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[Football] The Olympic Stadium, is it as bad as West Ham fans bang on about?



Doc Lynam

I hate the Daily Mail
Jun 19, 2011
7,186
Outside of the football being played there are West Ham fans correct to say the Olympic Stadium is a terrible football ground?
 


Titanic

Super Moderator
Helpful Moderator
Jul 5, 2003
39,025
West Sussex
For the away fans, being split up like that is far from ideal... and I guess that applies equally to home fans.

And yes, quite a lot of the fans are a long way away from the pitch, not so bad for those high enough up, but pretty crap if you are low down as well.

If they were playing well, it is an impressive and iconic venue, and much of this would be overlooked (other than by whinging away fans!).
 


N17

New member
Jun 21, 2011
557
There is a poll going on KUMB in which only 11% of circa 400+ respondents are happy with the move to the OS & a twitter poll with around 3k repiles give it only a 30% approval rating. This after Sullivan asserted 95% of WHU fans were 'happy' with the move.

I know lots of long time Hammers of 30-50yrs attendance who did not renew their STs this season.
 


Bozza

You can change this
Helpful Moderator
Jul 4, 2003
55,575
Back in Sussex
It’s a wonderful stadium, but a poor football stadium.

That said, we didn’t get to experience it at its best. It could be quite something when West Ham are in a highly-charged competitive match with a rival.
 






Munkfish

Well-known member
May 1, 2006
11,861
Its poor for a away fans and 3 sides for the home fans due to the detractable seats and being a long way from the pitch.

However it is still a very impressive stadium and if they got the righ mix of fans together I think they could generate some real noise. Much louder than Arsenal at times, especially when they got behind the team for a 5 min spell.
 


Worthing exile

New member
May 12, 2009
1,219
I can confirm that row 70 is a long way up.
The lower seats are scaffold built over the running track. In places you can see the original seats underneath.
I have seen worse and their biggest problem seems to be no real 'home end'.
 


May 27, 2014
1,638
Littlehampton
Good for a one-off visit. We were high up and could see everything. Not good if you're there every other week though, not helped by there being very little between station and the ground

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coagulantwolf

New member
Jun 21, 2012
716
It’s a wonderful stadium, but a poor football stadium.

That said, we didn’t get to experience it at its best. It could be quite something when West Ham are in a highly-charged competitive match with a rival.

I've been to a few West Ham matches since the move (live in Leytonstone and get free tickets through a friend), including last year when they beat Spurs 1-0 on a Friday night game - that atmosphere was up there with one of the best I've been too of any team!
Just shows you how much the performance on the pitch, occasion etc, can heavily influence the perception of a football stadium.
 


Peter Grummit

Well-known member
Oct 13, 2004
6,769
Lewes
It’s a wonderful stadium, but a poor football stadium.

I've been there twice for Athletics and the atmosphere was good, not amazing.

Friday, I almost felt sorry for the West Ham fans. From the intensity of the Boleyn to THAT. Someone described it as like having the Irons fans bollox removed. Almost....nah they've always been a bunch of moaners...**** 'em.

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Big_Unit

Active member
Sep 5, 2011
358
Hove
Outside of the football being played there are West Ham fans correct to say the Olympic Stadium is a terrible football ground?

I was expecting it to be a very long distance between pitch and stands - and it sort of is - but actually I thought it was a great ground to watch football in. My seat was higher up than my Amex seat in the North, so I got a great overview of the shape of the game. Made me consider maybe moving to the West Stand at some point. You don't see the patterns in the game as well from one end of the ground. (On that note, it's always mystified me why managers watch the game from ground level and not higher up.)

Also, I was back at St Pancras by 10.35.

All things considered (including the result, obvs!) I had a great time.
 


seagulls4ever

New member
Oct 2, 2003
4,338
I don't think I could ever be happy with a football stadium when the seats are so far away from the pitch (from the images I've seen).
 


Wozza

Shite Supporter
Jul 6, 2003
23,585
Online
I think the dildo brothers had dreams of making West Ham a family club. Ha.

In reality, 'hardcore' fans (who want to stand and/or swear) were mixed in with families, and there were arguments and fights from the very first match.

I believe they've allowed fans to move this season, which must have helped. And I guess fans have found their favourite pubs/routes in by now too.

(The world's largest technical areas still make me laugh.)
 




Hamilton

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Jul 7, 2003
12,390
Brighton
I think we saw it at its worst given the relative plight of the team. West Ham can create the atmosphere to make the stadium an intimidating place to go, but when they are quiet it’ll feel soulless. These stadiums that appear like a bowl, I just don’t like them. I like the competing nature of stands.

Although you could see the seating underneath, it didn’t feel temporary. I thought they’d done a fairly good job, and from the lower tier I had a pretty good view.

I really hope they make a success of it. They need to create an ‘end’ as others have said.


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May 27, 2014
1,638
Littlehampton
I've been there twice for Athletics and the atmosphere was good, not amazing.

Friday, I almost felt sorry for the West Ham fans. From the intensity of the Boleyn to THAT. Someone described it as like having the Irons fans bollox removed. Almost....nah they've always been a bunch of moaners...**** 'em.

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This is the problem. If the support was like ours or even Arsenal i think fine.

But to go from Upton Park to that must be upsetting.

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bhafc99

Well-known member
Oct 14, 2003
7,050
Dubai
I watched the game on telly, so didn't go, but the thing that struck me was that the areas behind the goals – traditionally where the most vocal support gathers – seemed to be given over to huge TV screens. Wouldn't like that at all.
 


Tom Hark Preston Park

Will Post For Cash
Jul 6, 2003
69,880
Outside of the football being played there are West Ham fans correct to say the Olympic Stadium is a terrible football ground?

Pretty much sure it's an age thing. It's like us going from the Goldstone to Gillingham to Withdean to The Amex. There will be those of a certain age who still hanker after certain aspects of the Goldstone or Withdean. Me included.
 




Wrong-Direction

Well-known member
Mar 10, 2013
13,395
It's a dive of a football ground

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LowKarate

New member
Jan 6, 2004
2,002
Wombling free
It was better than I expected (winning 3-0 may be influencing my view), but still not great.

Stadium itself is impressive and the journey back to station was fine.

Pitch is too far away, but surprisingly the view from the upper tier was still very good.

I would not be happy wth it if it were our ground. Upton Park must have been worth 10-15 points every season and I don't see the new stadium generating that level of intensity and impact on the away team.
 



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