West Ham United are in the middle of a fight to see a major club landmark relocated to its new Olympic Stadium home.
The Hammers brought the curtain down on 112 years at their beloved Boleyn Ground last summer as they moved to their new 60,000 seater Olympic Stadium home.
The stadium migration has not been without its problems with safety fears, stewarding, body searches, fighting among fans, access, issues over standing and concerns over losing the famous Upton Park atmosphere driving a wedge between fans and West Ham’s board.
Things seem to have settled down in recent weeks with the stadium slowly starting to feel like home off the back of improved results and a cracking atmosphere in the 3-0 win over Crystal Palace last month proved something of a watershed moment.
Fans walking outside the London Stadium
Efforts have been made to make the now named London Stadium feel more like home with concourses awash in claret and blue and some claret and blue seating in amongst the white seats.
The club were also keen to relocate the iconic Champions Statue of West Ham’s legendary 1966 World Cup-winning trio Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters which takes pride of place on the corner of Green Street and the Barking Road outside their former home.
But a new report from Daily Mail columnist Charles Sale has cast doubt on the relocation, revealing there is a stumbling block if it does get the green light from planning authorities.
General view of the 1966 World Cup statue outside West Ham’s former home
The Mail says Newham council is yet to decide whether the sculpture, which shows Bobby Moore lifting the World Cup with Geoff Hurst, Martin Peters and Ray Wilson, can be moved to the London Stadium.
It claims West Ham have offered to pay for the relocation but that the issue, which would require a full Newham cabinet debate, is complicated by some local residents calling for the bronze to remain where it is.
“A fully-funded plan is also required to improve the Barking Road junction on which the sculpture stands,” Charles Sale said in his Mail column.
“Newham’s conditions for relocation include a replacement piece of public art linking the area with West Ham United, plus road improvements.
“The Hammers expect Transport for London to fund the road upgrade.”
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The issue is sure to stir much debate among fans, may of whom will be split over where the statue should be situated.
West Ham fans where do you want the statue to be situated?
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