The full scale of the sacrifices West Ham United will have to make regarding fixtures after the Olympic Stadium move has become clear.
General view outside the stadium before a match
The Hammers have had to request to play the first three games of next season away from their new home due to the World Athletic Championships taking place there, as reported by The Mirror.
The IAAF competition, which runs between August 4th and 13th, means West Ham could not play at home on the opening day regardless and require special dispensation from the Premier League to be granted an away fixture.
But then the much-criticised retractable seating at the 66,000 seater ground – which will costs an eye-watering £8 million each time it is done – will have to be reconfigured again for football mode, a process which takes around 15 days.
That is not the only fixture sacrifice the Hammers may have had to make either.
Internet rumours over Christmas suggest the East Londoners may have had to agree a secret deal with Westfield Shopping Centre in Stratford that the club would not play home matches on a Boxing Day to avoid crowd chaos, as reported by Hammers fans site Claret & Hugh.
If true the Hammers have sacrificed one of the great traditions of English football in the shape of the Boxing Day game with their move to the controversial stadium.
Fans walking outside the stadium
And they also risk leaving themselves in a hole if they struggle – as the traditionally do – away from home at the beginning of next season, which would in turn heap more pressure on the home matches.
The stadium has become a happier place for the team and fans of late with improving results and atmosphere.
But not all fans are convinced and it will be interesting to see if the club can retain its 52,000 season ticket holders – second only to Manchester United – next term.
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