West Ham Vice Chairman, Karren Brady gave her own views on standing at football in 2012 while writing her Sun football Diary
In January 2012 Brady wrote: “Aston Villa are opening discussions with supporters’ groups over reintroducing standing areas at their home. Personally, I can’t think of anything worse than standing at a football match for two hours.
The health and safety brigade will be against it but in this world the customer has the right to choose and if some fans would prefer to stand, fair enough. As a youngster I lived near Spurs’ ground and the only time I ever stood was at a game there. I spent the whole match straining my neck to look over other fans and as for personal space, forget it. Despite that, there’s nothing wrong in Villa giving it a go. Just don’t stand behind a tall bloke.”
However in July this year in an interview with Lee Clayton of the Daily Mail she said “A safe standing area was ruled out early. ‘I spent enough time standing as a kid when I couldn’t see to believe comfortable seating is the way forward.”
If the only experience she had of standing was at a spuds game, I can’t blame her, my mates and I often used to go there, out of all the London clubs it was the least hospitable that goes from the security staff all the way through to many of the adult supporters who we would have to force our way through using elbows and various evasive manoeuvres to get to the front, it wasn’t always successful and we were often sworn at, pushed etc, Highbury was never bad, nor was UP and the best of all was Leyton Orient because you never had trouble getting to the front there and could usually have a good laugh with the supporters who were happy of the company.
I am a massive fan of Brady, but these quotes are ‘unfortunate’. She is basing the whole question of whether to have standing or not on her own experience. That ain’t good, surely!
I wonder how she would feel if stadium were all standing, and a break-away group wanted seating. Bet she’d go against the majority and support seating. Well, this is no different, except in reverse. I am surprised and saddened at her complete lack of foresight or understanding of this.
Usually, I jump to hasty conclusions and there is a better explanation – I am sure that my feelings are based on an unrepresentative superficial summary. I hope so. Did you REALLY mean those words Karren?
By the way, I am not a stander (used to as a young teenager in the 70s in the Northbank – Happy days!). I am a sitter at ther front of the Upper Bowl, so people standing doesn’t affect me personally, so I could just not give a f*ck.
But that is not the point; this affects both the standers and sitters in the same area; THEY MATTER! I consider it is VITAL to provide standing, for the health of the atmosphere of the club going forward; we all want to be Happy Hammers.
Unfortunately, because of Gov’ legislation and not owning the ground, it will be a long hard slog to achieve standing. I just hope all the standers, with their funny and rousing songs, will not have disappeared by then, never to return…
The 1st step is to petition the Government: Please sign this and share on Facebook / Twitter : https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/164625
LETS GET THIS SORTED!
Well there you have it people . The bird just doesn’t get it ?
Her comments were last month and today gold contredicts her !
Who is having who over here !
The clue is in the ” A SAFE STANDING AREA WAS RULED OUT EARLY !! I SPENT ENOUGH TIME !? “”””””” sorry darling but I think you may just have riled quite a few standers and possibly made Dave’s comments worthless ?? Who the hell are you to tell us punters what’s good for us ! Without us you would be nothing , serve the club fan base or move on , its not you’re money the Dave’s are using is it , you have no intentions of compromise its all you you you luv , the brand , the buisness ? People may see you in a true light now and stop putting you up on a pedastall , a self server ?? You are definatly not welcome at the salon!
🙂 😉 very provocative Sean , naughty naughty , all views and comments are completely independent of the C&H well being parish ? 😉
Fecking doughnut
get her dildo out of yours moron ?
Go change you’re fukin nappy ?
I don’t like personal nobby , but bring it on ass lick ??
believe it or not i was referring to her. you automaticaly assume people are attacking you when in fact i was agreeing wiv ya.
Then I apologise mooro ! It looked like a pop ? You’ve protected her in the past with me and my rants at her !
By saying Brady you fekin doughnut put’s it over differently? 🙂
So at the end of the day Karen didn’t like standing and preferred a comfy seat? So if that’s what Karen likes it must be enforced at all times 🙂
I really don’t get the big deal over this. Is it so hard sitting down so others can see for a a couple months until we get the licence and safe standing approved? Feels overly petty all these protests and complaints. The board have the clubs best interest in mind and don’t profit from it at all. So until you decide to inject tens of millions into the club and sign an agreement for us to move to a new stadium where we can stand, shut up and sit down
They need the 66,000 for one thing and one thing only and that’s to pacify the 50,000 on a waiting list that have paid a tenner a time for the priveledge and those thousands of claret members who have paid £40 on the off chance they may get a ticket.
Exactly, I’m one of those spending out my butthole just for a chance to apply for the opportunity to get a ticket. Increasing the capacity would help that issue. It’s fine for those that have their season tickets, but no need to be inconsiderate, is it really that much harm sitting down in order to help out all us fans unable to get one?
Mate the issue other than standing is the bull**** that’s been spouted from day one to get fans like yourself onto a waiting list for a ST or pay for a Claret membership. The +1 scheme has screwed over a lot of fans as have the false promises of the capacity being 66,000 before a certificate has even been issued. They’ll be games I won’t be going to this season because of work and I’ll happily give my ticket at the OS to a genuine Iron fan but I don’t buy into all this old ******** that standing is preventing a increase in capacity because of safety issues especially as the board were more than happy selling ST waiting lists and memberships to fans in their thousands before even moving in knowing they never had the signed certificate from the stadium owners. Yes the persistent standers are an issue but are being used as an excuse when in fact the owners have sold a product to fans for money and not delivered the product itself.
Inject ?? OK, let’s put it into perspective here ? Every penny put in is an investment !
They have only ever as with all buisness opportunities invested money to accumulate at a later date ! The move to the Queenie has put them on to a huge windfall weather selling at a later date to a new buyer / investor , buisness is buisness , the added bonus for the Dave’s is they can afford to speculate and are doing it in a club they adore so have a double whammy to look forward to ! Add to that the free money from TV all that invested money ( not spent and unrecoverable money they spent out of the goodness of their heart ) and its party time , this club will get bigger and bigger in time and the Dave’s and family will get richer ?
Its how it works , I don’t personally begrudge them a penny but as GW an others are aware of there’s a lot of supporters who have been screwed and they need to put it right , not onlyscrewed but not taken into consideration as well with the standing areas RULED OUT by bradys personal preference ! WWe’ve all been coming here for donkeys years thick and thin,
Traditional supporters who love club good and bad wwe’ve all experienced ! We are the life blood of this club , money and personal ambitions don’t cut it , the supporters will always be above that , that’s why they are standing up for themselves ! Overlook them at their own peril , bradys remarks leave a sour taste ! Not for the first time I think gold sees this ! The issue needs to move forward in a positive way , everyone of us wants a happy ending 🙂
Rail seating will never work.I have just read a physics lesson on Wetlands.Its all about load bearing,weight dispersion & fulcrums.Einstein would be proud of it lmao
I read that to Stan very informative especially the part about the gravitational pull towards the pie kiosks. Ain’t it funny that its some of them that hate the stadium and everything about it are the ones that say it wouldn’t work 🙂
I was thinking the self same thing GW.Eveything will be found to be a problem if you go looking for it lol
Why do these amazing loyal supporters care anyway.I thought they were going to stop going to home matches.I love that form of loyalty.I don’t like the stadium so screw the team when they play at home lmao
There’s always a catastrophic event on the horizon with wetlands ? If only a black one would just suck them in like a giant kharzi 😉
As they have a general loathing for the ground you would think that they would part with there ticket and give it to someone from the #westhamfamily but then again they’ll probably look forward to 12 months of moaning 😉
They don’t moan mate ! They whinge like a all knowing almanac that can predict where and when they can p#ss themselves, down to the second !
With touretts ? The twelve months are already planned ! Lol 😉
Saw that.But it comes as no real surprise on there.A few of them really do take themselves far too seriously.Mind we have one like that on here.
Hypocrisy reigns supreme Eddie so quick to dismiss the new ground, the atmosphere but still wanting change to make there own personal experience better! Laughable 🙂
You ain’t kidding John it is like they enjoy going from one dark cloud to the next.As I said they take themselves far too seriously.Still that’s their problem if they enjoy being laughed at…GW they were always going to find a problem with everything.The club isn’t being run to their spec so they are not impressed
In the end the whole debate is a little to “Highbrow” for a mere mortal like myself. If any one wants a PDF on structural designs and biodegradable building materials please email daphne@ parishcouncil.co.uk like I have to educate yourself 😉
Lol GW.Ahhh leave them to it & in peace.They think they are the ultimate fans let them believe it.There are plenty of us that go all over the country supporting the team but dont run the club down for every f*cking thing.Corporate West Ham.So bloody what.I support Nobes & the others for 90 mins.Leave the f*cking politics & club running to them to whine about like kids having a strop.
Rads you are totally right we are merely sad little tossers and not highbrow enough to have a conversation 😉
Are we.I rarely read that site anymore.Its full of oldies.They moan a lot,it comes with the territory.Let them moan all the f*cking time it makes no difference me lol
But as we are being observed by the true fans today I would like to ask a question.
Do you believe by constantly slagging off the club it makes you a better fan?
Haha they will get you thrown off in the end.Even if it means making up total fantasy to get rid of you like accusing you of being anyone who doesn’t agree with one of them haha but I’m still not bitter after being shafted by one of them just to get me off there because they were sad enough to believe I gave a feck about what they thought 😀
P45 that’s more important than anything isn’t it? I mean you having an opinion that doesn’t conform to the minority deserves a barring surely 🙂 I’d still like to hear from them in regards to their constant criticism at every turn about the stadium, the board etc etc and if that makes them a more loyal fan than say someone who goes every other week and enjoys it?
Haha I got well stitched up mate,done like a kipper.But I can see the funny side of it really.I only went back on to wish a friend well in his battle against cancer & instead I got stiched up by one person still carrying a grudge.I forget things & move on,others can’t haha absolute quality 😀
Well i could guess who the “Stichee” was mate so you never stood a chance 🙂
Haha doesn’t matter who it was but I was stitched & they got what they wanted.Im only commenting to keep the comment numbers high so Ro knows where to find me. Hello you Romanian tosser,hope life is good 😀
good enough. Glad to see you’re still somewhere out there in the ether 😉 Dunno who stitched you up as i always seem to miss the good stuff but i never had trouble disagreeing with anyone myself.
speaking of which, GW, just fyi i dont think everyone hates or moans about the board and new stadium. Quite a few are happy with both.
i’ll retire to my own dwelling ground so as not to disturb you lot further…have a good day.
Haha good to hear from you mate.I wondered if I might draw you out haha.Glad your ok.Got accused of being another account that disagreed with someone.Same old boring tired sh#t from before mate.Sadly I kind of lost the plot & unloaded a load of c@nts haha.My language deserved that I got binned I admit.The ‘your another account trolling’ bs didnt.Anyway it’s old news now.Hope life is good in Romania.Im now going to disappear back in to my nuclear bunker away from the #Westhamfamily haha 😀
Fair enough Ro nice of you to answer the question! Always thought the majority were happy and realized there would be numerous teething issues just a shame the minority that have a personal issue seem to be the ones that are always spouting about every single thing on a daily basis 😉