Home sweat home: Manager Slavan Bilic expects West Ham United to thrive at London Stadium
Michail Antonio scored the 85th minute winner as the Hammers beat Bournemouth 1-0 in their first Premier League game away from Upton Park
Slaven Bilic insists West Ham United’s move to the London Stadium will be a big success as long as his team keep winning.
Bilic’s side celebrated the first Premier League fixture in their new home with a 1-0 victory over 10-man Bournemouth on Sunday thanks to Michail Antonio’s 85th minute header.
Having spent 112 years playing just a few miles down the road at Upton Park, a storied venue renowned for its hostile atmosphere, West Ham’s decision to rent the rather soulless Olympic Stadium, which hosted athletics in the 2012 Games, risks damaging their home advantage and draining the club of some its character.
A cavernous arena with a large running track separating the crowd from the pitch, the stadium doesn’t lend itself to the kind of intimate atmosphere that made Upton Park such a daunting place to visit.
A near-capacity 56,000 crowd packed into the London Stadium on Sunday, but they were subdued for long periods and used most of their vocal energy to protest about the club and local council’s strict guidelines to stay seated at all times.