A respected journalist has savaged West Ham United’s London Stadium showing there is still plenty of work to do.
West Ham’s new home has not had much positive press over the years.
It has perhaps been Manuel Pellegrini’s biggest challenge and achievement as West Ham manager to make the ground feel something like home for the Hammers.
Pellegrini inherited no shortage of problems at the club. But many of them were rooted in the issue of the unpopular stadium.
In the first couple of years supporters just could not take to their new surroundings.
West Ham’s rocky relationship with the London Stadium
The list of grievances over the stadium and what fans felt were broken promises from the owners are too many to mention.
From the configuration of the stadium itself to the distance from the pitch and the overall matchday experience, supporters were angry and yearning for their beloved Upton Park.
The London Stadium threatened to become a symbol of everything West Ham fans hated about the ownership of David Sullivan and David Gold.
But things have improved markedly in the last 18 months.
On the whole West Ham supporters seem more contented with their Stratford home. Much of that comes from having the best home record outside the top six since Pellegrini’s arrival.
Home life more settled under Pellegrini
A host of improvements have been made in and around the stadium. And there is the promise of more to come.
Staggered capacity increases, up to a maximum of 66,000, will take place over the next couple of years.
And there are also proposals to eventually square off the seating in line with a traditional football ground.
A sobering reminder that fans must continue to keep the pressure on Gold, Sullivan and Karren Brady to improve the stadium came in the shape of a new savaging from respected football journalist Mick Dennis last weekend.
Dennis visited the stadium for the first time to watch West Ham’s 2-0 win over Norwich last weekend.
And he was not impressed, hitting out at the club’s owners in the process.
Respected journalist slams stadium and owners
“London Stadium truly wretched place to watch football,” Dennis said on Twitter.
“From high seats it’s Subbuteo. From near front it’s still too far away but with no height for perspective.
“West Ham have flogged a great old ground and rent a dreadful athletics bowl.
“Norwich were well beaten (glimpsed from afar).”
When some West Ham fans tried to defend the stadium and the views, Dennis was unwavering.
“I’ve sat high in the Camp Nou,” he added.
“Because of the steep angle of the seats, it’s much better and closer than at London Stadium. Better too at Maracana. I’ve seen games on five continents and at most of the truly great stadiums. London Stadium’s definitely not one of them.
“It was my first visit. Our seats were truly dreadful. Old news, certainly, but perhaps it needs repeating.
“I always sit high when there’s a choice. But today we were in different postcode.”
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