West Ham and the track of tears.
Issues with board, ground and squad.
Daniel Levy was right. The then Tottenham Hotspur chairman argued in 2011 that it made no sense for the Olympic Stadium with its running track to remain after the London Games of 2012. He wanted to knock most of it down, build a magnificent football stadium on the Stratford site, move Spurs in and develop the athletics facilities at Crystal Palace National Sports Centre.
In the end, sustained resistance by politicians and Olympic romantics extinguished Levy’s eminently sensible plan. So there was a classic British compromise. West Ham United moved in on a ridiculously good deal (for them with even the corner-flags paid for by the tax-payer), the running track element was retained for occasional athletics meets and Hammers fans were forced to leave their atmospheric, beloved Boleyn Ground for a soulless athletics arena. The only positive about fans being so far from the pitch is they don’t get a close-up of the drab action.
Spurs fans must be laughing. Ultimately, they got the best of both worlds. The snubbing of Levy’s plan meant West Ham fans ended up having to suffer the Olympic Stadium with its loathed running track. Spurs re-focused on expanding their home on Tottenham High Road. They have built a fabulous new stadium accommodating the demand (they were 36,000 on the waiting list for tickets at White Hart Lane which held 36,000) and making it multi-use. Concerts and NFL bring in significant revenue.
Most importantly, the fans are close to the pitch, the South Stand is a wonderful, steepling tier of humanity. And they didn’t have to move and break up decades of much-loved routines. It brought important income to the area although transport logistics remain problematic. Even with train staff and policing, crowding into White Hart Lane station post-match remains a concern, especially on the platform.
It was a sliding-doors moment for both clubs. Spurs still have to get the on-field right but at least they have a home they love. West Ham’s rented home will, in all probability, be hosting Championship football next season. Last night’s cataclysmic result, the 2-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest, means they are seven points adrift of 17th-placed Forest. They look doomed.
West Ham’s problems are well-known. Recruitment has been woeful. They have now rushed in two strikers Taty and Pablo Felipe. Why not get them last summer? Why try and rely on injury-prone, ageing Callum Wilson and Niclas Fullkrug?