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Wils 11:19 Thu Apr 7
Is the London Stadium beginning to feel like home for West Ham fans?

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2022/apr/07/is-the-london-stadium-beginning-to-feel-like-home-for-west-ham-fans

"West Ham are “massive” to quote the chant of the moment – and so, surprisingly, was the London Stadium in the memorable Europa League win against Sevilla. Six years after moving from Upton Park, the club’s troubled new ground had changed from corporate dome to a cauldron of noise. Is Stratford finally starting to feel like home for Hammers fans?

For all Karren Brady’s promises of a successful migration, it did not start well in 2016, with fans who preferred to stand put next to fans who wanted to sit and fights breaking out in an early game against Watford. The stewarding was poor and in a League Cup tie against Chelsea rival fans used the circular concourse to cause aggravation.

It seemed difficult to get a chant going all around the vast stadium. The diehards had many complaints: the distance from the pitch, plastic fans, the long walk from Stratford and the sale of popcorn. It was forgotten that sometimes Upton Park could be quiet, too. The club improved the stewarding and moved fans to more appropriate areas, but many problems remained.

The nadir for the London Stadium was the pitch invasion during a 3-0 home defeat to Burnley in March 2018. David Moyes was in his first spell as manager with the club, as ever fighting relegation rather than moving to the promised next level. One middle-aged fan planted a corner flag in the centre circle. With the stewards as proactive as the West Ham defence, Mark Noble found himself acting as a makeshift bouncer, manhandling one miscreant and inspiring the Guardian cartoonist David Squires to draw Noble singing “I’m forever throwing Herberts, stewards vanish in thin air”. Several hundred fans gathered around the directors’ box chanting: “You’ve destroyed our club” at owners David Sullivan and David Gold. There didn’t seem any coming back from that.


Another problem was how to cover the athletics track. When Sofiane Feghouli scored against NK Domzale in the first Europa League match there and kissed the massive green carpet around the pitch, it highlighted how the playing area looked like one giant chunk of AstroTurf. The then manager Slaven Bilic complained in 2017 that it made it psychologically difficult for his players to track back: “You look up and it is not easy, because everything is green ahead of you, to appreciate exactly where is the end of the pitch.”

In 2016 the distance from the managers dugout to the pitch at the London Stadium was reported to be 90 feet, and the athletics track was covered by a green carpet.
In 2016 the distance from the managers dugout to the pitch at the London Stadium was reported to be 90 feet, and the athletics track was covered by a green carpet. Photograph: Calver/MDI/Shutterstock
For a long period there was a standoff between West Ham and the stadium’s owners, the London Legacy Development Corporation, which would not allow a claret carpet to be installed over the running track area. Eventually, relations improved and the carpet finally arrived in April 2019. It was not, as some feared, a shagpile offcut from Sullivan’s home, but a claret surround with the club’s name emblazoned at the sides.

Michail Antonio was so impressed he celebrated a goal against Leicester by lying down and fondly stroking the carpet. Renaming the East Stand the Billy Bonds Stand was another positive move. Bonds came on to the pitch before the game against Newcastle and was moved to tears by the reception he received.


But even the Irons’ magic carpet couldn’t prevent the Manuel Pellegrini years turning sour. Moyes returned and West Ham were out of the relegation zone on goal difference when lockdown happened. They played their final games behind closed doors and stayed up. In the Covid season of 2020-21 Moyes started to make dramatic progress.

West Ham finished an improbable sixth and the fans had a team they could be proud of, if only on TV. When 10,000 fans were allowed for the final game of the season against Southampton they discovered the stands at either end had been squared off, making it much more like a football ground.


When this season began with a 4-1 home demolition of Leicester the fans realised they were grateful to be back watching West Ham, whatever stadium they were in. It felt like a homecoming. Fans were more used to their pubs and matchday routes. The incremental improvements had worked: the carpet, the squared ends, playing music outside the stadium, the razzle-dazzle before matches of flame throwers, DJs, bubble machines and light shows. The ground was slowly developing an identity.

Home wins against Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea created the best atmosphere since the last season at the Boleyn. And selling popcorn really didn’t matter much. Memories are being made, such as a tearful Andriy Yarmolenko scoring against Villa and raising his hands to the sky. The Sevilla match put it up a notch again. When the two goals went in under the lights the whole place was bouncing.


The London Stadium will never be as intimate as Upton Park and the stands at the sides really could do with being closer to the pitch. But opposition teams do not fancy playing there now and 60,000 fans turn up every game. A new generation don’t even remember the Boleyn.

It has been a long journey, but it does feel like the Hammers finally have a ground that is not only literally massive, but also has the power to intimidate once more.

Pete May is the author of Goodbye to Boleyn (Biteback) and blogs at hammersintheheart.blogspot.co.uk."

blueeyed.handsomeman 10:07 Sat Apr 9
Re: Is the London Stadium beginning to feel like home for West Ham fans?

it is home,

and yet it doesnt feel homely

Huffers 1:31 Fri Apr 8
Re: Is the London Stadium beginning to feel like home for West Ham fans?

UEFA don’t allow anything. Betway covered on the tunnel. Text in front of east stand. Badges behind goals. Badge in front of tunnel and hammers there as well all covered over.

LeroysBoots 12:44 Fri Apr 8
Re: Is the London Stadium beginning to feel like home for West Ham fans?

Fantastic atmosphere tonight

However !

Stadium is already looking very tired and needs sprucing up

Those white canvas type murals around the ground are absolutely rotten, they need cleaning or replacing

Anyone know why the crossed hammers was painted out on the carpet by the pitch ?

Northern Sold 10:25 Thu Apr 7
Re: Is the London Stadium beginning to feel like home for West Ham fans?

GreenStreetPlayer 9:06 Thu Apr 7
Re: Is the London Stadium beginning to feel like home for West Ham fans?
Shape and that reminds me of a coliseum



Coliseum or Colostomy bag??

factory seconds 9:30 Thu Apr 7
Re: Is the London Stadium beginning to feel like home for West Ham fans?

"feels like home" is such a pointless statement. the damp ridden roach infested shithole where your mum wanks off tramps for coins and your dad drinks paint thinner round the clock will feel like home if you live there long enough.

GreenStreetPlayer 9:06 Thu Apr 7
Re: Is the London Stadium beginning to feel like home for West Ham fans?

Shape and that reminds me of a coliseum.

swindon hammer 7:22 Thu Apr 7
Re: Is the London Stadium beginning to feel like home for West Ham fans?

Maybe the local businesses around UP wanted us there because West Ham were keeping them in business for the most part but I never got the feeling the actual locals that lived in the area were too enamoured by 30 thousand football fans descending on their area once a fortnight.

Jimm 6:45 Thu Apr 7
Re: Is the London Stadium beginning to feel like home for West Ham fans?

It is what it is really - i want to go and watch West Ham, so that's where I have to go.

My seats are pretty good, view wise, i have stood at every single game since being there, it is easy to get to and there is enough room. Would i prefer to be at Upton Park, 100%, can i do anything about it, no. I think the thing for me is the difference in the siting - it felt like the old area wanted a football ground there, the local shops, pubs, traders etc. vs an area that seems to turn its nose up at us for being there, despite the fact we probably put untold amount of pounds into their coffers, combined with having to walk miles after the game as we can't be trusted to walk through a shopping centre. The atmosphere could be good and bad at both grounds, so that does not bother me, a percentage of people around where we are appear to only turn up for some of the game totally lashed, shouting shit and then leave before the end, which i did not notice overly at the old place - that does get on my tits. If the whole ground looked like the east side then it could be bearable, but the massive gaps between tiers at the ends and the other side just look utter shite.

I'll just never get over the fact that the whole move was built on lies and dishonesty.

JAC 6:42 Thu Apr 7
Re: Is the London Stadium beginning to feel like home for West Ham fans?

Im getting use to it, it also helps that the team are playing well.We are in section 131 and its always a decent atmosphere and a good laugh.I find the stroll from Stratford tube is getting slightly better but still lacks a bit of soul.At least its not like walking through Downtown Lahore.

Upton Park for the last few seasons was pretty shit apart from the final game there and the odd cup game so lets not kid ourselves.

Who wants to go for a piss and find you are paddling in piss and sad blokes having a sneaky fag in the old UP?

We had to move with the times and not get left behind.I have fond memories at the Boleyn but feeling better about the LS.

Chrisnutjob 6:32 Thu Apr 7
Re: Is the London Stadium beginning to feel like home for West Ham fans?

Fucking hate it.

Good for a Spice Girls concert though!

BRANDED 6:21 Thu Apr 7
Re: Is the London Stadium beginning to feel like home for West Ham fans?

Everyone stands behind the goal at the Trev end? Perfectly safe. Loads of singing constantly.

Kaiser Zoso 6:14 Thu Apr 7
Re: Is the London Stadium beginning to feel like home for West Ham fans?

The problem was the combination of a shit team and a shit stadium. Now the team has sorted itself out somewhat then the stadium issue is not as much of a factor as it once was.


Ha ha what a load of juvenile fabricated shit

swindon hammer 5:51 Thu Apr 7
Re: Is the London Stadium beginning to feel like home for West Ham fans?

Having not been brought up in East London or had any family that were West Ham supporters I probably never had the same attachment to UP as others who were born there and were from Generations of West Ham fans.

However since the age of 10 I did attend over 60 games at UP between 1987 and the final season and I hate to say it but I always found the atmosphere a bit overrated in comparison to other grounds I have been to.

Sure there has been some good moments over the years but a lot of the time the atmosphere has been pretty average and judging by the fact that that we have been relegated 4 times between 1989 and 2011 along with countless other relegation battles it’s hardly been a fortress for us.

I have been to a number of away games and thought the atmosphere at some of those grounds were better.

As far as the LS goes, it’s not ideal and they do need to look at improvements but I felt the players and the manager used it as an excuse during our first couple of seasons there.

As has been proven in the last couple of years if the players are good enough then so will the stadium.

A safe standing area behind one of the goals would help I think.

Jim C 5:48 Thu Apr 7
Re: Is the London Stadium beginning to feel like home for West Ham fans?

I hated it ar first, but if I wanted to go and watch West Ham, then I had to go there.

I will admit it has improved and I think only going only going occasionally rather thzn every week like I used too makes it more enjoyable, however will never really be 'home'. One poster has commented on his teenage son, and I think when people like the young man in question and his generation outnumber us old farts, is when it will really be home as the London Stadium is only what the majority will know

Steady 3:26 Thu Apr 7
Re: Is the London Stadium beginning to feel like home for West Ham fans?

Being trivial I know, but why do so many refer to the old ground as the Boleyn now? Virtually everyone called it Upton Park when we played there

Wils 3:25 Thu Apr 7
Re: Is the London Stadium beginning to feel like home for West Ham fans?

I was anti-mover from when it was first mooted. I could see it wasn't a ground from football from the start. So I was disappointed like everyone else. But the 'fortress' of Upton Park was a romantic take that had faded somewhat. For most games, the atmosphere was fairly limp as it still is at the London Stadium for most games. And the Disneyfication of Upton Park with those silly turrets was embarrassing. The pitch had been widened with a new stand and some of that intensity from being right on the pitch had been lost for a while.

I took my son to a few games at Upton Park, not many, but I am sure the last few games he has been to at the new stadium (Chelsea, Seville) are much more memorable than anything I took him to at Upton Park and that includes the last season when we finished similar position and players like Payet were in their prime. So he knows both stadiums and is a teenager now. The romance of Upton Park to him is based in folklore and not his own memories.

Queens Fish Bar 3:22 Thu Apr 7
Re: Is the London Stadium beginning to feel like home for West Ham fans?

Fo the Communist 12:31 Thu Apr 7

FtC nails it.

Lee Trundle 3:10 Thu Apr 7
Re: Is the London Stadium beginning to feel like home for West Ham fans?

I think we've improved since we left.

More of our supporters can now go. We're now getting a lot of younger support which was important for the club.

I think the stadium is slowly being built into something better.

I think we'll eventually own it buying it for peanuts.


A few good positives there.

I always said that the atmosphere was solely down to the fans, not the stadium. I think that's been proved right.

Mad Dog 3:03 Thu Apr 7
Re: Is the London Stadium beginning to feel like home for West Ham fans?

I support the team, not the concrete, metal and seats

Chinkey Weasel 3:02 Thu Apr 7
Re: Is the London Stadium beginning to feel like home for West Ham fans?

No. It's fucking shit. It's not a football stadium.

arsene york-hunt 2:08 Thu Apr 7
Re: Is the London Stadium beginning to feel like home for West Ham fans?

60,000 seats sold out to two Midweek EL matches , and all seats sold to all of our home games. Would suggest that most are ok with it now. Also shows that we have a massive fan base and when eventually we get to 67,000, well still be selling out.

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