<\/p>\n

Key facts<\/h3>\n

Club: West Ham United | Opening: 2011 | Capacity: 60,000 seats<\/p>\n

History and description<\/h3>\n

London Stadium, also known as London Olympic Stadium, got built to serve as the centerpiece stadium for the 2012 London Summer Olympics, during which it hosted the athletics events and opening and closing ceremonies.<\/p>\n

Little attention had been paid to the legacy of the stadium following the games, however, and it soon turned out that a football club moving in would be\u00a0the only financially viable long-term solution despite the stadium being ill-designed for football purposes, which would require a significant redevelopment.<\/p>\n

In 2013, following a lengthy and contentious bidding process including Tottenham Hotspur and Leyton Orient, West Ham got awarded a 99-year lease to the stadium. The stadium would subsequently\u00a0get redeveloped to suit it for both football and athletics, including the reconstruction of the bottom tier into retractable stands and the construction of a new roof.<\/p>\n

The redevelopment works started in 2013 and by the end of summer 2015 the stadium was ready to host its first sporting events in the form of the Rugby World Cup.<\/p>\n

West Ham moved into the stadium in the summer of 2016, leaving their previous home Boleyn Ground<\/a>. Their first match at the stadium was a Europa League fixture versus Domzale (3-0).<\/p>\n

While attendances have surged and West Ham sold out their season ticket allocation in their first year at London Stadium, problems have also arisen in the form of poor sightlines, inadequate stewarding, and crowd trouble. Right now West Ham is leaving 3,000 seats unsold, capping capacity at 57,000.<\/p>\n

How to get to London Stadium<\/h3>\n

London Stadium is located on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in the Stratford area in the east of London, about 3.5 miles away from the City.<\/p>\n

Stratford has excellent transport connections with the rest of London, and can be reached by various underground and overground rail lines.<\/p>\n

From central London, the stadium can be reached by tube<\/a> with either the red Central Line (e.g. Oxford Street and St Paul’s), or the silver Jubilee Line (e.g. London’s South Bank and Westminster). Get off at stop Stratford, from where it’s a 10-minute walk to the stadium. From most central London destinations it takes 10 to 15 minutes to reach Stratford by tube.<\/p>\n

From certain North London destinations (e.g. Islington or Camden) it may be quicker to catch the overground to Stratford, which is the last station on the line. From a number of\u00a0local East London destinations and London City Airport, the DLR light rail can be used to get to the stadium.<\/p>\n

There are no parking facilities near the stadium so arriving by car is not encouraged.<\/p>\n

Address: Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London E20 2ST UK<\/p>\n

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