The Olympic Stadium is almost ready for it’s first event to utilise the new retractable and relocatable seating. This Saturday the stadium plays host to a rugby match between Samoa and the Barbarians with seats moved forward in football mode and artificial turf laid over some but not all of the running track.
This will be the best indication to date of what the Olympic Stadium will be like when we move in at the start of August 2016. The rugby pitch dimensions are slightly different being up to 100 metres goal post to goal post with up to 22 metres behind each goal.
The current grassed area within the stadium is 120 metres long and 72.3m wide. As comparison the Olympic Stadium pitch will measure 105m long x 68m when marked out for football. Plans show football supporters in the front row will still be 20 metres from the marked out football pitch lines at the half way line and 18 metres from the goal line directly behind the goals. The closest seats to the football pitch is at the corner flags which are 12 metres away from the marked out corners.
By August 2016, the artificial turf will completely cover the running track which will changed by Blue by then. There will also be some West Ham branding likely to involve some clever lighting plus some promised claret and blue seats to create Hammers inspired patterns. A new digital LED will also be added subject to funding and planning permission approval.
It’s going to be awesome – the view’s superb I’ve been in the top of the bowl and the view was excellent.. Got my Season ticket in the lower bowl though but that’s just cuz my dad can make it up so many stair these days lol
I really, really want the OS to be fabulous – I’ve already lobbed out over £200 deposit – but given that the rugby pitch is so much larger than a footie pitch, it still looks like we are going to be miles from the action. Putting astroturf over the running track doesn’t make it come any closer!
at last a view with a normal lens instead of a wide angle lens. Now it looks totally normal from I high up viewpoint. Seeing those people down there shows it is a very good view, and not too far.
Interesting to note that most of the retractable seating is plain white, which I assume we will be putting coloured covers over to Hammerise it.