A large section of West Ham United fans are unhappy with how the club’s heralded move to the Olympic Stadium has panned out.
West Ham’s move to Stratford from their beloved Upton Park was beset by problems from the start.
The first season at the London Stadium was marred by in-fighting among the club’s fans to segregation issues, violent scenes between home and away supporters, a general dissatisfaction with the distance from the stands to the pitch and concerns over the atmosphere at a ground many refer to as ‘soulless’.
This season things do seem more settled and the Hammers fans have proved how loyal they are to the club by selling out 52,000 season tickets once again.
However one of the biggest bones of contention remains the huge distance between the stands and the pitch, the polar opposite of Upton Park.
Having signed a 99-year lease many supporters are disillusioned at the prospect of a long-term future at the ground in it’s current state.
Many supporters felt there were broken promises over the move and that has seen a lot of vitriol directed at co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold and their vice-chairman Karren Brady.
Indeed supporters are planning a protest march next month to make their feelings clear.
Fans have been led to believe that even if the owners did one day buy the stadium outright, redeveloping the ground to be closer to the pitch and more suited to football might be an impossibility.
But supporters have taken great encouragement from pictures emerging from Russia ahead of the 2018 World Cup.
The 81,000 capacity Luzhniki Stadium has finished its renovation works ahead of the finals and looks stunning, as this aerial view taken with a drone shows.
The Luzhniki has been converted into a football-specific stadium as the running track was removed and seating rake was overhauled to enable the stands to be moved right next to the pitch and sightlines improved.
The conversion has sparked optimism among Hammers fans that their own problems could one day be solved at the London Stadium.
However with reconstruction costs topping £300 million it remains highly unlikely Sullivan or Gold would be willing to foot the bill.
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