The confirmation that the Premier League 2017-18 season will start on 12th August 2017 and end on 13th May 2018 means that West Ham are almost certain to play their first games of the new season away from the London Stadium.
The World Athletics Championships will be held in the London Stadium between 4th August and 13th August and with up to 14 days to move semi-retractable seats and rebuild the seats in football mode it means the first home game is likely to be played on Saturday 2nd September.
West Ham’s contract with LLDC says the stadium should be made available no later than 25th August but it remains in doubt whether that can be achieved and the Premier League and West Ham are likely to play it safe.
West Ham’s contract says ‘Championship Window means the period commencing on I July 2017 and ending on 21 August 2017 or such earlier date as the Stadium is no longer required for the 2017 IAAF World Championships and the 2017 IPC Athletics World Championships or the relevant set-up and breakdown time required such that the Stadium will be configured in Football Mode by no later than 25 August 2017’
The Hammers have already received special dispensation from the FA and the Premier League to play away from home in August.
Before the World Athletics Championships are held the World Para Athletics Championships will take place in the London Stadium from 14th-23rd July 2017.
Both events will require a clean stadium with all West Ham branding removed and will require the seats to be moved back and disassembled to expose the running track.
West Ham’s contract says “Clean Stadium means the requirement that no part, property, fixture, fitting or equipment situated in the Stadium and no person working on the Island shall display. carry or incorporate any form of advertising. promotional material, branding, trade marks, logos. unofficial marks or features of any Commercial Partners or other third parties to the extent necessary for the Grantor to comply with any Staging Agreements or other arrangements applicable to the 2017 IAAF World Championships or the 2017 IPC Athletics World Championships, the Major Sporting Event, Major Championship Event in question”
The Hammers will further problems if they manage to qualify for Europa League qualifying stage for a third year running and may have to request special permission to UEFA to play elsewhere in the UK before September with four possible home games to play.
Europa League Qualifying dates:
29/06/17: First qualifying round, first leg
06/07/17: First qualifying round, second leg
13/07/17: Second qualifying round, first leg
20/07/17: Second qualifying round, second leg
27/07/17: Third qualifying round, first leg
03/08/17: Third qualifying round, second leg
17/08/17: Play-off round, first leg
24/08/17: Play-off round, second leg
No big deal.Didnt Liverpool play away from home this season through August.It never did them any harm.More home games later in the season.
The way we’re playing away from home it should mean we get off to a good start Lol
Yep no hassle.Ffs we played two of our first three at home last season & that worked out well didnt it.Done by Leicester & Bournemouth while winning away at Arsenil & Liverpoo in our first two away games.Give us the big boys in our first three matches away,we will smash them 😂😂
Exactly Lama.Last season proved that it really shouldnt put us at a disadvantage playing away to start with.Get on with it,19 home19 away over 10 months.
You can bet your bottom dollar some supporters will be worrying about it already before this season has even finished.Planning our impending doom for next season and how this will lead us to relegation lol
it’s not about where, it’s about who.
Well thats in the lap of the gods or the fixture computer.I think i will wait for this season to end before getting downcast about something happening in six months time .Who knows we might get Swansea Boro and Southampton = 9 points lol
Here’s the irony, the same people who complain that we are playing 38 away matches this season because they blame every defeat at the London Stadium on the move and who say they prefer going to away matches because they hate the LS, are now saying it’s a disaster potentially have to play our first 3 matches away next season. You couldn’t make it up. Lmao.
Not sure what we do if we qualify for Europa League, maybe we could share with Leyton Orient or Millwall lol
“For Bilic, Saturday was his 25th league win as West Ham United boss – no manager has reached this feat quicker than the Croatian in the club’s 122 year history.” This was on the official site.
It really should put an end to the haters constant sniping shouldn’t it. There it is in black and white. Better than Ron John Harry and Uncle Tom Cobley.
Sean one for you if I may? Does this tell the whole story? I image Slaven has probably lost more that he should’ve won? I’m probably wrong as usual. I wonder if there is a comparison table? Got to be worth a click baiting thread surely?
Worth checking out I agree
I meant to say lost matches he should have drawn Sean. Be interested to hear if the info is available. Makes no odds to me as Slaven is legend for me.
to be honest I don’t imagine we will have to worry about the Europa League Qualifying Rounds next season. We’ll have to go on a great run & the teams above must all f**k up over the last 14 games. Even if Manure win the tin pot cup & finish 5th it will only go down to 6th & FA Cup place 7th if a top 5 team win that.
Orient might be a Non-League club by then so imagine the pi$$ take we would get going there 😀
I’m also guessing we’ll be playing away over Christmas again because of the sales at Westfield……