West Ham wants to become the first Premier League club to reintroduce "a safe-standing area for supporters -- with talks already beginning with manufacturers," according to Daniel Cutts of THE SUN. West Ham co-Chair David Gold is "in the early process of adding a non-seating section to the London Stadium to help raise the atmosphere." The club has "already discussed the idea with the same company who installed the Ferco Seating system at Celtic Park this summer." Gold said, "I have been speaking with the people who put in the rail seating at Celtic Park. ... It was absolutely right after the Hillsborough tragedy that the Taylor Report suggested all-seater stadiums but that was 30 years ago and technology has moved on so now. As was the case at Celtic -- we need to look at these possibilities and hold talks. That’s what I am doing." Hammers supporters have been "angered by the lack of atmosphere at the London Stadium compared to Upton Park" (THE SUN, 9/5). ESSEX LIVE reported standing at the new stadium has been a "long-running issue between the board members and West Ham fans," with the club "forced to reduce" its official capacity to 57,000 until supporters sit down for the entire match and not stand throughout, "which some have been doing." Gold, co-Chair David Sullivan and vice-Chair Karren Brady have "come in for heavy criticism after pleading for fans to stay seated," meaning the club will not get a license to hold 66,000 fans, the highest in London in the Premier League. Gold: "I've been accused of making this about money which is crazy because I won't profit personally -- only the football club. For me it's about pride. For as long as I can remember we have been London's fourth club. Now we have a chance to become the biggest in terms of capacity" (ESSEX LIVE, 9/5).
