David Gold on Talksport today

[hammer2192]

I've listened to the interview now and i think I'm right in saying that no-one has mentioned about the reason why Gold wasn't as open as normal about the OS as on previous occasions, but please correct me if im wrong. He mentioned the fact that developments this morning forced him not to go into too much depth about the OS he described it as "Unresolved issues" and "inappropriate" to talk about the issue. Tottenham allegedly tapping into our phones, this could have been a major turning point on the bid.

[bristolhammerfc]

No one has mentioned how quiet Sullivan seems to be. It seems to be all Gold.

I wonder if the PR team has worked their magic?

[Pop Robson]

Is the correct answer. Or just hop on the bus. Where ever you get thousands upon thousands of people there's going to be ques, no matter how many transport links there are.

Unless it's the OS and Stratford stadium, zero queuing and a seat on every train, just like every rush hour

Not forgetting the 20 minute walk

[Matt of iron]

I take it none of you drive when you say the transport links are ok?

[Pop Robson]

I take it none of you drive when you say the transport links are ok?

When the wife worked at the club for 3 yrs up until 2006, we drove up to every game, got held up on the A13 once and Teddy Sheringham was behind us in his Bentley, we had a word with him and he followed us on a shortcut, alas it meant a a £50 ticket

Still got there on time !

It's all about timing, never once late driving up but haven't done so for 5 yrs, as at £1.40 each way the tube does the trick

[Yea Why Not]

I take it none of you drive when you say the transport links are ok?

Park near the A13 and walk if you don't fancy sitting in traffic

[WestHamIFC]

.. just hop on the bus. Where ever you get thousands upon thousands of people there's going to be ques, no matter how many transport links there are.

Sorry but this misses the point. The transport isn't a big deal for you. Or for me for that matter.

But Gold is talking about expanding the club, That means reaching out to those beyond just you and me.

That means the person who doesn't want to take their screaming kids via train, tube and bus, and then have to queue for a mile back from UP station after dark with them again.
(I might add the buses I see after the game are stuck in motionless traffic on Green St and they ain't moving anywhere soon!)

Like it or not most of our fanbase live out in the likes of Essex these days - given the choice between a single direct rail route to Stratford, or the train journey being only the first part of rail / tube / bus and walking combination it's really not difficult to work out which is the most appealling..

[Yea Why Not]

WestHamIFC,

I live in Essex and can confirm it is much less time consuming for me to get home from UP than it is going to be from Stratford

Also, it is going to take just as long to get on a train from your seat at the OS as it current does from The Boleyn. Maybe even longer

Just so you know.....

[Doc H Ball]

Like it or not most of our fanbase live out in the likes of Essex these days - given the choice between a single direct rail route to Stratford, or the train journey being only the first part of rail / tube / bus and walking combination it's really not difficult to work out which is the most appealling..

This is a interesting point.

The majority of our existing fans do live in Essex and travel via the Southend-Fenchurch St/district line. Most also live and travel along the A13.

Not as many come in via the Chelmsford - Liverpool St/central line or travel down the A12.

It's probably true to say that Stratford (with it's 20 min walk from the station) will be no easier to get to than UP for our existing supporters.

[WestHamIFC]

I live in Essex and can confirm it is much less time consuming for me to get home from UP than it is going to be from Stratford

Yes - depends which part of Essex of course. For the vast majority Stratford will be quicker.

..it is going to take just as long to get on a train from your seat at the OS as it current does from The Boleyn. Maybe even longer

I think most people care more about overall journey time rather than that single element of it. Anyway I very much doubt that opinion is true once you factor in the queueing time of so many joining the same District Lane at UP.

Stratford supports several different tube, overground and rail lines so of course this will split what was previously a massive queue for a single tube line into many short, or maybe even non-existent, queues for multiple transport routes.

[WestHamIFC]

The majority of our existing fans do live in Essex and travel via the Southend-Fenchurch St/district line. Most also live and travel along the A13.

Not as many come in via the Chelmsford - Liverpool St/central line or travel down the A12.

It's probably true to say that Stratford (with it's 20 min walk from the station) will be no easier to get to than UP for our existing supporters.

How do you know this? I know a huge amount come down the A127, and Southend Victoria line into Liverpool St (via Romford, Ilford, etc).

Stratford is also 1 stop from West Ham on the Fenchurch St / District Line connection via the Jubilee.

I would also add it's not just the journey time that adds appeal, but the surroundings. Stratford / OS Park will cater for a Family day out - I don't see E13 offering many family / child friendly options...

[Yea Why Not]

WestHamIfc,

As I have already said, it's your choice to join the 10 minute queue at UP station after a match. There are two other tube stations a short walk away

I can't believe this is being seen as one of the main pros for moving to the OS. I travel one of two ways to a game- 1) We drive, park just off the A13 and walk 10 minutes to the ground or 2) Get a tube to UP then after the match walk to either East Ham or Plaistow

If you can't be ****ed to wait at UP for 10 minutes to board a train then walk

I queue for nothing more than a few pre match beers

It was today confirmed that a running track will be in place around the pitch for at least 99 years. They could offer me a spaceship ride from my seat to my door step and I'd still be against it

[Doc H Ball]

How do you know this? I know a huge amount come down the A127, and Southend Victoria line into Liverpool St (via Romford, Ilford, etc).

Stratford is also 1 stop from West Ham on the Fenchurch St / District Line connection via the Jubilee.

I would also add it's not just the journey time that adds appeal, but the surroundings. Stratford / OS Park will cater for a Family day out - I don't see E13 offering many family / child friendly options...

And how do you know that it is the reverse? I still say that most of our fans live in the Thames corridor. For them it's further having to go past UP and change at West Ham/Mile End.

I accept that others come from elsewhere, but this assumed myth that it will be easier to get to the OS (ignoring the 20 min walk from Stratford station) ain't necessarily true.

As for the appeal of the area, personally I prefer the real world to a shopping Mall. You ignore the fact that many of us fans have grown up around East Ham. Nowhere near as many will be walking to the OS.

[MikeNewell'sOldBoys]

WestHamIfc,
As I have already said, it's your choice to join the 10 minute queue at UP station after a match.

How many times have you tried to queue at UP station in the past few years? I've regularly been stuck waiting for at least half an hour.

There are two other tube stations a short walk away

Depends where you sit in the ground to how easy they are to get to. If you're in TBL it's going to take a while to walk round the stadium, against the flow of traffic, towards East Ham.

I can't believe this is being seen as one of the main pros for moving to the OS.

Far more tube, overground and train lines as well as buses will run to stratford. I can't believe how you can't see how some of our support may find it easier to get to the ground and would see that as a contributing factor to being in support of the move.

[ShanghaiHammer]

What a lot of bull**** from him about "we have to move to the OS if we want to expand". Truly. Rubbish.

Why? Will a few more ticket sales bring in that much revenue? Will 'improved transport links' stop West Ham losing to the shittiest of teams at home, and/or playing just awfully now and then?

It's a con. Very happy to stay at UP. Cannot find one single reason for moving.

[maltab]

Can,t understand those of you who run the length of Green St,to get a tube,then get off 3 stops later.
Reckon there should be a seperate entrance at Upton Park tube station for those who live further afield,to get priority on the trains
so we can get home a bit quicker.
Joking aside - it is bloody stressful queing with my kids at the station,when you have limited time to get back to Paddington for a 3 hr journey home.

[brownout]

East Ham & Plaistow are quicker to walk to from the Boleyn than it will be to get to Stratford from the OS.
Look how long it takes to get away from Arsenal, another stadium with plenty of stations not too far away, but
limited walking routes away from the actual stadium.

[Yea Why Not]

MikeNewell'sOldBoys,

If you wait for half an hour then fair enough and I obviously can't say that you don't. How you do however, I don't know. If ever I can't be ****ed to walk to one of the two easily accessible surrounding stations and I join the queue at UP i'm on a train in no longer than 10-15 minutes. I've been going West Ham for years and this has always been the case

I am in no way disagreeing that Stafford is a far superior station to UP. But if some people read this forum they'd think we have one station within miles of the ground with one train coming in and out every hour. As I have already said, it will take you just as long to get on a train from your seat at the OS as it currently does at The Boleyn

If you can't be ****ed to wait in the queue at UP then take the short walk to either East Ham or Plaistow

[fmgod]

East Ham & Plaistow are quicker to walk to from the Boleyn than it will be to get to Stratford from the OS.
Look how long it takes to get away from Arsenal, another stadium with plenty of stations not too far away, but
limited walking routes away from the actual stadium.

That was so annoying, not only that all the fans funnel out together in the same area, could cause havoc.

[morganwhu]

After doing Brighton away last month, getting away from Upton Park is a doddle.

We have UP, Plaistow and East Ham tube all within walking distance and a bus upto Canning Town could disperse alot of people.

The key is transporting people to Canning Town and Stratford

I think someone on here done a mock-up last year of a new East Stand with the road still running under it, it looked fantastic and would be my preference all day long.