David Gold has reaffirmed his desire to see thousands of West Ham supporters on their feet in the Olympic Stadium in designated safe standing areas.
But in an exclusive interview with Blowing Bubbles Monthly the co-chairman said the club needs to show the stadium is safe and supporters aren’t being anti-social.
“Don’t get me wrong, for 20 years I stood at Upton Park. I know what it means to stand and watch West Ham but the law says we’ve got to sit down,” he explained.
“I’ve said it to you before and I’ll say it again, we will look at rail seating and safe standing but in the meantime, we’ve got to get our licence [for 60,000 seats].”
Read more from Mr Gold in Blowing Bubbles’ September issue…
Elsewhere in the popular publication, which supporters can get hard copies of at the entrance to the Olympic Park tomorrow, Team GB hockey star Susannah Townsend discussed all things Rio and West Ham.
And while most Team GB athletes would have been hoping for a glimpse of Usain Bolt, Mo Farah or Jessica Ennis Hill in Rio, she had high hopes of bumping into Manuel Lanzini in the athletes’ village.
As for her memories of Upton Park, she continued: “I was about four or five when my dad took me to my first West Ham game. It was always special going to Upton Park. My whole childhood was there. Everyone has got memories of their match day experience and it will always be a place that I’ll love.”
Meanwhile ex-Hammer George Parris feels the spending of other clubs will make it difficult for West Ham to replicate their form and finish this campaign.
“Looking at the outlay of the other clubs this season and the players they’ve brought, it’s going to tough for us to get into the top seven or eight,” he wrote in his column.
In addition Sky Sports’ Bianca Westwood was delighted with the deadline day signing of Alvaro Arbeloa. Writing in her column, she wrote: “I think defensively we needed another body but he brings a wealth of experience with him. I think it was a brilliant signing and it just goes to show the kind of players we can attract now.”
The issues of supporters’ views from the East Stand and Michail Antonio playing at right back are covered by Blowing Bubbles’ writers, as is the debate over whether or not Darren Randolph should get a run in the team at the expense of Adrian.
The lives and careers of summer signings Andre Ayew, Jonathan Calleri and Arthur Masuaku are put under the claret and blue microscope, and the magazine has also carried out a full inquest into West Ham’s Europa League failings.
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