Much-maligned West Ham United vice-chairman Karren Brady has responded to a suggestion about an alteration to the club’s Olympic Stadium.
The Hammers‘ move to the London Stadium in Stratford from their beloved Upton Park has been beset by problems from the start.
From in-fighting among the club’s fans to segregation issues, violent scenes between home and away supporters and a general dissatisfaction with the atmosphere and feel of a ground many refer to as ‘soulless’, it has left a bitter taste in what was supposed to be a memorable and historic campaign.
Ahead of the stadium move, Hammers fans were promised a genuine retractable seating solution in communications from the club.
West Ham’s Olympic Stadium
In reality they have been left with a temporary lower tier built on a complex scaffolding which will reportedly take weeks to deconstruct and reconstruct each season at a cost of £8 million – some £7.7m more than the original estimate.
The distance from the stands to the pitch is a major bone of contention for many fans with the bowl shape of the venue the biggest problem as the stadium was not built with football in mind.
On top of that results and performances at the new ground have dropped off a cliff compared to last season with many pointing the finger of blame at the move and losing that famous Boleyn Ground atmosphere and close proximity to the pitch.
The humiliating 5-0 defeat to Manchester City last time out saw the stadium brought into focus again when Pep Guardiola told the press he felt the big pitch and surroundings appeared to help his players and gave them ‘more time and space’ to dismantle Slaven Bilic’s struggling side, as reported by the likes of the Guardian.
Karren Brady
As a result one West Ham fan suggested moving the digital advertising hoardings which surround the pitch closer to the playing surface to try and counteract the effect.
But Brady, who has become something of a hate figure to a section of the club’s support, has ruled any such alteration out on Twitter.
“No as it would block the view of the supporters sitting in the bottom tier,” Brady said.
Fans website Knees Up Mother Brown has compiled a 10-point message to David Sullivan, David Gold and Brady detailing what needs to change if supporters are to embrace the move long-term.
The 10-point plan is a not-so-subtle dig at the owners who made their own 10-point pledge to supporters back in 2010, as reported at the time by the Evening Standard.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
