Newcastle proves stadium is nothing to do with atmosphere
By CandH’s Allen Cummings
On Saturday it was a 550 mile plus round road trip to see the Hammers play away at Newcastle. St. James’ Park is one of the country’s iconic football grounds. Those West Ham fans with an aversion to the London Stadium will willingly tell you it’s a ‘proper’ football ground filled with ‘proper’ football fans creating a ‘proper’ football atmosphere.
Well I can tell you if that’s what you were expecting yesterday it would have been a ‘proper’ let down. The stadium is undoubtedly steeped in history but any atmosphere generated inside St James’ yesterday was courtesy of the 3000 travelling West Ham fans.
The home fans were as quiet as the proverbial church mice! Proof, if it were needed, the ground itself doesn’t create the atmosphere, it’s the fans inside that are responsible for that!
I make no comment of the issues and constant friction between the Magpies fans and their chairman Mike Ashley. That’s their business.
But while the fans were in the process of staging their 11th minute ‘walk in’, West Ham were in the process of scoring the first goal. The home supporters arrived to find their side one down.
If ever the team needed that famous St James’ roar it was then but it just didn’t materialise. The home support was completely flat – and it stayed that way throughout. Meanwhile the jubilant cockney boys were in full voice and going from strength to strength as we worked our way through the whole repertoire of songs.
Much has been made of the London Stadium and the supposed lack of atmosphere within. Most of it unfounded in my opinion.
Yesterday’s trip up to the north east served to prove a point. A so called ‘proper’ stadium is no guarantee of a ‘proper’ atmosphere. It’s just a myth and the sooner that old chestnut it put to bed the better as far as I’m concerned.
Playing the way we did yesterday, the atmosphere inside the London Stadium can be and will be as good as anywhere in the country.