I don't think anyone is suggesting Orient become the primary user, it would be part of a multi-use and Orient would just have to put up with the lousy atmosphere. (like when, way back, Queens park played at Hampden)
Secondly the plan has always been to remove the top tier and reduce capacity to 25,000. It's been built that way. I have read (no time to dig out the link) that it costs far more to keep it at a higher capacity and make the 'necessary' adaptations to suit West Ham. They of course, don't want the running track. However to not have the athletics facility is to betray the legacy
Just to clarify previous points i've made, as a fan I would not want my club to move in there.
Like no doubt many on here I've been in the stadium and know just how far the seats are away from the action with the running track in place. Maybe retractable seating can solve that, but the problem is that the stadium wasn't designed with that in mind.
If, in 2007, they had accepted that a football team was a likely future tenant and designed the stadium with retractable seating in mind then great, but they didn't. In fact they categorically stated it wouldn't go to a football team and the capacity would be massively reduced, so any solution now will always be a compromise.
I think it's going to take a lot away from fans enjoyment having such a massive gap between them and the pitch, but I await with interest to see if West Ham can remedy that.
Spurs would have demolished the current stadium, they wanted the site, at least the West Ham option will see the stadium retained as close to what it is now as possible, and London gets a major multi use athletics stadium.
What will be interesting is whether they really can square the retractable seat problem, I would hope they can do it in the same way they did in Sydney, where the stadium was converted post games with retractable seating. http://www.flickr.com/photos/kyle_briscoe/3763397446/
They also do it at the Stade de France, where there is a movable stand that is retracted when the venue is being used for athletics. It's very impressive, but of course the stadium was designed like that from the outset.
Prague, I do agree with what you say. However, the excuse most football fans come out with is that it will affect Orient. I really don't see that, I would think if West Ham do move there it would have minimal impact, as an Orient fan you aren't going to suddenly switch allegiance to West Ham. Young kids in the area are just as likely to support West Ham now anyway given how close the two clubs are.
For me West Ham should not move there, first for their club it would be a disaster, half empty stadium, poor atmosphere etc. Second, as a taxpayer I wouldn't want our money to be propping up that club if/when times got tough.
I think like a lot of the buildings in the park the stadium should have been a temporary structure (it looks temporary anyway) and should have been dismantled like a lot of the others are. The whole legacy of the park is a bit of a joke, last I heard they hadn't even found someone to take on the swimming pool, Newham didn't want it because the costs for converting it would have been too high. They have dug themselves a massive hole with it.
I think like a lot of the buildings in the park the stadium should have been a temporary structure (it looks temporary anyway) and should have been dismantled like a lot of the others are. The whole legacy of the park is a bit of a joke, last I heard they hadn't even found someone to take on the swimming pool, Newham didn't want it because the costs for converting it would have been too high. They have dug themselves a massive hole with it.
That's not accurate, it was sorted nearly a year ago:
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/322073c0-3ab6-11e1-a756-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2EGnhgo1m The body overseeing the long-term development of the Olympic Park has said no further public subsidy will be needed to run the £269m aquatics centre as it announced the tenants for three more of the park’s venues. A joint lease for the aquatics centre and multi-use arena would ensure that subsidies from the latter could be used to prop up the swimming pool, which is expected to make a loss, said the Olympic Park Legacy Company. Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL) has been chosen to operate both the Zaha Hadid-designed aquatics centre and the multi-use arena (to be used for handball during the games) for the next 10 years.
Regarding the legacy which you call a bit of a joke, why not take a proper look at http://www.londonlegacy.co.uk before forming an opinion based on out of date and inaccurate info.
Swimming Pool will be reopened in 2014, they've got an operator, and plans for decent sized swimming events to be hosted there too. Velodrome and Copper Box reopen next year as homes to major events.
The media centre will be the home of the new BT sports channel from next year.
The Park legacy is in a pretty good state, the stadium hopefully will be sorted soon.
No need for the attack Rob. With regards to the legacy I should have written the stadium rather than the park. The plans for the park do look good although it looks like they will struggle to deliver on the promise for affordable housing.
Spurs would have demolished the current stadium, they wanted the site, at least the West Ham option will see the stadium retained as close to what it is now as possible, and London gets a major multi use athletics stadium.
What will be interesting is whether they really can square the retractable seat problem, I would hope they can do it in the same way they did in Sydney, where the stadium was converted post games with retractable seating. http://www.flickr.com/photos/kyle_briscoe/3763397446/
Loads of restricted views when it's in the oval format, and yes, I have been to that stadium.
Should've been sorted before they started building it. Shambles.
Imo this was already sorted that wet spam would get the stadium many moons ago. They might have just as well called it the west ham olympic stadium.
Would gold and sullivan really have bought west ham (35k seater stadium) in almost £100mil pounds of dept without the promise of getting this stadium.
Why has boris been saying in recorded interviews 'WHEN west ham move into the stadium' this will be done that will be done etc. this has happened on more than one occasion long before the "process" began.
even to the point of taking the piss out of us by having 'im forever blowing bubbles' sung in the opening ceremony.
My opinion only but done and dusted before they bought west ham.
Comments
I don't think anyone is suggesting Orient become the primary user, it would be part of a multi-use and Orient would just have to put up with the lousy atmosphere. (like when, way back, Queens park played at Hampden)
Secondly the plan has always been to remove the top tier and reduce capacity to 25,000. It's been built that way. I have read (no time to dig out the link) that it costs far more to keep it at a higher capacity and make the 'necessary' adaptations to suit West Ham. They of course, don't want the running track. However to not have the athletics facility is to betray the legacy
Like no doubt many on here I've been in the stadium and know just how far the seats are away from the action with the running track in place. Maybe retractable seating can solve that, but the problem is that the stadium wasn't designed with that in mind.
If, in 2007, they had accepted that a football team was a likely future tenant and designed the stadium with retractable seating in mind then great, but they didn't. In fact they categorically stated it wouldn't go to a football team and the capacity would be massively reduced, so any solution now will always be a compromise.
I think it's going to take a lot away from fans enjoyment having such a massive gap between them and the pitch, but I await with interest to see if West Ham can remedy that.
What will be interesting is whether they really can square the retractable seat problem, I would hope they can do it in the same way they did in Sydney, where the stadium was converted post games with retractable seating. http://www.flickr.com/photos/kyle_briscoe/3763397446/
For me West Ham should not move there, first for their club it would be a disaster, half empty stadium, poor atmosphere etc. Second, as a taxpayer I wouldn't want our money to be propping up that club if/when times got tough.
I think like a lot of the buildings in the park the stadium should have been a temporary structure (it looks temporary anyway) and should have been dismantled like a lot of the others are. The whole legacy of the park is a bit of a joke, last I heard they hadn't even found someone to take on the swimming pool, Newham didn't want it because the costs for converting it would have been too high. They have dug themselves a massive hole with it.
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/322073c0-3ab6-11e1-a756-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2EGnhgo1m
The body overseeing the long-term development of the Olympic Park has said no further public subsidy will be needed to run the £269m aquatics centre as it announced the tenants for three more of the park’s venues.
A joint lease for the aquatics centre and multi-use arena would ensure that subsidies from the latter could be used to prop up the swimming pool, which is expected to make a loss, said the Olympic Park Legacy Company. Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL) has been chosen to operate both the Zaha Hadid-designed aquatics centre and the multi-use arena (to be used for handball during the games) for the next 10 years.
Regarding the legacy which you call a bit of a joke, why not take a proper look at http://www.londonlegacy.co.uk before forming an opinion based on out of date and inaccurate info.
thought the biggest ever made was the basketball for 2012, and that was only a fraction of the size.
The media centre will be the home of the new BT sports channel from next year.
The Park legacy is in a pretty good state, the stadium hopefully will be sorted soon.
Would gold and sullivan really have bought west ham (35k seater stadium) in almost £100mil pounds of dept without the promise of getting this stadium.
Why has boris been saying in recorded interviews 'WHEN west ham move into the stadium' this will be done that will be done etc. this has happened on more than one occasion long before the "process" began.
even to the point of taking the piss out of us by having 'im forever blowing bubbles' sung in the opening ceremony.
My opinion only but done and dusted before they bought west ham.