Olympic Stadium

[moomba]

Decision on who moves into the Olympic Stadium post Olympics gets made this Friday I believe.

Comes down to West Ham who would stay in their local area, but move into a stadium with a running track that they'd struggle to fill, and Spurs who would knock down the stadium, build a new one and pay for developments at Crystal Palace Athletics Stadium as the legacy of the Olympics. Stratford would mean a move out of North London, maybe even a name change.

The competition that owners want to win, but a lot of the supporters would rather lose.

I think West Ham will get it, and it will be interesting if Tottenham then push on with their own development at White Hart Lane. That's looking like it might be just out of Spurs reach as well.

 

[indieswan96]

It would be pretty shit if West Ham get it and are in the Championship. They would really struggle to fill it.

 

[Coledinho]

Decision has been postponed. Unlike most West Ham fans, I dont care. The clubs built on more than the location of seats and concrete. If we get it good, more money for us to spend on things I actually care about ie. the academy, if we dont meh, cant lose something you never had

 

[Coledinho]

It would be pretty shit if West Ham get it and are in the Championship. They would really struggle to fill it.

We wouldnt fill it in the Premier League either. Its 60 000 seats. Important to remember that the 60k seats are more at the wishs of the local council as opposed to the club itself. Ground would host a summer music festival amongst other things too.

 

[moomba]

I think Spurs would struggle to fill a 60k seater week in week out to be honest.

 

[Coledinho]

I think Spurs would struggle to fill a 60k seater week in week out to be honest.

It would depend how many seats are on the bandwagon that takes them to the ground. It seems Spurs are 3rd in line in the whole bidding process anyway and so it should be. There bid is ludicrious at best. Just rebuid White Hart Lane you twats. Only reason they have any interest is because of the free land that comes out of it in the end

 

[belfast_bomber]

I get the impression the Spurs bid was really more about playing hardball with Haringey council that are being a bit unreasonable about the White Hart Lane development plans, rather than seriously wanting to relocate.

 

[DBAH0]

We wouldnt fill it in the Premier League either. Its 60 000 seats. Important to remember that the 60k seats are more at the wishs of the local council as opposed to the club itself. Ground would host a summer music festival amongst other things too.

Think Brady came out and said we've got 17,000 on our waiting list for season tickets in regards to that argument.

I could see us getting crowds of 40,000 or so if we stayed in the Premier League.

Been to Upton Park a few times while I've been over here in London, and it is very close to the action, so I can see why a lot of our supporters aren't in favor of the move. But it is a pretty old ground, and the surrounding area isn't very nice at all to say the least.

Apparently at least 50% of the seats will be closer to the action than the Emirates Stadium even with a running track (I assume it'll like Etihad Stadium in Melborune where they can move the seats forward when they want to).

I only live 5 mins down the road from Stratford, and with the new Westfields they are building, it's going to reviltalize the whole area, so I hope we get the tenancy.

 

[DBAH0]

Sounds as if we're the favourites from this piece;

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/stand...t-ham-in-pole-position-for-olympic-stadium.do

West Ham have moved into the driving seat in the race to make the Olympic Stadium their new home.

Standard Sport understands that the only remaining obstacle in the club's bid to take over the £537million stadium after 2012 is finance.

 

[Dont be a lemon]

I haven't been following it much but I thought football clubs were reluctant to move there unless they're able to ditch the athetlics track and move the stands in?

 

[Dont be a lemon]

It would be pretty shit if West Ham get it and are in the Championship. They would really struggle to fill it.

Could always do a Port Adelaide and cover seats with banner ads

 

[moomba]

I get the impression the Spurs bid was really more about playing hardball with Haringey council that are being a bit unreasonable about the White Hart Lane development plans, rather than seriously wanting to relocate.

I thought that but from the sounds of it, the redevelopment will be a lot more difficult than originally thought. Council are still unco-operative but apparently there is an issue with compulsory purchase orders on property at the location (costly and time consuming) and Spurs are expected to foot the bill for public transport improvements.

I think Spurs are now pushing for the Olympic stadium much more than they probably imagined in the early stages.

 

[Coledinho]

I thought that but from the sounds of it, the redevelopment will be a lot more difficult than originally thought. Council are still unco-operative but apparently there is an issue with compulsory purchase orders on property at the location (costly and time consuming) and Spurs are expected to foot the bill for public transport improvements.

I think Spurs are now pushing for the Olympic stadium much more than they probably imagined in the early stages.

The only reasons Spurs interest has been stepped up is because the cost to redevelop White Hart Lane simply wont and never will be worthwhile. In the end their bid is just too late and is probably 3rd in line out of the 3 bids. If it doesnt go to us they will just leave it as a 25k athletics stadium I think

 

[moomba]

As for the stadium it's a shame it's only being sorted now. When the Commonwealth Stadium was built City were always going to move there, so conversion to a football stadium was built into the plans.

The first tier was built and then buried so the pitch would be wide enough foe the running track. Then after the games were finished it was just a case of digging down (first tier at COMS is below ground level) adding a stand at the south (or north, can't remember) end and making a few more adjustments to make it a football stadium.

Bit more difficult with the running track to be retained, but I'm guessing the plans are already complete without much thought given to how the ground will be developed after the games.

 

[DBAH0]

I think basically we're going to end up following the Stade De France model, with retractable seating being moved over the athletics track, which is probably the best solution for all parties.

For Spurs to redevelop WHL to a 56,000 seat venue, think it was going to cost them around $450M or something around that mark IIRC (but I could be way off on that figure).

 

[Bomber Bears]

As for the stadium it's a shame it's only being sorted now. When the Commonwealth Stadium was built City were always going to move there, so conversion to a football stadium was built into the plans.

The first tier was built and then buried so the pitch would be wide enough foe the running track. Then after the games were finished it was just a case of digging down (first tier at COMS is below ground level) adding a stand at the south (or north, can't remember) end and making a few more adjustments to make it a football stadium.

Bit more difficult with the running track to be retained, but I'm guessing the plans are already complete without much thought given to how the ground will be developed after the games.

This is what they should've done with the olympic stadium in Sydney as well, make it so it was convertable to a rectangular ground post olympics.

But No AFL decided to pay people off in order to keep it suitable for three swans games a year, and now the ground is shithouse for the three other sports that regularly use the ground, because unless you are in prime seats you are along way from the action.

 

[Normy132]

So do the winning club have to pay for this or is it given to them on a silver platter? Because if it doesn't cost anything I'd be jumping at that opportunity. Even West Ham. If they could add 60% or whatever to their gate revenues I'm sure they wouldn't be complaining.

 

[belfast_bomber]

Think the club who takes it over would be responsible for any modifications to adapt it for football purposes.

A dark horse in this is Leyton Orient - Stratford is within their catchment area and their plans fit the original legacy plan of a 25,000-seater, without the removal of the running track. However they're not part of this official review.

 

[moomba]

Think the club who takes it over would be responsible for any modifications to adapt it for football purposes.

A dark horse in this is Leyton Orient - Stratford is within their catchment area and their plans fit the original legacy plan of a 25,000-seater, without the removal of the running track. However they're not part of this official review.

Acording to FA rules a club move is only permitted providing another club isn't adversely effected. Obviously a club moving into their main catchment area for supporters would effect them detrimentally so I expect Man United to put a block on this move forthwith.

Orient might have a case as well.

 

[belfast_bomber]

We could always get the railways diverted like your lot did with the trams.

 

[DBAH0]

Numerous articles have come out in the past hour that West Ham will be named the preferred club tomorrow by the OPLC.

Will be interesting what Levy and the Wheeler and Dealer's reaction to the decision will be. Wouldn't be surprised if they ended up suing someone at the end of it all (has been mooted as a definite possibility).

 

[Borgsta]

Well the wheeler dealer has nothing to do with it so not sure why you mentioned him.

Levy will threaten to sue and then accept a donation to the Spurs foundation.

Wouldn't surprise me to see him actually go through with suing though as there WHL redevelopment looks dead. Will be very stupid to have a 60k seat stadium with 20k ppl in it.

 

[DBAH0]

Well the wheeler dealer has nothing to do with it so not sure why you mentioned him.

Levy will threaten to sue and then accept a donation to the Spurs foundation.

Wouldn't surprise me to see him actually go through with suing though as there WHL redevelopment looks dead. Will be very stupid to have a 60k seat stadium with 20k ppl in it.

I mentioned him because he's come out in the press and said it'll be the death of us if we moved in. Don't think our manager has come out and said anything about the Olympic Stadium at any media conferences etc.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepag...his-old-club-West-Ham-not-to-move-ground.html

And FYI, we currently get around 33,000 a game at Upton Park, we averaged around 26-28,000 when we were last relegated, and we have about 30,000 people on a season ticket waiting list. So your 20K figure is a laughable suggestion at best.

 

[apollo_creed]

I mentioned him because he's come out in the press and said it'll be the death of us if we moved in. Don't think our manager has come out and said anything about the Olympic Stadium at any media conferences etc.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepag...his-old-club-West-Ham-not-to-move-ground.html

And FYI, we currently get around 33,000 a game at Upton Park, we averaged around 26-28,000 when we were last relegated, and we have about 30,000 people on a season ticket waiting list. So your 20K figure is a laughable suggestion at best.

Next season CCC, after that, who knows?

Owusu and Luton Town maybe?

 

[Dagger5]

Well the wheeler dealer has nothing to do with it so not sure why you mentioned him.

Levy will threaten to sue and then accept a donation to the Spurs foundation.

Wouldn't surprise me to see him actually go through with suing though as there WHL redevelopment looks dead. Will be very stupid to have a 60k seat stadium with 20k ppl in it.

Im pretty sure I saw that Levy said that a WHL redevelopment is not viable. If you don't get the olympic stadium then your just going to have to find a plot of land and build a new 55-60k seat stadium.