady Garrets Tower

Re: Now Hearn wants to ground share

Post by Iron-worx »

HamburgHammer wrote:I'm amazed that people now actually believe a groundshare with Orient has been rubberstamped by this latest news. What has transpired only tells us what we knew already: There will be a company that manages the renting out of the OS when West Ham are not playing there and anyone can apply.
I'm not, Hearn ropes the dopes absolutely every time, he's a master of making something out of nothing...

There's no news in this at all, it was obvious all along that there would be stadium rental management, and that anybody whoever they are will be able to apply....

It couldn't be any other way.

Here's the novel bit.... There will be a million and one reasons why people won't apply, and another million and one reasons why the answer to those who do apply will be no.
User avatar
Dwight1970
Posts: 1605
Joined: Wed Mar 16, 2005 12:25 am
Location: Sidcup, Kent
Has liked: 19 likes
Total likes: 44 likes

Re: Now Hearn wants to ground share

Post by Dwight1970 »

The thing I don't get is that Hearn seems convinced that outside our use that the stadium will sit empty yet in the same breath he bangs on about it being an iconic venue and that football fans will be rushing there to see us or them play there, why doesn't this logic apply fans of other sports and events so their organisations will not want to use the stadium especially if available at the generous rates Mr Hearn wishes to pay?

Of course there will be periods like Wembley and Twickenham do when the stadium will sit idle but are promoters of say rugby, NFL and other football nations going to ignore such a modern venue with great transport links? Then during August and early September surely it will be a great venue for concerts the events staged in the Park this summer says it will?

In addition to our use, a significant number of dates are reserved for community use and with UK Athletics exclusivity in June/July a lot of the calender is already taken up, ultimately if the best use of the remaining dates available is Leyton Orient it's a wonder why the likes of AEG and LiveNation are bothering to get involved.

Surely in the early years those running the Stadium will go all out to exploit it's commercial potential ensuring a busy schedule of course we have deal in place that ensure our fixtures get priority but unless Mr Hearn somehow pays a premium to enjoy the same how are they going to arrange fixtures that are not known until June when significant dates are likely to be unavailable?

I think Mr Hearn knows he has lost it, his comments now are all about trying to save face and exploit any negative feelings our fans have about moving there.
User avatar
HamburgHammer
Posts: 4020
Joined: Tue Jun 12, 2007 2:06 pm
Location: Too far away from Upton Park, Hamburg, Germany, to be precise
Has liked: 2 likes
Total likes: 7 likes

Re: Now Hearn wants to ground share

Post by HamburgHammer »

Hearn already said he'd be willing to plan his dates around the other events in the OS with permission from the football league, so maybe he'd play Wednesday or Thursday evenings if need be.
But the fact remains thatn Anschutz Entertainment Group or Live Nation will be charging top dollar for usage of the OS in order to maximise profit.
If a community club like Orient cannot commit the necessary monies AEG won't waste a second thought on them, decline their offer and move on, simple as that really.

I'd then love to see Hearn take on a big international player like Anschutz in the courts over them asking for a market going rate from a poor little community club and true representative of an Olympic legacy.
Hearn against AEG, God, I'd happily pay my money to buy a ticket for that...
User avatar
Dwight1970
Posts: 1605
Joined: Wed Mar 16, 2005 12:25 am
Location: Sidcup, Kent
Has liked: 19 likes
Total likes: 44 likes

Re: Now Hearn wants to ground share

Post by Dwight1970 »

Hampshire Hammer wrote: No so much this news story, more what the impact could be of a management company taking over the stadium and potentially renting it out to other teams. At the moment we are told that it will be "our home" decked out with West Ham colours and motifs. Will a management company see this as limiting income? It probably wouldn't put off Essex CC or the ECB from staging games, but would it put off a Rugby or NFL team? I can't honestly see Orient being able to pay the likely fees, except maybe for a one off, to use rough figures we're paying £2 million per annum - which is about £100k a match.
The flipside is that if the ground is decked out in our colours and motifs the surely the onus is on us to maintain these areas and one less cost for the operating company to worry about.
Ultimately we are due to be there for 99 years so sooner or later it will be seen to be our home above anything else so for that reason I doubt it will put off other interested parties.
User avatar
Dwight1970
Posts: 1605
Joined: Wed Mar 16, 2005 12:25 am
Location: Sidcup, Kent
Has liked: 19 likes
Total likes: 44 likes

Re: Now Hearn wants to ground share

Post by Dwight1970 »

HamburgHammer wrote:Hearn already said he'd be willing to plan his dates around the other events in the OS with permission from the football league, so maybe he'd play Wednesday or Thursday evenings if need be.
But the fact remains thatn Anschutz Entertainment Group or Live Nation will be charging top dollar for usage of the OS in order to maximise profit.
If a community club like Orient cannot commit the necessary monies AEG won't waste a second thought on them, decline their offer and move on, simple as that really.

I'd then love to see Hearn take on a big international player like Anschutz in the courts over them asking for a market going rate from a poor little community club and true representative of an Olympic legacy.
Hearn against AEG, God, I'd happily pay my money to buy a ticket for that...
The thing if Hearn wishes to do that then they cannot enter the Premier League on those terms and if they did move to the Olympic Stadium then Thursday night football is more likely than not if the demand for weekend use comes about, are the Orient fans really going to be happy with that?

I am glad I am not alone in thinking that now with our tenancy the immediate future of Stadium is secure and it will be seen as a viable commercial venue in the early years making money and not Mr Hearn paints it as this unwanted drain on the taxpayer.
User avatar
WestHamIFC
Posts: 5684
Joined: Sun Jan 11, 2004 10:18 pm
Location: Essex
Contact:

Re: Now Hearn wants to ground share

Post by WestHamIFC »

Up the Junction wrote:Does this news change anyone's view about moving to the OS?

Would the pro camp accept ground-sharing with Orient?
I wouldn't like it, but we would be the Anchor tenants. Hardly a 'fair' share.

Orient would be very much treated like 2nd class tenants, with their fans forced to walk past West Ham statues, signage & tributes. And sit in Claret & Blue seats, in stands named after Hammer's legends.

I don't recall great howls of derision from our supporters when Charlton moved into the Boleyn in the early 90's.

The ones who hated that situation were the Charlton fans.

Likewise I reckon the ones with the biggest issue will be the O's following. If it does happen they'll probably protest every other game, and force a move to their own home within a few years (hopefully back to Clapton!).
User avatar
hammer
Strangely fascinated with Bonehead's arse.
Posts: 24487
Joined: Thu Dec 05, 2002 11:05 pm

Re: Now Hearn wants to ground share

Post by hammer »

HamburgHammer wrote:community club like Orient
could you please stop repeating hearn's catchphrase. every football club is a community club.
User avatar
HamburgHammer
Posts: 4020
Joined: Tue Jun 12, 2007 2:06 pm
Location: Too far away from Upton Park, Hamburg, Germany, to be precise
Has liked: 2 likes
Total likes: 7 likes

Re: Now Hearn wants to ground share

Post by HamburgHammer »

Sorry hammer, I forgot to put "self-proclaimed so-called community club", I meant to write that actually as I'm sick and tired of Hearn's catchphrases too. He also keeps claiming that Orient have the biggest and best community scheme in the whole country. Is there actually any proof for that ?

When you consider the number of clubs up and down the country, up and down all leagues - are we really supposed to believe that Leyton Orient of all clubs does the most for its community, more than any other club?
Or is that nothing more than PR and marketing posturing by Hearn ?
User avatar
Hampshire Hammer
Posts: 10154
Joined: Mon Jul 14, 2003 3:18 pm
Location: Somewhere south of sanity
Has liked: 2429 likes
Total likes: 77 likes

Re: Now Hearn wants to ground share

Post by Hampshire Hammer »

HamburgHammer wrote:are we really supposed to believe that Leyton Orient of all clubs does the most for its community, more than any other club?
Or is that nothing more than PR and marketing posturing by Hearn ?
Pretty much every club does stuff for their community, and most of them issue claims like "the best" or "one of the best" I expect.

It does piss me off that no one in the media seems to pull up Hearn on comments like this, for example West Ham do plenty for the local community but apparently Orient are a community club but we're not. Our OS offer was linked with Newham council remember, with loads of community support and activities but Hearn and Spurs ****ed up that plan - so how Hearn can claim any sort of community care? There again everybody knows he is a hypocrite
User avatar
cockney hammer
Resident badge expert
Posts: 108461
Joined: Sat Dec 07, 2002 12:52 pm
Location: http://boleynbadges.com
Has liked: 1 like
Total likes: 143 likes
Contact:

Re: Now Hearn wants to ground share

Post by cockney hammer »

And sit in Claret & Blue seats

thought the seats was staying white and black maybe we should change our name to west ham hotspurs
User avatar
DaveWHU1964
Posts: 14869
Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2012 10:14 am
Has liked: 1300 likes
Total likes: 676 likes

Re: Now Hearn wants to ground share

Post by DaveWHU1964 »

Hearn is excellent when it comes to spinning any news regarding the OS. He's at it again here. But he's able to do this because at the end of the day it's not our stadium to decide what can and can't be done with it. We apparently have some sort of veto to stop certain things happening but that's not the same as the decision making we'd have with regards to it if it was truly ours.

I would have no real problem with Orient sharing it so long as they FULLY paid their way and that that helped our own finances. If they weren't prepared/ able to do that but the letting company still somehow found it beneficial to let them share then I'd also have no problem with us walking away from the OS and saying it's all yours Barry. Since our ownership of the stadium was spiked by Levy and Hearn the benefits of moving have greatly diminished. It CAN still help us progress (although that depends on your definition of the word), but as we don't own it that progression will be harder and / or more limited.
User avatar
Rio
Ronnie Biggs was here
Posts: 25987
Joined: Wed Dec 04, 2002 1:29 pm
Location: Reykjavik comma Iceland full stop
Has liked: 159 likes
Total likes: 1080 likes
Contact:

Re: Now Hearn wants to ground share

Post by Rio »

Tomorrow's game against Bristol City postponed due to structural damage. I expect this to form part of his next phase of begging
Locked