wednesday's news 4th april includes west ham

[Side of Ham]

Seems to me the economics of this are too good to back away from > Sky Sports are the biggest factor in these kind of economic opportunities now being possible > Your average West Ham fan who moans about traditions being eroded and not wanting the OS move are in the main Sky Sports subscribers, subscribing to watch in the main other teams.

If we was watching from the position that Karen watches, could you honestly not see all football fans as mugs addicted to their team.

[adie]

so Karren Brady is publicly telling the media what the SAB were shown or not shown as the case may be, she says that 100% are in support of the move, yet we all know that's a lie, mywhufc has always said he is against the move and I don't believe he has changed his mind. By her announcing what the SAB has seen should mean they are now free to tell all what they have seen. Time for the truth to come out I think.

[Bishops Finger]

What Planet is Karren Brady on? Claiming that 100% of West Ham fans are behind the move is ridiculous!!

The last time I looked the KUMB poll showed over 60% against the move - how can she reconcile this?

The Olympic Stadium has no Hospitality facilities, no plumbing, no undersoil heating for god's sake - I don't like to admit it but Tottenham's plan to knock it down and rebuild a purpose-built football stadium, would be the best thing to do.

A bigger question is why all this money has been spent (or basically wasted!) to produce a Stadium which is not fit for any future use - I always thought that the 'Legacy' left by the Games was supposed to be important.

[Side of Ham]

so Karren Brady is publicly telling the media what the SAB were shown or not shown as the case may be, she says that 100% are in support of the move, yet we all know that's a lie, mywhufc has always said he is against the move and I don't believe he has changed his mind. By her announcing what the SAB has seen should mean they are now free to tell all what they have seen. Time for the truth to come out I think.

The truth is it is too far down the line for football clubs to turn down any kind of expansion opportunities, especially ones with a decent customer base, which could be increased if all went well, in our case also situated in a major world capital city.

[rare as rockinghorse shat]

More reaffirmation that people really do lack the basic skills to read and fully decipher stories and detail.

[Aceface]

I started off genuinely excited about the move to Stratford, as I thought it would open up a new future for us. Then I was tentatively in favour. Then we got the rug pulled out from under us and I went back into the undecided column. Now, especially after having experienced this season, I think I'm finally in the 'no' camp. There's no guarantee we're going to be in the top division - sitting in a half empty stadium in the championship would be awful.

I really wish there was a way to make it work because in principle it's an exciting opportunity to change the trajectory of the club, but not owning it, and the running track being permanent, are two factors which just can't be dismissed.

[Bobby Orangeboom]

More reaffirmation that people really do lack the basic skills to read and fully decipher stories and detail.

[Side of Ham]

Karen Brady is on planet branding, that's all it is for her, and it's all it should be for her as she can make unemotional business choices for whatever brand she is dealing with at the time.

[derek zoolander]

There's only really one thing I am taking from that story & that is that the view in that photo is ****ing horrendous!

What will be will be. If we stay at the Boleyn Ground life will be harder (that's not to say I wouldn't prefer we stay from the information I currently have).

Let's see what the actual plans for the stadium are. Nobody knows yet. They may have something decent planned.

[Matt of iron]

You bunch of plums.

Read what she actually says!

[rare as rockinghorse shat]

I think I may be getting to the point of beyond caring.

Such is the way football has become, we'd just be lumped in with the rest of it.
What once set us apart - The Boleyn Ground, with it's closed in, intimidating, unique atmosphere - is now just an unhealthy cauldron of spite and negativity which is doing the club no favours.

Of course, I'd much prefer redevelopment of the current place to bring it up to 45,000, with terracing if and when it gets approved, or an injection of funds from a rich supporter to enable us to build a new purpose made stadium, but let's face it, it's all a pipe dream, isn't it?

Football has gone down the pan. The Boleyn is going down the pan. Seems not to matter where the **** we play. So a change of 'trajectory' as Aceface nicely put it, could be beneficial all round.

[Kent-Hammer15]

Cheers CH

[trick88]

What is that thing to the left of the stadium above the roof? It seems to resemble the worlds craziest rollcoaster....

Everything Olympic is bent

Olympic park 'orbit' viewing tower.. its just red twisted metal, ugly thing!

[Side of Ham]

RARS well said, exactly how i see it without putting it into 20 paragraphs, in an ideal footballing utopia that's how i'd like it, but football has lost all it's ideals, so the clubs are forced by lack of major finances and a lack of patience from their customers to try the other option, to go against their traditions in the only hope they can stay with the leading pack, a leading pack which isn't at all what it is made out to be, just look at the state of English football it isn't really beautiful to watch is it.

[The Bish]

When you look at those pictures of the stadium it looks like the grass area is just the square for the fields events.

If the grass is put right out to the edge of the running track it might not look that bad. City of Manchester Stadium ws converted so why not this one.

Think it is time to accept that is where we are going and there is not that much we can do about it.

Maybe once detailed plans are in available it would look better.

Selling Upton Park which in turn would reduce our debt considerably making us a self sufficient club sounds o.k to.

Might not get 60k if we move today but it does open it up to others. As long as they have a section for the moaners and boos.

If it has the same site lines as Wembly not too sure what the issues are.

My glass is half full on this one! It looks impressive from the outside when i go past it at Stratford.

Harlow Hammer,

The Man City stadium was originally designed to be converted to a football stadium after. They actually built the stands going down to football pitch level then built over the top of them for the commonwealth games. Afterwards they just had to dig them out.

Also during the games one end of the stadium never joined with the rest of the stadium so that it could be pulled down after and then allow them to bring it in and make it much more suitable to football....



Sadly i also think it is likely we will be moving to the olympic stadium, a slapdash concept which no one took the time to think about how it could be used properly afterwards. We may be getting labelled deluded at the moment, but christ knows what that must make the people who decided that this olympic stadium could survive on athletics alone after 2012 and didn't require any versatility in its post olympics role...

[the pink palermo]

I thought what was discussed at the SAB meeting was confidential.? Given Brady's disclosures perhaps an SAB member can confirm now:

1.. Did you see 'detailed plans'?
2.. Did you see a breakdown of the 'finances'?
3.. Was there no 'single dissenting voice'?
4.. Did the Report submitted reflect the '100% support' amongst fans for the move?

With pleasure Doc .

As you have pointed out, it appears public comment is permissable .

1. Depends upon what your interpretation of "detailed plans" is .From memory we were shown , on an overhead projector screen , four graphic illustrations .One I think showed a hotel at one end of the stadium , and at the other, treble banked Corporate boxes .There was nothing in any way , in my opinion, that was "detailed" .To describe it as such is a stretch .I have specified factories to be built in my time and I know the difference between an outline " concept" and a detailed plan .

2.Breakdown on the finances ? No .Not at the meeting I was at anyway .Two figures were mentioned by Karren , and again from memory one was about £90m , the other about £120m - the key point being in the space of 5 minutes she stated two numbers that were miles apart .That told me it was a very broad brush she was using -not suprising given she wouldn't know , as there were no detailed plans ( see point 1) .In terms of the "opportunity" , the following quote is from the minutes of the meeting - minutes issued by a club executive by the way


...........( name deleted to preserve anonymity) ..... asked a series of questions regarding the potential income and the commercial arrangements in respect of the Stadium specifically in respect of the opportunity for the club. KB explained that the commercial arrangements really could not be discussed




3. No dissenting voice ? Simply not true .

4. 100% support for the move ? If she is referring to the show of hands , again simply untrue.Two questions were asked , and I raised my hand to neither .To suggest 100% for the move is simply a lie .

Furthermore, here is an exceprt written by one member of the SAB in a report submitted to the club by the SAB :


The fans to whom I have spoken form what I believe to be a realistic cross section , comprising STH's both home and away, lapsed attendees to the Boleyn, priced out of regular attendence , and ranging in age from 10 - 81 .My sample size would be at least 200 fans , with the people who sponsored me onto the SAB having attended approximately 5000 matches between them .



To be clear , not one single fan to whom I have spoken is excited by , and enthused in any way about the proposed relocation to Stratford .At best , 20 or 30 have given it a tentative "if we have to" endorsement

That comment was not unusual in terms of the feedback presented in my opinion .

Now, in the interests of balance, I would point out there were quite a few people - a majority even - of the people at the OS focus group of the SAB, that were enthusiastic about the move, and who did vote for it .

That much is true , but to suggest there was not a single dissenting voice , and 100 % support for the move is simply untrue .

The comments attributed to our Vice Chair do her no favours , and I would question her integrity, as well as her competence were she to stand by them .

[Aceface]

I think I may be getting to the point of beyond caring.

Such is the way football has become, we'd just be lumped in with the rest of it.
What once set us apart - The Boleyn Ground, with it's closed in, intimidating, unique atmosphere - is now just an unhealthy cauldron of spite and negativity which is doing the club no favours.

It's funny - the way the Boleyn 'experience' has been this season - bad results, cranky booing crowds, Hammerhead - has made it as unappealing a place as I can ever remember it being. Which would have been a godsend for the board's plan to convince people to support a change of scene had the whole initial tender not fallen apart. As it is, we're left with two not overly appealing options - roll the dice and see whether a move to Stratford increases the club's fanbase and revenue or simply makes us into a laughing stock playing in a half empty cavern; or stay put and continue plodding along the same middling path we always have.

[Ticket 2 Ryde]

Thanks CH ...

This season is starting to leave a bitter taste... So much bad feeling throughout the club.
Supporters fighting fellow supporters . Fans booing the team.
BFS constantly dissing the club..
Karren Brady selling the OS to us like it's a energy drink... Not looking great!

[w6hammer]

I started off genuinely excited about the move to Stratford, as I thought it would open up a new future for us. Then I was tentatively in favour. Then we got the rug pulled out from under us and I went back into the undecided column. Now, especially after having experienced this season, I think I'm finally in the 'no' camp. There's no guarantee we're going to be in the top division - sitting in a half empty stadium in the championship would be awful.

I really wish there was a way to make it work because in principle it's an exciting opportunity to change the trajectory of the club, but not owning it, and the running track being permanent, are two factors which just can't be dismissed.

good post and endorse all you say.

[Chester Hammer]

Cheers CH

Also thanks to Pinky for your detailed insight!

Have to agree with RARS it really is getting to the point were I am beyond caring, fact is we will prob be going whether the majority wish to or not