Pictures have emerged showing the construction of West Ham United’s new-look stands behind the goals at the London Stadium.
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Earlier this year West Ham confirmed work would be undertaken to reconfigure the stands in time for next season.
West Ham fans initially welcomed the club’s plans to square off the stands in line with a more traditional football stadium.
Stadium reconfiguration plans cause controversy
The club also promised it would bring supporters closer to the action.
Last month West Ham sent a pack to fans in those stands explaining the process.
And Hammers season ticket holders also got the chance to use an online tool to see the view from their new seat and where they have been moved to as a result.
A small number of fans in the middle of the stand will move around 4m closer to the action. But a side effect appears to be that thousands of supporters have been left angry having been moved further away and some even split up from their friends and family.
There also appears to be an issue with some seats having an impaired or restricted view of the action on the right hand side of the stand.
First pictures emerge showing new stands in progress
Some West Ham supporters also pointed out concerns that the already vast gap between the upper and lower tiers will increase as a result of the move.
Well now fans can see how the new stands are starting to take shape.
That’s after the first pictures of the reconstruction emerged on social media.
The images were posted on Twitter with the words ‘Long Live The Boleyn’ over the top.
Hammers United, the fan group which has led protests against West Ham owners David Sullivan and David Gold and their vice-chairman Karren Brady, released a statement titled ‘A step in the wrong direction’ criticising the reconfiguration of the seating.
Stadium owners let slip that reconfiguration is a money saving exercise
And supporters were quick to point out a line in a statement from the London Stadium owners which revealed the move would save money in reconfiguration costs in the medium to long-term.
“This time-saving conversion will offset the cost of the new seating system for the north and south stands, paying back the £5 million investment within five years,” the London Stadium statement said.
Graham Gilmore, CEO of London Stadium, went further and admitted cost savings would be significant.
“We are always looking to build on our reputation as the country’s most successful multi-use venue, so while we have had to deal with the disappointment of postponements and cancellations to our scheduled 2020 summer events, we are delighted to make improvements to the seating, specifically for Premier League football matches,” he said on the London Stadium website.
“This work will enhance the customer experience and bring fans closer to the action, it will also allow us to adapt the venue for our other events in a reduced timeframe, saving significant costs. We look forward to welcoming fans back in the very near future.”
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