The Olympic Stadium is simply not fit for football, say experts as adviser on its building says West Ham's new home should be 'demolished'
- West Ham have suffered a series of issues at the former Olympic Stadium
- Clash with Chelsea on Wednesday night saw fan disorder in the stands
- Stadium experts say London Stadium has created a fans' 'battleground'
- Paul Fletcher believes ground should be demolished and then rebuilt
- West Ham plan to ban 200 fans after the scenes at fiery Chelsea clash
The design of the £700m Olympic Stadium is so flawed for football use that it has created a 'battleground' for fans, say stadium experts.
One key figure, former Burnley chief executive Paul Fletcher, who advised on the original planning of the stadium, even suggests West Ham's new home should be 'demolished' and rebuilt for football.
Despite spending £280million to reconfigure the arena for football use, the 'London Stadium' will continue to 'breed poor behaviour' from home and visiting fans, it is claimed.
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Days after West Ham announced their intention to ban more than 200 fans for crowd trouble during the EFL cup win over Chelsea, a source close to the London Legacy Development Corporation, the local planning authority and joint landlords, has broken ranks to express horror at the situation.
He told The Mail on Sunday: 'The stadium is so poor in football terms, it breeds poor behaviour. The stadium is fundamentally problematic and like a battleground for fans both inside and outside.
'There are issues such as the distances many fans find themselves from the pitch. It was set up for athletics so has shallow sight-lines, meaning many fans simply don't have a good view.
'At the Chelsea match, large numbers of fans stood on the extended concourses as they have such a poor view from their seats. Even the route the fans had to take to get in and out of the stadium is a problem, as are segregation issues outside the ground due to wide open spaces.
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'Some £280m has been spent to reconfigure the ground and £1bn of taxpayers' money in total, but it's been a farce from start to finish.'
Experts point to areas that could continue to encourage toxic behaviour, including the lower tier, where rival fans share a temporary structure over the athletics track.
Home and away fans each have two walkways back to the covered concessions area, but share a small concourse at the back of the stand.
A spokesperson for the Sports Ground Safety Authority confirmed that the issues of segregation and stadium design would be discussed at the next Safety Advisory Group meeting.
'I am sure these issues have been, or will be, discussed and also what needs to be changed and improved,' he said.
Stadium expert Fletcher was asked to advise on the stadium design during the original planning phase. He believes the problems are so great it needs demolishing.
'I said back then that oil and water don't mix — an athletics track in a football stadium doesn't work as the sight-lines are all wrong,' he said.
'I did advise that West Ham and other football experts should have been brought in from the outset to help design the stands for football use, but this fell on deaf ears. It is a botched job and won't work now or in 30 years' time.
'This is what happens when politicians and bureaucrats get involved in professional sport. Instead of leaving West Ham a thoroughbred stadium, the legacy is that they have been left a donkey. The only way to get it right is to knock it down and rebuild it. There is no magic wand.
'I don't blame the West Ham owners. I don't think they realised how bad it would be. The stadium will be safe and has all the certificates to say it is fit for purpose, but will the fans enjoy it?
'I feel sorry for the fans. They have left Upton Park, one of the most intimidating and electric stadiums, with fans on top of the pitch, for this. Fans are now 40 metres away from the action, they won't enjoy it and the players won't enjoy it. Despite having a shiny new stadium it is not working. They've gone from one extreme to another.'
Retractable seating has been used to cover the athletics track, leaving gaps under the seating of scaffolding, as well as exposed breezeblocks and unused seats.
West Ham have tried to cover these gaps with claret and blue fabric and the club admit that before the season they asked TV companies to cover the arena from more favourable angles.
Many fans have complained on social media, drawing responses from joint owners David Sullivan, David Gold and vice-chairman Karren Brady.
The club will beef up security operations in a bid to eradicate further trouble, increasing segregation inside and outside of the stadium and providing stewards with hand-held video cameras to identify trouble spots.
A West Ham spokesman said: 'It has been designated by UEFA as a Category 4 stadium which qualifies it to host their elite competitions such as the Champions League Final, something of which the club is immensely proud. The Board and staff at West Ham United are working tirelessly to address the issues that occurred towards the end of the game against Chelsea this week.'
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