The effect of West Ham moving to the Olympic Stadium on Shoreditch

    MiS·
    Creative Living
    ··2 mins read
    MiS

    The legacy of the Olympics is still very much evident in London. The 2012 Games were a resounding success with Britain taking home 29 gold medals. Following the games, the future of the Olympic Stadium was very much in doubt. Would it remain as an athletics stadium or would a football side like Tottenham Hotspur or West Ham take up the tenancy? After a long, drawn-out saga West Ham were finally named as the new tenants.

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    clip_image002   by interbeat – The Olympic Stadium

    Now, although Shoreditch is not in immediate proximity to the stadium, it will undoubtedly have a knock-on impact on the area. So, is it beneficial to the area having West Ham as the new tenants of the stadium or would it have suited Shoreditch better if it were to remain solely as an athletics stadium?

    Pros

    • You would expect any borough within four miles of the Olympic Stadium, like Shoreditch, to profusely benefit from West Ham’s tenancy. At their current home, Upton Park, the Hammers attract 35,000 fans, which is practically full capacity. They have the fan-base to easily fill a 54,000-seater stadium.
    • It does not take an economist to work out the increases in revenue for businesses within the area considering the stadium will be attracting 54,000 fans on a fortnightly basis.

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    clip_image002[1]   by philosophyfootball – Upton Park

    • The job creation that will occur due to the stadium will also benefit the region. For those in Shoreditch and other areas that are currently in between jobs, the stadium offers a great chance of employment. Once they get to the Olympic Stadium expect their number of staff to treble. The benefits to Shoreditch and London as a whole are clear to see.
    • People perceive football as heartless and in most cases that is a fair point. In West Ham’s case, however, you could not be further from the truth. The club will be giving away 100,000 free tickets every season to the most deprived children in the surrounding area. A portion of those children will come from Shoreditch.
    • The stadium will help West Ham grow as a club and, while the stadium will not turn them into title favourites in the football betting, it does give them a platform to achieve qualification for Europe. If they achieve this, then they will be playing two games a week, which in some cases will see more than 100,000 people flock to the area. Many of these people will pass through Shoreditch and thus put money into the local economy.

    Cons

    • Although the film Green Street is fictional, it is based on some truths. Hooliganism, although diminishing rapidly, still has a place in England’s football culture, and you worry it may spill over with a Premier League stadium moving closer to Shoreditch.
    • Shoreditch can be hectic at the best of times and the new influx of supporters travelling through the area either by car, foot or tube could bring the area to a gridlock.

    Conclusion

    All in all, you have to say West Ham’s move will benefit the local economy, which in turn can be used to better the infrastructure, and the potential job creation is hugely enticing. There is a niggling worry about increased crime but unlike the positives we are speculatively speaking rather than speaking in terms of truth. Therefore, West Ham’s tenancy is something that is particularly beneficial to the borough.