brownout wrote:Other than a few early morning and night services C2C trains don't stop at Stratford, although in the last two years some weekend trains in the weeks before Christmas have been diverted via Stratford to serve Westfield. No one has said that they will do this for West Ham games. They might but even if they do I suspect that it will still be quicker to walk to West Ham than to queue up to get into Stratford station.
Not true,
From Ockendon where I live every time I got a train on Saturday it went via Stratford, before the Swansea game in Feb I got a train and that took me to Stratford not West Ham.
I believe it is every weekend
mywhufc wrote:
Stratford to west ham station, change to district, 2 stops Upton park.
10 minutes,
If there not coming now because of 10 extra minutes, will they really come, and keep coming.
It's a fallacy that people don't come because of transport and transport ease is no reason to support the move
How is it a fallacy?
Use Billericay as an example...
Current journey - Billericay to Stratford, Stratford to West Ham, West Ham to Upton Park.
New journey - Billericay - Stratford
mywhufc is right. I go From Romford via West Ham. The Stratford to Upton Park leg takes ten minutes if that. It's really not that much of a saving by chopping it off.
mywhufc wrote:
Stratford to west ham station, change to district, 2 stops Upton park.
10 minutes,
If there not coming now because of 10 extra minutes, will they really come, and keep coming.
It's a fallacy that people don't come because of transport and transport ease is no reason to support the move
sutts07 wrote:How is it a fallacy?
Use Billericay as an example...
Current journey - Billericay to Stratford, Stratford to West Ham, West Ham to Upton Park.
New journey - Billericay - Stratford
Are you saying that there are people in Billerciay that will look at stages 2 and 3 of that journey and say "no, not doing it" 10 extra minutes on a 40/50 minute journey but will then say the will once it's only part 1 of the journey. Because I don't believe there is.
mywhufc wrote:
Are you saying that there are people in Billerciay that will look at stages 2 and 3 of that journey and say "no, not doing it" 10 extra minutes on a 40/50 minute journey but will then say the will once it's only part 1 of the journey. Because I don't believe there is.
If they do exist then they are no loss. If you can't commit to an extra 20mins per match then you can't be much of a supporter.
Denbighammer wrote:
If they do exist then they are no loss. If you can't commit to an extra 20mins per match then you can't be much of a supporter.
Pretty much what I was saying a couple of years ago and got loads of abuse from some very pro people - most of whom don't go now and I'd bet money won't be regular attendees at the OS.
Will they be cheaper? People will surely be buying the same ticket?
Pop Robson wrote:
shorter journey,
As said, if half an hour or less makes a difference to going or not you're not much of a fan IMO
Pop Robson wrote:
cheaper match day prices
Like they flooded in for the cheap league cup games you mean? I agree that ticket prices need to drop as part of a drive to get more regulars, I'm not convinced it will happen, but it needs to be part of an overall strategy.
mywhufc wrote:
Are you saying that there are people in Billerciay that will look at stages 2 and 3 of that journey and say "no, not doing it" 10 extra minutes on a 40/50 minute journey but will then say the will once it's only part 1 of the journey. Because I don't believe there is.
I'm almost certain that there are people in Billericay (and many other towns) who would currently be put off by two changes on the underground but would be attracted by the thought of jumping on just one train and being there in half an hour.
I honestly think there are around 20-30k fans who take a 'I go when I can' attitude to West Ham games. These fans are more likely to turn into 'week in week' out fans once we move.
That might not make them the most loyal supporters and I can understand people saying that they do not want fans like that. My point is, I think they will be coming to games at the new stadium regardless of what today's loyal fans think or say.
sutts07 wrote:I honestly think there are around 20-30k fans who take a 'I go when I can' attitude to West Ham games. These fans are more likely to turn into 'week in week' out fans once we move.
Sutts, I applaud your optimism but what you are predicting would be a truly unbelievable turnaround in fan behaviour. Has the club done any research to show any evidence that this might be at all realistic?
I don't think there are thousands of exiles waiting to return purely due to travel issues, which hardly exist, i do believe people would return if we had a succesful entertaining side and reasonably priced tickets, i have stopped going to upton park purely due to the lack of entertainment on offer and the high cost of tickets, i still do away games purely to have a day out with mates, its sometimes cheaper even with the cost of travel, i can still see me carrying on this way even though i only live 20 mins walk to the olympic park.
We are largely exortionate to watch at the moment, particularly for what we have to suffer on the pitch.
If the OS genuinely does allow a very decent number of cheaper tickets, I think that, coupled with even marginally better transport links, woiuld mean some are overly pessimistic about our chances of filling the stadium.
We're a well supported club across the whole country, if we make it cheaper and easier to get to the ground from the South West/Midlands etc, I think many will be surprised at how many more visitors we'll get that simply couldn't justify coming to see us before.
Just got to keep them there. Season two, as Pinky says.
wizzo_66 wrote:
We're a well supported club across the whole country, if we make it cheaper and easier to get to the ground from the South West/Midlands etc, I think many will be surprised at how many more visitors we'll get that simply couldn't justify coming to see us before.
Not so sure. For me to come down costs me £80+ on the train and takes ages. If the match over-runs (assuming its a 3pm Saturday kickoff) then its a mad dash across town to get the train back. Driving is nearly as costly and means I obviously can't have a beer. Travel is a huge part of the cost of the day for those coming further. If match prices dropped even 50% it would still be bloody expensive because of the travel.
Yes, I could book the train in advance to save some cash but the times SKy change the kickoff times it's a constant risk I'll be buying a train for another day.
Denbighammer
You are correct that because the travel links are better it doesn't make them cheaper, so trying to attract fans from far and wide to fill the stadium would only work if people could book them up in advance, which as pointed out is hit and miss due to games being switched for t.v, and as pointed out in the parking thread, there will be none.
I agree with all of that, I face the same problem, although to a lesser extent from the South West.
But I do think if some match tickets are available for around half the price they are at the moment (£25 ish?) I think that will be enough to offset some of the transport issues/cost.
Your day out becomes closer to £100, rather than pushing £150.