Wednesday 19 October 2011

The Campaign to Save The Boleyn

Regular readers of this blog will know I have been opposed to the move to the Olympic Stadium from the off. I've never believed the tosh about it being a stepping stone to great things, for me it has always been a way of releasing the land in Green Street for redevelopment, reimbursing Sullivan and Gold's investment in the club and offering profit potential as they then cut and run, finding a mug to buy a team without a home, a club stripped of its heritage and soul.

Too late, opposition is mounting. There's a call for consultation and a sudden panic because the consequences of being tenants is beginning to dawn. I have been invited to lead a campaign on this blog, and I'm happy to lend my voice, but to what end?

Does anybody believe Sullivan and Gold give a toss about what the fans want? Do me a favour! Want to know their game? Well check out the ticket number for Southampton FC - it starts 0800 and so is freephone. Why would Saints seek to rip off their ticket buying fans? But West Ham? That's 0871 and a 10p per minute charge of course. If you've not tried ringing it yet, give it a go. See how quickly you connect and find yourself in the queue. Then check out how long you wait, the minutes ticking by as the cost builds up. On the other end, sales reps no doubt work to an "optimum answer time" - long enough to ensure the call generates as much ancillary revenue as possible, but not so long that the caller rings off, losing the sale. It stinks.

So, I will support the campaign and offer whatever publicity the campaigners may wish on this site. I admire their passion but I do suspect that it is all too late. Dear God, but for the belated change of heart by the OLC, the deal would be done and dusted by now.

There's a meeting scheduled for Hamilton Hall, Liverpool Street tomorrow evening (the 20th), kicking off at 7pm, to discuss how opposition to the move can be coordinated. Quite why it is not on a match day at a venue close to the ground is beyond me.  If we want a poll, why not petition the fans outside the ground and copy the Mancs by coming up with an alternative scarf. Maybe it could be green, with the name Barratt in white down it!

The offer to help is there guys and I wish you luck.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Very commendable HF I think you should take a lead - you've got all the ingredients to be a great activist.

Dave D said...

What are the odds that Big Sam is one of the "Bung Takers" talked about by Peter Harrison?

I can just see our luck at the end of this season, going up to the prem and then yet another scandel.

Stani said...

I don't mind setting up a Facebook group or page

Masty said...

Unleash the Fanno!

AussieGraham said...

Gold and Sullivan had a hate campaign in the national press against everything West Ham before they took control now they won a dodgy 50% stake they obviously want to pay for the whole club by selling Upton Park,taking all the parachute payments and spending nothing on new players ,even Stevie Wonder can see what these money grabbing little bastards are up to and their so called love of the club has to be called into question,sell the club to someone who will invest in decent players!

Bert said...

With respect AussieGraham - you talk a load of old tosh.

'they obviously want to pay for the whole club by selling Upton Park'?

The current ground is worth £30-35m - they are not going to buy the whole club for that. That will be the amount that they will personally stump up this season keeping the club afloat whilst hopefully challenging for promotion. Then there is the amount that they have already paid for their share of the ownership.

How did you get in Oz? it certainly wasn't due to brain power.

There are always fewer leaders than followers and there is a good reason for that - people like you. Be quiet and just follow.

Hammersfan said...

I don't understand where this valuation of the land is coming from Bert. It depends on what can be built on it. Given their friends in Newham Council, God only knows what planning consents Sullivan and Gold can swing!

fred149 said...

Well i heard our ground was worth 85 million when we took interest in the olympic stadium. I even got slated on the org about my post because i do not see how having a half full stadium with a running trach will help us compete for honors like people are saying.

jimwhu said...

hf it would be great to stay at the boleyn ground if we could build it up to say 50000 but the dildo brothers aint gonna do that the olympic stadium with the bigger capacity even with the running track for a few years aint the worse thing if the uk want to bid for another olympics after its been scaled down they wont be able to use the new stadium because it wont be big enough so they will have to build another stadium as the olympic stadium will be an old stadium by then tottscum will have there own stadium gawd knows where orient will be and no one intime will give a fcuk about there being a running track round our stadium but the main worry i have about the olympic stadium is if we dont take it then does this leave the door open for unwanted neighbours to move in also dont you think in maybe 5 years time the government might want the stadium taken off there hands and sell it to the dildo brothers one thing at the moment that worrys me is if we dont own the new stadium will we get anything for the naming of the new stadium if the dildo brothers were really for the fans and westham why dont they keep the boleyn ground and give the os a few seasons trial if it dont work out move back to the b g

Johntan said...

What is you're opposition to the move HF?

Anonymous said...

The phone number for the ticket office has been the same for as long as I remember, you can hardly blame that on Gold and Sullivan!!!!

John said...

I would be interested to hear of any alternative plans of how to pay off the clubs debts and still have money available for the sort of players that would be required should we be promoted to the premier league? People tend to forget that West Ham football club is bankrupt and it will be very difficult to progress, in its present financial state unless something is done about it. The D's are business men they are not going to keep ploughing their own cash into the club

ECH's Dad said...

Can I just concentrate on the OS situation please? Can someone please show me a drawing/model/sketch or whatever, showing how we can possibly make this (circular for some preculiar reason) stadium a good venue for football. The current front tier of seats is already at a very shallow angle - wouldn't new seats on the running track be almost flat? How would anyone see let alone feel any atmosphere anywhere near that we get in the 'good ol' Boleyn'? Come on WHUFC - be honest with your fans and:-
1. Show us how this will work, and 2. Canvass the fans true views - you have to consult or risk us voting with our feet - you do understand that don't you? Your fans are THE most important thing you have Also, as I've said before on other blogs (I don't Know Jack), what would be wrong with an East Stand extension taking the Boleyn to 45,000? Can the club please open up to us fans on these very crucial issues?

John said...

I believe the council and police are dead set against permission for the East Stand development idea, and I think the only way to get over their objections are expensive infrastructure alterations to the areas surrounding the ground which would not be cost effective for an increase of 10,000 fans.
It is now time for the D's to show the fans designer drawings of what they have in mind for the OS so we can at least make a sensible judgement.
Whatever,although I hate to say it, Spurs plan to virtually knock the place down and start again without the track seems the most sensible outcome

TurdsOut! said...

Stani - do the page mate - I'll help you promote it.

Deane said...

On the east stand Terry Brown said planning permission was done for the east stand and the corner developments so somebody's telling porkies
and Stani feel free to join in http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/140579482673295/

Deane said...

JimWHU ever considered the possibility that SuGo and Levy have an agreement that they argue in the press but get what they want namely a new stadium in tottscum and a rented one for us in stratford