As the race for the Olympic Stadium enters its final phase with the bids submitted, it has emerged that West Ham’s plan is based on the assumption that it will be half empty for most of the club’s matches. A combination of an athletics track and a half empty stadium is not going to create a great atmosphere.
As the race for the Olympic Stadium enters its final phase with the bids submitted, it has emerged that West Ham’s plan is based on the assumption that it will be half empty for most of the club’s matches. A combination of an athletics track and a half empty stadium is not going to create a great atmosphere.
The club and their partners Newham Council think that West Ham’s fan base may not rise above current levels, although that may depend in part on performances on the pitch. These seem to be improving with Avram Grant looking less like a dead man walking. Average attendances at the Boleyn Ground have been 33,500 in the past two seasons.
The chief executive of Newham Council, Kim Bromley-Derry, has insisted that their business case is not dependent on football (which might be the fans’ first concern). He told the Financial Times, ‘Many of the revenue flows are not just generated from football; they are generated from the rest of the bid package.’ West Ham plans to make the stadium flexible enough to hold concerts for 90,000 people, cricket matches for 74,000 and athletics events for 60,000. The Irons also plan to boost attendances at football matches by having a larger family area and giving away tickets in the local community.
Spurs regularly sell out at the 36,000 capacity White Hart Lane and says that it has the ability to fill 60,000 seats because it has 34,000 people on a waiting list for season tickets. Of course, such lists may include people who have moved away or are no longer interested. Some Spurs fans are clearly concerned that moving the seven miles to the Olympic Stadium in East London will compromise their identity as a North London club.
The Olympic Park Legacy Company has to take into account the likely commercial return to the taxpayer from the two bids through a share of revenues. Spurs win out there, but their plan has upset the athletics establishment across the globe. A decision is expected on 28 January.