Would his group have taken over the club if they were still at Maine Road – an impressive stadium by itself? Abu Dhabi saw the potential of a club like City with its position, fan base and new stadium, but will someone do the same for the Hammers? If there is someone with the money who can see this then the acquirement of the Olympic Stadium could be the first step towards achieving success for West Ham’s long-suffering, but forever loyal and passionate fans.
Although having big, impressive stadia as your home doesn’t guarantee success. Just ask followers of Sunderland. Or Scottish Third Division side, Queen’s Park, who for some reason or other, still ply their trade at Hampden Park playing to an average crowd of around 750 people in a stadium that can hold over 52,000 (I don’t think dogs are allowed there anymore for fear of them barking over the noise of the crowd). However, West Ham will not have problems of that scale.
And the added lure of Stratford’s Olympics connection may well play a part in whether some sugar daddy or other decides to take over the club. The Hammers will certainly appear more alluring in 2016 than they do now at the Boleyn Ground – providing they don’t suffer multiple relegations between now and then that is.
Co-chairman, David Sullivan, has stated that they can’t compete with the likes of City and Chelsea, and seemed to allude to wanting to be the next Manchester United (who doesn’t?) in stating that they are a ‘‘magical club’’ while hinting that, unlike the former two, the Red Devils didn’t get much help from billionaires. West Ham have a renowned record for bringing through exceptional youngsters, but until they achieve the stability it takes – on and off the pitch – to keep hold of them, they will never be able to triumph the ‘right’ way as those players will always leave for bigger things.
Sullivan has said that he and fellow co-chairman and vice-chairman, David Gold and Karren Brady, would step aside if an oil magnate were to come calling to discuss taking over the club – which seems the most quick-fire way to success as it has been for City, Chelsea and Blackburn Rovers before them. The latter were only in the top four for three seasons, but they won the Premiership in the last of those. These are feats that I’m sure any West Ham fan would take at the present time. So with the help of a new stadium in tow, can the club reach those dizzying heights?
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If you call paying over the odds for players and losing money every season success I’m ok thanks.
Are you sure? City ain’t gonna go out of business or go down the leagues by going into administration (well, I doubt it, although I did wonder at the start of their ventures whether Chelsea or City could do a ‘Leeds’). Wouldn’t you rather do what they do and win trophies or be like Arsenal?