Copy linkFacebookXPinterestEmailShare this article 0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterSubscribe to our newsletterWest Hams move from the Boleyn Ground to the London Stadium remains one of the most contentious stadium relocations in recent football history.The Hammers previous home was steeped in history and provided the kind of edge that is only found in old-school, tightly-packed stadiums that are becoming more and more rare in this age.As the East Enders prepare for life back in the second tier, former Hammers favourite Tony Gale believes that the clubs fortunes on the pitch have indeed suffered following the 2016 move.Gale on why West Ham struggle at the London StadiumFor Gale, the contrast between the side that left Upton Park under Slaven Bilic and the football that has been seen since is clear.Slaven Bilic took us out of Upton Park and I enjoyed that period, Gale tells FourFourTwo. Dimitri Payet, Manuel Lanzini, players that crowds wanted to watch. You may like From debut challenges to record scorer: Michail Antonio recalls his West Ham highlights How Michail Antonio's mother influenced his early football career by rejecting a Spurs offer First major West Ham United exit after relegation revealed as summer rebuild stalls: report I remember listening to Slav, he was really interesting. He said the pitch is roughly the same size as Upton Park, but because of the vast expanse of the surroundings, theres an optical illusion around the place and he said that reflected in the players. He found it hard to keep the team compact when they played at home.But Gale, who turned out more than 300 times for the Irons between 1984 and 1994, is aware that it is all too easy to look back with rose-tinted spectacles.Get FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.But we must also remember that Upton Park didnt always have a great atmosphere, he admits. You look at the start of our really good season in 1985-86, our crowds were down to 15,000.Theyre now 62,000, and the acoustics of the new stadium are brilliant. Dont tell me we havent had great nights with the European games there.The ground has changed but the crowd hasnt. Theyll respond to 100 per cent effort and good football.And while the passion of the fans is there, Gale looks at the current infrastructure when it comes to why the clubs fortunes have been on the turn.Outside, its a different story, he adds. There should be more things around the stadium. You should feel like youre coming up to a football ground, because it really doesnt feel like that at present. Its 20 to 25 minutes walk from Stratford station and its all wide open, not like the old cramped streets near Upton Park. That makes it hard to build an atmosphere outside.A lot of Premier League grounds suffer from that, but I miss the old programme sellers and old-fashioned hot dog stalls where you could smell the onions from the next post code. The London Stadium doesnt smell of football.TOPICSWest Ham UnitedPremier LeagueJoe MewisSocial Links NavigationFor more than a decade, Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor. Mewis has had stints at Mirror Football and LeedsLive among others and worked at FourFourTwo throughout Euro 2024, reporting on the tournament. In addition to his journalist work, Mewis is also the author of four football history books that include times on Leeds United and the England national team. Now working as a digital marketing coordinator at Harrogate Town, too, Mewis counts some of his best career moments as being in the iconic Spygate press conference under Marcelo Bielsa and seeing his beloved Leeds lift the Championship trophy during lockdown.With contributions fromEd McCambridgeStaff Writer
