West Ham United went from playing in The Championship in 2011 to being in an European semi-final just a decade later, and a lot of it had to do with its business decisions. Key investments positively affected several areas of the club, but a massive change came in terms of its playing venue, which was a real steal.
Imagine getting a seven-bedroom apartment for the price of a studio—that’s essentially what West Ham did when they secured the London Stadium, the iconic venue of the 2012 Olympics.
After the Games, the 60k seater arena, which costed more than £300 million to build, was opened up for tenancy. Many, including Tottenham’s owner Daniel Levy, Formula One, and Leyton Orient, applied for the same, but a deal could not be finalized, and before it was too long, the number of interested buyers went down.
That atmosphere in London Stadium yesterday… special! ⚒❤️ https://t.co/zUV1VU9vR8
— West Ham United (@WestHam) December 5, 2021
West Ham, a club with huge ambitions, in 2012, became the preferred bidder during the second round of tenancy and the next year, a bargain deal was struck. The Hammers leased the London Stadium for a whopping 99 years, which meant the mega-structure became theirs until 2112! That’s not all, West Ham had to pay just $15 million to get their signatures on the paper — an amount used for renovation of the ground, turning it into a UEFA Category 4 stadium.
In 2016, after the works were completed, West Ham shifted from the legendary Upton Park to the London Stadium, which at the time, didn’t sit right with many hardcore Hammers because of the historic emotional attachment to their home turf. However, in reality, it changed the club forever.
West Ham, like any other tenant, has to pay rent to keep using the London Stadium. But £2.5 million is a small price to pay for what they are getting in return. Upton Park, also known as Boleyn Ground, could fit just above 30k spectators, almost half of what the London Stadium can. And almost every weekend, its completely filled, leading to huge matchday revenue for the the East London Club.
West Ham became a completely different side after 2016/17. Yes, they had some struggles and didn’t immediately start fighting for places in Europe and for titles. But their goal looked closer, with the club bringing in top players like Tomas Soucek, Pablo Fornals, Kurt Zouma, among others.
In 2023, under manager David Moyes, West Ham won the UEFA Conference League, securing their first-ever European trophy. It marked the culmination of the club’s long-term project and the beginning of a new chapter—one focused on winning domestic trophies and competing in the UEFA Champions League.
While securing the London Stadium wasn’t the only factor contributing to West Ham’s success, it certainly played a huge role. They have been playing there for over eight years, and whenever ‘Forever Blowing Bubbles’ rings out over the loudspeakers, few can deny the thrill of hearing more than 60,000 loyal supporters chant in unison.
