Watching West Ham struggle over the past two seasons has been a humbling experience.
Since that unforgettable night in Prague, the club has been in decline—both on and off the pitch. But what’s perhaps more concerning is the paradigm shift happening across the Premier League, as clubs once considered minnows now eclipse the Hammers in infrastructure, innovation, and ambition.
While West Ham may boast a larger stadium, clubs like Brighton, Bournemouth, and Brentford have surged ahead in almost every other area. Whether it’s Tony Bloom’s Starlizard scouting system at Brighton or Brentford’s moneyball-style recruitment model, the Hammers are increasingly looking outdated in their approach.
The most recent—and stark—example of this comes from AFC Bournemouth, who have just unveiled a state-of-the-art £32 million performance centre that leaves West Ham’s facilities at Rush Green looking embarrassingly dated.
The new training complex features an indoor dome, 16 full-sized pitches, a media area, classrooms, changing rooms, and a full medical suite. It will serve the men’s first team, the women’s squad, and academy players—a forward-thinking, all-encompassing development.
Night and Day: Hammers facilities just don’t compare
Bournemouth chairman Bill Foley deserves huge credit for the vision and ambition behind the project. Under PSR (Profit and Sustainability Rules), clubs are allowed to invest in training and stadium infrastructure without it counting against financial fair play limits—a loophole Bournemouth have used to their advantage.
The contrast between their 57-acre campus and the modest surroundings of Rush Green is alarming. Bournemouth are far from an isolated case. Around the league, West Ham are being outpaced in virtually every metric: scouting, facilities, data analysis, and general forward planning.
Worryingly, while West Ham do have an excellent knack of developing young talent, the fact that the academy continues to produce players despite the subpar environment says more about the staff and youth than it does about the infrastructure.
Unless there is urgent investment and strategic change, the Hammers risk being left behind—not just by the ‘Big Six’, but by clubs who were once looking up at us.
A fundamental and common architectural mistake springs out from the rendering of the Bournemouth site.
The car parking spaces are way too small for normal cars. Highly paid footballing people have cars which match the size of their salary. The layout at Bournemouth is pants. Might work if everyone arrives in their Fiat 500 or smaller golf buggy. Otherwise – just not suitable for purpose.
Very good point Taffy 😂.
It’s very likely that most of today’s footballers would be more concerned about where the Ferrari/Lambo will be parked than how plush the showers are. Small parking spaces would certainly be a challenge for Antonio 😉.
Gonzo, It’s not like West Ham are unaware of this issue.
They were trying to move and develop a huge training centre at Oakfields in Fairlop (Near Barkingside) only locals objected and Redbridge council decided to block it.
What’s your point, B? That Gonzo shouldn’t have bothered to post this?
Personally, I found it insightful and interesting to see Bournemouth’s plans, and the point about moving forward is valid. Any sensible business considers multiple sites and plans at the same time. Not just “oh well, we tried and it didn’t work out at the first time of asking, so now we’re going to just leave it and plod on”…
Good question.
I guess my point was about WHU have actually tried to upgrade/invest in the training facilities. The tone of the article, implies West Ham are oblivious to this issue.
The clubs run by morons with short arms & deep pockets sowed shut . There’s nothing these muppets have brought to the club that wasn’t here 30yrs ago …. no sorry . They sold the Football Stadium for an athletics track ⚒️
There’s been rumours for months. That once the royal mail takeover is complete. And it is now . That DK is going to complete a WHUFC takeover . We’ll find out soon enough.
I think it’s quite a nice shed.
So we are looking more like a little club, run by a little man – David Sullivan. It’s so embarrassing.
Getting bored with the Sullivan out narrative, however much most of us want him gone the reality is he is going nowhere anytime soon. I understand it difficult to find anything positive to discuss as there was a lot of expectation for this season but things just haven’t happened however I think the mess the squad was in after the Moyes era was never going to be fixed in one transfer window. I like to think the addition of Summerville, obi wan and Todibo were a big plus for us. Hopefully we can hang on to our best players and add some more quality for next season,and yes I’m like most in feeling the sooner this season is over the better. If you are a glass half empty person I guess you’re entitled to your opinion. I like to stay positive
100% agree.
It does seem odd though not to invest in the training facilities.
Rush Green is embarrassing and surely players being given the ‘tour’ must be pretty underwhelmed. Chadwell Heath is appalling and the £2m investment a few years back was totally BS. Even up to U15s they are playing at Little Heath which is a school site across the road.
It really is shocking when you compare it to other EPL sides (with the exception of Ipswich). I just don’t understand why they haven’t bought some brown belt land further into Essex and moved the whole lot.
What do you really expect all Sullivan cares about is premier league survival and profits yet we have one of the world’s richest boards who will not put any money into the club they purport to love and support ,so since Upton park we’ve become homeless tennants in a ground we have no control over and our training facilities are basically porta cabins joined together, it’s plain as day the board invest in the bare necessities and any money put in is charged at a massive interest, nothing is ours ,I’m not sure but I think I read somewhere the training ground was remortgaged ,all that really still exists is the name and they tarnished that by sticking London on it, l fear for next season if we do get relegated we will turn into another Leeds or Birmingham and that could be catastrophic
Not entirely sure about the remortgaging on the training ground because we have three separate sites which is crazy.
Look no further then the man in control
Gonzo you said the club looks to be left behind with outdated facility and structure. That’s because the man in charge is also that ! Mr Sullivan needs to take a long hard look at recent decisions and the non investment in the club. Maybe it’s time for him to hand over the leadership of the club. This is something you can’t blame on any manager we have had.
Maybe Sullivan agreed to the building of rush green as the builder said it was state of the arc and he thought that was good
State of the Arc. Love it!
You Sir have the best comment I’ve read in a long time ha ha
Sullivan out
I think you will find that the Leicester facilities are even better. Hasn’t done them much good though, has it?
What has prompted this anti West Ham barrage of articles? You haven’t been bought off by ‘The Fighting Cock’ mob,have you? 😂
😂😂
No, they couldn’t afford me Steve . . . .You’re right about the Leicester facilities though, but that’s been there a while and we covered it at the time.
There’s a lovely piece about George Earthy tomorrow which may be to your liking.