Former Burnley chief executive Paul Fletcher has suggested that West Ham United'sOlympic Stadium has created a 'battleground' for opposing fans, and should be demolished and rebuilt for football purposes.
Fletcher was a key figure in advising how to convert the stadium into a football ground, but after spending £280m to convert the athletics arena into a home worthy of a Premier League club, he has suggested that it simply isn't good enough, and if ignored, will continue to breed 'poor behaviour' from fans.
This comes after reports suggest that the Hammers have banned a further 200 fans from the ground after their EFL Cup victory over London rivals Chelsea, and according to theDaily Mail, Fletcher has condemned the stadium for a large number of issues that will be hard to solve.
"The stadium is so poor in football terms, it breeds poor behaviour," said Fletcher.
"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.
'I feel sorry for the fans. They have left Upton Park, one of the most intimidating & electric stadiums, for this.' https://t.co/vjg7xzMTed
"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.
"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.
"The only way to get it right is to knock it down and rebuild it. There is no magic wand."