West Ham United fans will never forget it and Karren Brady surely regrets it.
Disgraceful picture from Upton Park will infuriate West Ham fans but there was a happy ending
It was the 25th of July 2016. The day West Ham’s unpopular vice-chairman Brady uttered the now immortal words.
Words that are still being shared on social media by disgruntled Hammers fans four years on – and will undoubtedly still be shared in another 40.
‘The most successful stadium migration in history’
“Together, we have built a magnificent new home,” Brady proudly trumpeted after West Ham left their beloved, famous old Upton Park for the London Stadium (whufc.com).
“A home that rightly stands alongside the very best in world football and a home that I know you will be every bit as proud of as I am.
“Be in no doubt, we are part of the most successful stadium migration in history.”
Quite some claim that. Especially considering four years on supporters continue protests to drive Brady and her bosses, co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold, out of the club.
Their major bone of contention, the seed at the very heart of the toxic resentment from West Ham fans to the board, is the stadium move.
Some fans like the former Olympic Stadium. I’m yet to meet one but they are out there somewhere, apparently.
The Hammers have made some cosmetic changes to try and improve the matchday experience over the last two seasons.
Soul destroying: Cosmetic stadium changes have cut little ice with furious Hammers fans
But some claret carpet and squaring off the stands behind the goals cut little ice with supporters.
Many West Ham fans feel they were taken to the new ground on false pretences.
‘Sold a dream, given a nightmare’. ‘Lies, lies, lies’. They are just two of the catchlines emblazoned on protest banners sported by angry supporters.
Now, though, a new report by The Guardian has made a mockery of Brady’s infamous claims.
Headlined ‘New ground: 10 unsuccessful modern stadium moves’ the report uses the London Stadium as the main picture before brutally dissecting the ‘most successful stadium migration in history’.
“In February 2011, the Olympic Park Legacy Company made a decision with seismic ramifications,” The Guardian state.
“Eighteen months before the 2012 Games began, it was decided that West Ham, rather than Tottenham, would benefit from an Olympic Stadium tenancy, secured in a cut-price deal. Almost a decade on, it is clear who really won that day.
‘An atmosphere that switches between forlorn and febrile’
“West Ham’s struggles at the rebranded London Stadium have raised the bar for difficult relocations. The club’s decision to work around the running track, rather than rebuild the stadium as Spurs had planned, has not paid off. Sight lines still focus on the track, or at least the giant claret carpet that covers it up, with managers traipsing several yards across it from dugout to touchline.
“Sections of retractable seating, connected to the main stands by awkward gangways, do nothing to help an atmosphere that switches between forlorn and febrile. The stadium has seen fighting between rival fans and protest pitch invasions, enabled by inadequate matchday security. The idea of relegation and playing Championship football in this vast white elephant is unthinkable.
“The stadium saw so many joyful moments in 2012 and has gone on to host elite athletics, both rugby codes and Major League Baseball. There has been precious little for West Ham fans to cheer, however – leaving their beloved Upton Park behind has been a painful experience.”
Damning.
Tony Cottee absolutely nails it over West Ham’s unhappy move to the London Stadium
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