The London Stadium Safety Advisory Group (LS-SAG) have previously restricted the London Stadium capacity to 57,000 for the first two Premier League matches of Bournemouth and Watford.
However it is within their power to reduce the capacity even further in the coming days. ClaretandHugh understands that the LS-SAG, chaired by Newham Council’s enforcement officer, Sheila Roberts were previously concerned about a variety of issues including persistent standing, away fan segregation and fans being allowed to drink alcohol in view of the pitch.
In light of the trouble at Bournemouth and Watford, the LS-SAG could impose further sanctions including reducing the capacity further of the London Stadium or possibly reducing capacity to zero banning all fans from matches.
That is what happened in Nottingham earlier this summer when Nottingham Forest’s City Ground was reduced to a capacity of zero after safety concerns were uncovered by an audit. The Championship club were later granted their certificate but the City Ground was reduced by 20% and licensed to hold 24,357 people – a reduction of 6,088 on their actual capacity.
This is not just an issue of future capacity growth and the LS-SAG have the power to significantly reduce the London Stadium capacity if they deem the stadium is unsafe.
I know a minority of our fans get a lite carried away sometimes but the Stadium owners haven’t realised that this isn’t Athletics or rugby and football fans are a different type of crowd to manage.
They need to get their act together, sort out the segregation lines and stop letting people drink beer in view of the pitch. You get kicked out of Wembley if you have a beer in the stands. And it is an offence to be carry alcohol into or at a stadium so why are the stewards letting the fans do it?
My experience of the stewarding at the London Stadium is poor. They are rude, discourteous, and are a bunch of ‘rent a thugs’.
Karren Brady needs to go back to the owners and sort this out. We are the tenants, we have rights. We did them a favour by taking on this bloody stadium.
We wonna go home,we wonna go home, back to the Boleyn,West ham wonna go home.maybe the next terrace call? .COYI
So at the end of the day the club has no say on capacity, no say on stewarding, no say on police presence and must conform to whatever the stadium operator says. Can someone remind me what the benefit of moving was again because the club I’ve supported home and away for 30+ years seems to have been replaced by branded imitation dictated to by those who don’t understand our roots and traditions.
One fan on another website said this morning “a Few Punch Ups is Necessary” well I agree strongly, these fans are letting Our Club down badly. Those in authority will jump down on us, be it Council or The Premier League there is no doubt this will happen.
There has to be standing alone sections, but that can’t happen overnight, but when that comes in and there are sufficient sections to accommodate all who want this, they have to accept seating sections will be Strictly Seating Only.
Never did I believe it would get so bitter, just think if punch ups was norn to resolve all problems?
This can all be sorted out with common sense and co-operation I have found unfortunately that almost all corporate companies lack in those departments often citing political reasons for why they cannot come together. If the club come together with the Stadium operator with regards to the Police presence and stewarding and joint fund any proposed changes or agree some other compromise then I am sure that could be resolved relatively quickly. As for the standing, slightly more complicated and could if safe standing was approved require FAPL ratification so it’s hard to see anything happening this season, likewise the family area, those require significant re-allocation of seats, then there are the costs, imho they should make away support safe standing also because it would assist with safety due to the rails forming a barrier to stop masses of people getting trampled if there was a big breach between supporters. The segregation is a real tough nut to crack because of the stadium design but modified designs should be looked at.