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Planning expert calls for London Stadium demolition

police22The design of the London Stadium is so flawed for football it should be demolished says planning advisor.

Former Burnley chief executive Paul Fletcher, who advised on the original planning of the stadium suggests West Ham’s new home should be ‘demolished’ and rebuilt for football. Despite spending £280million to reconfigure the arena for football use, the ‘London Stadium’ will continue to ‘breed poor behaviour’ from home and visiting fans, it is claimed.

‘There are issues such as the distances many fans find themselves from the pitch. It was set up for athletics so has shallow sight-lines, meaning many fans simply don’t have a good view. At the Chelsea match, large numbers of fans stood on the extended concourses as they have such a poor view from their seats. Even the route the fans had to take to get in and out of the stadium is a problem, as are segregation issues outside the ground due to wide open spaces.Some £280m has been spent to reconfigure the ground and £1bn of taxpayers’ money in total, but it’s been a farce from start to finish.’

Stadium expert Fletcher was asked to advise on the stadium design during the original planning phase. He believes the problems are so great it needs demolishing. ‘I said back then that oil and water don’t mix — an athletics track in a football stadium doesn’t work as the sight-lines are all wrong,‘ he said. ‘I did advise that West Ham and other football experts should have been brought in from the outset to help design the stands for football use, but this fell on deaf ears. It is a botched job and won’t work now or in 30 years’ time.”

‘This is what happens when politicians and bureaucrats get involved in professional sport. Instead of leaving West Ham a thoroughbred stadium, the legacy is that they have been left a donkey. The only way to get it right is to knock it down and rebuild it. There is no magic wand. I don’t blame the West Ham owners. I don’t think they realised how bad it would be. The stadium will be safe and has all the certificates to say it is fit for purpose, but will the fans enjoy it?”

‘I feel sorry for the fans. They have left Upton Park, one of the most intimidating and electric stadiums, with fans on top of the pitch, for this. Fans are now 40 metres away from the action, they won’t enjoy it and the players won’t enjoy it. Despite having a shiny new stadium it is not working. They’ve gone from one extreme to another.’

A West Ham spokesman said: ‘It has been designated by UEFA as a Category 4 stadium which qualifies it to host their elite competitions such as the Champions League Final, something of which the club is immensely proud. The Board and staff at West Ham United are working tirelessly to address the issues that occurred towards the end of the game against Chelsea this week.’

 

About Sean Whetstone

I am Season Ticket Holder in West stand lower at the London Stadium and before that, I used to stand in the Sir Trevor Brooking Lower Row R seat 159 in the Boleyn Ground and in the Eighties I stood on the terraces of the old South Bank. I am a presenter on the West Ham Podcast called MooreThanJustaPodcast.co.uk. A Blogger on WestHamTillIdie.com a member of the West Ham Supporters Advisory Board (SAB), Founder of a Youtube channel called Mr West Ham Football at http://www.youtube.com/MrWestHamFootball, I am also the associate editor here at Claret and Hugh. Life Long singer of bubbles! Come on you Irons! Follow me at @Westhamfootball on twitter

3 comments on “Planning expert calls for London Stadium demolition

  1. Clearly he hates westham no doubt for making an observation with common sense

  2. Totally lost me there Sharky.Where did anyone say he hates West Ham???

  3. This is an ideal article for the till i die drama queens.They will lap it up Lol
    It anywhere needs demolishing its this guys ground Turf Moor.Its a falling down shed!!

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