West Ham co-chairman David Gold says that if the club had expanded Upton Park it would have been a financial disaster, after it was put to him by fans that such a course of action should have been taken.
Upton Park, which had capacity of around 35,000, had been the Hammers’ home ground for over a century.
But West Ham’s hierarchy decided to quit the iconic stadium at the end of last season and made the Olympic Stadium the club’s new home, giving the club an increased capacity of 60,000.
However, Hammers supporters are yet to fully embrace the decision, with some suggesting that the club should have made efforts to expand Upton Park instead of making the Olympic Stadium their new home ground.
Fans have been unhappy with the distance the stands are away from the pitch, as well as the poor form which has dogged the club since the move.
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But Gold, who explained that no agency would have agreed to expand Upton Park, went on to add that a decision of that sort would have dealt a huge financial blow to West Ham.
“This project would have been opposed by every agency and in the unlikely event that it succeeded it would have been a financial disaster to build”, he tweeted.
West Ham, who lost 4-2 at West Bromwich Albion at the weekend, have thus far played two league games at the Olympic Stadium, winning one and losing the other.
