Iron-worx wrote:
That's a good post, lots of fact and sound interpretation - I believe that Hertha moved once due to a period of low attendance 1986-89 when they slipped down into the third tier (ridiculous size of stadium for a third division club) and twice due to refurbs1975 and 2000-04, plus some obviously to be low attended matches on one off bases....
I agree that an athletics stadium is not ideal for a football club, but I have to balance that with the options which are not really anything beyond staying at the Boleyn or moving to the OS...
I do think that the OS given modifications and an agreeable tenancy, both things which I think are likely due to the desire to let the stadium, could make for a better overall package than staying at the Boleyn all beauty spots and warts of both options considered....
That's why I'm reservedly in favour of a move pending on knowing exactly what the modifications and tenancy will be given that the stadium is awarded to us which I think it extremely likely to be.
I can empathise with the final lines.
Sadly I do think us regular spectators are increasingly becoming more like "filmed before a live studio audience". The financial input from us is becoming less and less important. TV and corporate money is the big money, especially the worldwide market.
For every Blue Chip company that Chelsea, Spurs and Arsenal get in their corporate facilities, we get Arkwright's Builders, and Fred's Fish & Chip Emporium. The past two seasons, I have enjoyed some time in the corporate lounges of West Ham..mainly because the offers have been so cheap. We are really percieved as a "blue collar" parochial club from the wrong side of London. You are more likely to have a table next to a former face of the ICF than a senior manager of ICI.
Will this change when we move to the OS? I am not so sure. I knew Ms Brady has been making a lot of advances to the Corporate World of Canary Wharf, Perhaps the OS will be more attractive to a corporate booker than Green St.
Will the move be more attractive to a worldwide audience? Again perhaps, but if we want to be more attractive, why not go the whole hog and change our name to Olympica London?