March 16, 2025
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I asked AI to redesign West Ham’s London Stadium and it absolutely understood the assignment

By
Jamie Freeman
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0
AI Redesign West Ham's London Stadium

Let’s not go into the details of the London Stadium. 

We all know the fans don’t like it. We all know it’s not a football stadium. We all know West Ham fans deserve a far better home.

But at the moment, we’re stuck with it and there’s not much we can do.

Still, in light of Man United announcing their plans to rebuild Old Trafford with a 100,000-capacity arena, I wondered what it would look like if West Ham were to rebuild London Stadium.

Thankfully, in the age of Artificial Intelligence, there’s not much left in the world that can’t be made a reality.

So, I booted up Grok and got to work. To start, I asked the following: “Can you redesign West Ham’s stadium? It has to follow all the traditions of West Ham United. Make it more like Upton Park.”

It immediately protested. “I’m not an architect or stadium designer,” Grok replied. Alright then, at least prove that you understand the assignment.

Oh, it understood alright. Before showing me any designs, Grok went to work by outlining a concept for a full London Stadium redesign, and it included some very interesting points that will raise some eyebrows. Here’s what it had in mind…

Redesign Concept: The “New Boleyn”

The goal is to transform the London Stadium into a spiritual successor to Upton Park, blending tradition with modern requirements while keeping West Ham’s soul intact.

  • Reduce Capacity and Tighten the Stands
    • Capacity Adjustment: Shrink the capacity from 62,500 to around 40,000-45,000 to recreate the intimacy of Upton Park. This would involve removing upper tiers in certain sections and focusing on a denser, louder crowd. 
    • Pitch Proximity: Reconfigure the retractable seating to bring stands as close as 5-10 meters from the pitch, especially behind the goals. This enhances the “wall of noise” effect West Ham fans are known for.
    • Steep Stands: Model the stands after Upton Park’s steep gradients, such as the West Stand’s sharp incline, making the stadium feel like it’s “bearing down” on the pitch, intimidating opponents.
  • Incorporate Iconic Upton Park Features
    • Castle Turrets: Add two prominent turrets at the stadium’s main entrance, echoing the Boleyn Ground’s gateaway. These could be claret and blue, with “West Ham United” and “1904” etched into them. 
    • Stand Names: Rename the London Stadium’s stands to honour West Ham legends and history:
      • Bobby Moore Stand (main stand, facing east for tradition).
      • Sir Trevor Brooking Stand (opposite the main stand).
      • Billy Bonds End (behind the goal, for the hardcore fans).
      • John Lyall End (behind the other goal, honouring the legendary manager).
    • The Chicken Run: Recreate the infamous East Stand’s “Chicken Run” – a narrow, raucous terrace-style section – by designing a safe-standing area with a low roof to trap the noise.
  • Atmosphere Enhancements
    • Low Roofline: Lower the roof height significantly (where feasible within the existing structure) to trap sound, mimicking Upton Park’s cauldron-like feel. Add acoustic paneling to amplify chants.
    • Fan Zones: Create pre-match fan zones outside the stadium with East London street food stalls (pie and mash, jellied eels) and a stage for live renditions of “Bubbles” by local bands or fans.
    • Memorial Garden: Dedicate a corner of the grounds to a “Boleyn Memorial,” with bricks from the original Upton Park site, a statue of Bobby Moore and plaques for other club icons.
Why this Works

This redesign keeps the London Stadium’s footprint but shrinks its scale and corporate vibe, making it a true home for West Ham. The tighter stands and lower roof recreate Upton Park’s intensity, while the turrets, stand names and claret and blue identity tie it to the club’s heritage. It balances tradition with the practicalities of a modern venue. 

London Stadium Redesign Concept 1

So we’ve got off to the best start. Grok understands London Stadium’s faults and knows what the fans want for a home. I was particularly impressed by its plans to bring back the Chicken Run, while I was intrigued by its reasoning behind significantly reducing the capacity.

But what would this wonderful new home for West Ham look like? I asked Grok “generate an image to make your concept come to life.”

The result?

Just ignore the fact it’s just whacked a castle on the roof for a minute.

It doesn’t look too bad. It’s not the worst first attempt at redesigning the London Stadium.

But the castle has to go, doesn’t it?

London Stadium Redesign Concept 2

I asked Grok to “remove the castle” but “show the steep stands, pitch proximity and focus on how the Chicken Run would look.” I also asked it to give me an aerial view of the stadium and a wide angle view from inside the stadium.

It failed to give me a look inside the stadium this time, but did provide an aerial view…

Yeah, no, sorry, Grok, that’s not really going to work. I mean, it looks better that London Stadium from the outside, but it just doesn’t really scream “West Ham United” does it?

Time to go back for another go.

London Stadium Redesign Concept 3

This time I asked Grok to make it more modern and to “remove all gaps between stands and pitch” before making clear that it had to be a “better stadium than any other club in London.”

Surely it would get it right this time…

Nope, it’s still not doing it for me. It’s clear the stands are closer to the pitch, but it’s not really making me want to become an architect.

I asked it to generate more designs but to stick with the original specifications it had originally laid out in its first response.

In fairness, it tried very hard to deliver the brief. Here’s what followed…

Please no. Do it again, please.

That is literally the London Stadium without the carpet!

Presumably those fans are looking on in complete and utter disgust. If this is the answer, I’ve completely forgot the question at this point.

London Stadium Redesign Concept 4

I have to admit, I’m losing faith at this stage. Perhaps the London Stadium is so bad not even AI can make it look better?

I decided to have one last go and made clear to Grok that it had to “ignore the existing design of the London Stadium” and generate something completely different but “still in keeping with West Ham’s history.”

And here are the results…

YES! More like it!

It looks impressive. It looks compact. The seats are close to the pitch. It almost looks intimidating just looking at it. But I want a closer look inside please, Grok.

That. Will. Do.

Yes, the goal is in the middle of the pitch. Yes, the pitch markings are all over the place. Yes, it’s not absolutely perfect.

But it’ll do. It’s already a thousand times better than London Stadium.

Thanks, Grok.

London Stadium Redesign – Suggested Name

The final question I had for Grok was “what should West Ham call the newly redesigned London Stadium?”

Erm…

  • The Boleyn Fortress
  • Hammers Cathedral
  • Moore’s Arena
  • The Claret Citadel
  • Bubbles Stadium
  • East End Bastion

Think we’ll stick with London Stadium, don’t you?

West Ham prepare to battle for Conference League winner who has 31 PL goals and assists

By
Jamie Freeman
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0
Tammy Abraham

West Ham are interested in signing Roma striker Tammy Abraham this summer, according to Caught Offside.

The Englishman is believed to be up for sale ahead of the summer, with Roma reportedly open to listening to offers for a permanent exit from the Stadio Olimpico.

Abraham is currently on loan at Serie A giants AC Milan, where he has bagged eight goals and four assists in all competitions, which is a return that has I Rossoneri also interested in exploring the possibility of expending his stay beyond the current campaign.

Roma had set their asking price for the 27-year-old at £25million last summer and given his form for AC Milan since his loan switch, they could feasibly demand a similar fee as he enters the final two years of his contract.

Aside from potential interest from AC Milan, West Ham may also have to compete with various Premier League clubs who will be in the market for a goalscorer in the summer transfer window.

It is claimed that the likes of Everton, Wolves, Newcastle and Nottingham Forest may also be weighing up a move for the former Chelsea and Aston Villa striker.

Interest from those clubs likely depends on the future of their existing strikers, though, which may intensify the competition for Abraham’s signature.

Wolves’ Matheus Cunha and Newcastle’s Alexander Isak are both heavily linked with moves away from their respective clubs before next season, while Nottingham Forest will be aware that there is no guarantee 33-year-old Chris Wood will be able to replicate the season he’s having now – 18 goals and three assists in the Premier League – and would be wise to search for a younger alternative.

Meanwhile, West Ham are expected to be in the market for a striker once again. Loanee Evan Ferguson is yet to live up to expectations since his January switch from Brighton, while both Michail Antonio and Danny Ings are out of contract at the end of June.

Therefore, we should expect Graham Potter to be in the market for at least two proven goalscorers this season, and Abraham fits the bill perfectly.

Tammy Abraham Conference League trophy

The England international, who has won the Champions League with Chelsea and the Conference League with Roma, has 37 goals and 11 assists in 120 first team outings for Roma since his switch from Chelsea in 2021.

Meanwhile, in the Premier League, the striker has 26 goals and five assists in 89 appearances for both Chelsea and Swansea City.

Thirty-one top-flight goal involvements in the Premier League is not to be sniffed at, especially with a ratio of a goal involvement in 2.87 games. To put that in to perspective, that’s not too far off Jarrod Bowen‘s record of a goal or assist every 2.26 games in the Premier League and Antonio’s ratio of 2.65.

So statistically, Abraham certainly fits the bill and would add a regular goal threat in an an attack which is already blessed with exceptional talent.

But while a potential £25m fee almost makes this a no brainer target for Potter, there will no doubt be some concerns over Abraham’s fitness record since his move to Italy almost four years ago.

He has missed 54 games for both Roma and AC Milan, including 40 games missed in 2023/2024 because of an ACL injury. Given West Ham’s history with injured strikers, there simply has to be an element of caution with this signing.

While Abraham appears to have fully recovered from his ACL, missing just five games over the past 18 months with unrelated problems, you just never know with our luck with strikers.

4-2-3-1 formation, impressive trio start – Predicted West Ham XI to beat Leicester City

By
Jamie Freeman
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0
West Ham manager Graham Potter

West Ham will be looking to secure back-to-back wins in the Premier League for the first time this season when they host Leicester City on Thursday night. 

The Hammers will be full of confidence after beating Arsenal 1-0 at the Emirates Stadium last weekend, but will be all too aware that home form this season has been a problem.

Since beating Fulham at home in Graham Potter‘s first league game in charge, West Ham have fallen to 2-0 and 1-0 defeats in Stratford to Crystal Palace and Brentford respectively.

It has highlighted a potential issue where Potter is still trying to work out how best to approach his tactics on home soil. Away from home, despite only winning once on the road since his arrival, performances have been a lot more convincing.

But the visit of 19th-placed Foxes, who have won just one of their last six matches in the league, presents the perfect opportunity to get back on track at home.

Leicester have conceded 15 goals in their last six games with only Southampton (18) and Ipswich (19) conceding more over the same period, so Potter will likely be viewing this game as the right time to give Evan Ferguson his first start in claret and blue.

Meanwhile, three of West Ham’s most impressive performers against the Gunners last weekend – Jean-Clair Todibo, James Ward-Prowse and Ollie Scarles – could all keep their places in the starting XI.

I’m predicting a switch to a 4-2-3-1 formation for this game, as opposed to the 5-3-2 approach last weekend, which worked perfectly given we were expecting to have less of the ball against Arsenal.

Against Leicester, we should expect to have more possession, so more emphasis will be on our attacking players like Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus, and midfield distribution from the likes of Ward-Prowse and Tomas Soucek.

So this is how I think Graham Potter might approach Thursday’s game against Leicester City…

What do you think?

Finance expert suggests one major thing that could transform West Ham’s London Stadium

By
Jamie Freeman
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0
London Stadium

It is no secret that West Ham have had a torrid time of it since moving to London Stadium. 

The football has improved in recent seasons, especially under David Moyes, but for a good three or four years after the move the club struggled to adapt to life in their new home.

While things on the pitch appear to now be heading in the right direction, this season aside, obviously, fans still continue to complain about the overall matchday experience in Stratford, including the atmosphere.

The fact is it isn’t a purpose-built football stadium, which means it doesn’t have the same acoustics as other grounds when fans start signing. That’s not to say it can’t whip up a good atmosphere, because it has on many occasions since the move in 2016, but it’s alot harder to do at London Stadium.

Fans would indeed prefer to see a brand new stadium built in its place, which would go some way in healing the wounds left by the heartbreaking move away from Upton Park.

But that’s so far off from becoming a reality at this point that it could almost pass as fantasy.

That view is shared by football finance expert Stefan Borson, who has explained to Football Insider that it would cost a lot of money to rebuild the stadium, more than West Ham could afford, anyway.

He said: “I think there is zero chance West Ham will leave the London Stadium and nor should they.

“I have been a number of times as an away fan and I didn’t think it was as bad as people made out for atmosphere, but maybe it sounds different in the home end.

“You would have to spend £1-1.5billion to get a stadium that was better.

“It’s just not going to happen. I think it’s a crazy concept. I would be very expensive to redevelop at the London Stadium.”

West Ham need London Stadium naming rights

London Stadium

It has been something of a mystery that the London Stadium still hasn’t attracted a big enough naming rights sponsor, 13 years after it was build for the London 2012 Olympics and over nine years since West Ham move in to make it a Premier League arena.

It’s location, symbolic nature and current standing as the home of a club playing in the most watched league in the world means it should be seen as a lucrative sponsorship opportunity for a brand looking to align themselves with such a historic venue.

But that just hasn’t happened yet.

With the stadium still being government owned, it’s still unclear how much West Ham would benefit financially from the stadium being sponsored but surely it would be an attractive option to government given the losses it’s racked up over the years.

In 2023, the stadium cost taxpayers almost £21m.

Regardless, Borson believes naming rights could be a vital part in helping the stadium feel more like a football ground.

“Maybe if they [West Ham] could get a proper naming rights deal that could transform it,” he said.

“But I think a material change or moveable stands, which I think were originally planned in the mix, that of thing feels very expensive.”

Kudus’ licence to attack, Todibo returns: Predicted West Ham XI to repeat 2-0 Emirates win v. Arsenal

By
Jamie Freeman
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0
West Ham manager Potter

West Ham travel to the Emirates Stadium on Saturday knowing they have a difficult task ahead of them. 

Despite suffering a series of big injuries to key players in recent weeks, Arsenal are currently enjoying a run of 15 games unbeaten as they attempt to catch Liverpool in the race for the Premier League title.

West Ham, meanwhile, are without a victory in four Premier League games under new boss Graham Potter.

So it’s a difficult task that awaits this weekend for Potter and his players.

Performances have improved over the last few weeks, barring the odd hiccups against Crystal Palace and Brentford, defeats in which the Hammers looked to have regressed instead.

But the general feeling remains that Potter is the right man to take West Ham forward if he’s given time to get it right.

The big question this weekend is how he approaches such a difficult game. With no win in four, the Hammers need to start picking up points in order to avoid being sucked into to a relegation battle. With Leicester at home up next, taking anything from north London would serve as a huge bonus.

It might seem impossible, but West Ham won this fixture 2-0 last season when it was expected that the Gunners would make easy work of David Moyes’ side.

So there is hope of a repeat this term, especially when you factor in Arsenal’s serious injury problems, which has left them without a recognised first-team striker to call upon.

With that in mind, here’s the XI Potter could pick to face Arsenal this weekend…

With Lucas Paqueta being ruled out by Potter with an ankle injury, we might see him opt for a pretty defensive looking back five, with the only real attacking threat coming from Mohammed Kudus, playing in his favoured No.10 role, and Jarrod Bowen.

Playing Kudus more centrally gives him more of a licence to attack when we have possession, but keeps him involved defensively when needed.

In defence, we might see the return of Jean-Clair Todibo at the back alongside Max Kilman and Konstantinos Mavropanos. Edson Alavarez and Tomas Soucek in midfield provide that additional defensive protection.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Emerson do the same but can also provide help in attacking phases, especially on the right-hand side.

Carlos Soler might have a hybrid role, doing much of the pressing out of possession and but still providing an effective attacking outlet when in possession.

Some would’ve liked to see Evan Ferguson given his first start in claret and blue but this is probably not the game for him to be given a chance from the off. We won’t be expected to have much possession, so he would be acting as a pretty isolated target man for much of the game.

He’s a player who would be more effective off the bench should Potter opt to change things and go more attacking.

It will be interesting to see whether this is the way Potter approaches this one, or if he’s a little braver with a more attacking approach, perhaps with the idea of exploiting Arsenal’s injury problems and desperate need for points.

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