From a business perspective, it was not hard to understand why West Ham United found it impossible to resist the allure of the London Stadium, with its agreeably large capacity, vast corporate facilities,
Andrew Miller Youth Jersey proximity to the capital’s centre and Olympic legacy. It seemed to tick all the boxes for a club looking to reach the next level, as long as everyone kept in mind the football team that was going to play there. They would have to feel as comfortable as those sitting in the posh seats. After almost a year in their new home, they don’t.
West Ham’s players have played ball in public, obligingly telling the world about what a thrill it is to play in such a wonderful, modern stadium, even though they have suffered some humiliations there this season. The truth is different in private, where the brave faces disappear and the grumbling begins. Slaven Bilic’s team feel so uneasy in the stadium one senior player describes the Stratford experience as “terrible”.
The obvious counter to such complaints is West Ham have a poor home record because they are a poor team led by an average manager. In normal circumstances, that would be enough. West Ham endured enough ordeals at Upton Park to know a stadium’s power is limited. True,
http://www.authenticyankeeshop.com/authentic-46-andy-pettitte-jersey.html Manchester City have hit nine without reply on their two visits to the London Stadium, Arsenal won 5-1 and even Astra Giurgiu came away with a 1-0 victory that led to the Romanian underdogs qualifying for the Europa League, but what’s new? When West Ham were relegated in 2003, they did not win at Upton Park until the end of January.
There is finite value to be gained from romanticising Upton Park. The atmosphere could be damagingly poisonous, the facilities were tired and the transport links dismal. It held 35,000 and West Ham made £26.9m in matchday revenue last season.
Ben Revere Youth Jersey The London Stadium holds 57,000 and West Ham are seeking permission to increase its capacity to 66,000. Supporters with open minds simply had to do the maths to understand the board’s position and accept this was West Ham’s chance to take on Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur on a stronger financial footing.
Those who are less certain can expect West Ham’s vice-chair, Karren Brady, to point to 52,000 season-ticket holders, 10,000 under-16s who regularly attend matches, 36,000 members and a waiting list for season tickets that stretches to 55,000. She is also proud of the club’s rise to 18th in the Deloitte Money League after turning over £144m in 2016. Season ticket prices have been frozen.
The numbers are impressive. Yet where there was excitement last August, by October there was cynicism over slapdash summer signings, stewarding and ticketing problems, an increasingly lacklustre atmosphere,
http://www.officialnationalshop.com/authentic-14-chris-heisey-jersey.html violence inside and outside the ground and the awkward sight of large pockets of empty seats during some games. Post-match queues for trains at Stratford have tested even the mildest of tempers, which definitely was not in the brochure.
It would all be easier for supporters to stomach if the team were in better shape. There have been flashes of promise – Andy Carroll’s overhead kick against Crystal Palace, the League Cup win over Chelsea in October – but the experience has been disappointing overall. Having challenged for Champions League qualification in their smaller, traditional ground last season, West Ham have flirted with relegation this time. Fifteenth with three matches left, they could still be relegated. The London Stadium move was not made with the Championship in mind.
West Ham will be fortunate to survive another year of this. They host Tottenham on Friday and Liverpool next Sunday. Lose both matches and they will end the season with six home wins, four draws and nine defeats, having lost three times in the league at Upton Park last season.
