'The ground won't be full' - what could relegation mean for West Ham?
- Published
As West Ham contemplate possible relegation from the Premier League, BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club pundits are worried about the mood an already "vacuous" and "cavernous" London Stadium will bring next season.
"The club will get the odd game, maybe one or two fixtures, where they will be close to a sell out," former West Ham goalkeeper Robert Green predicted. "But, after that, I think we are talking 40,000 seats filled at best."
The Observer's Rory Smith added: "The prospect of playing at the London Stadium in the Championship, to me, means possibly a 30,000 to 35,000 turnout. That's if the club is doing well. The ground won't be full, it will be this cavernous kind of thing.
"They will also have to fill a £100m hole in their budget, which will mean selling Crysencio Summerville, Jarrod Bowen and Mateus Fernandes. Those three might just do it, but they also might have to lose some others."
However, former Premier League striker Chris Sutton argued: "They have been blaming the lack of atmosphere for so long now. They all have to let that go. The old Upton Park was the old Upton Park - it was great but they can't move back.
"There was also a large part of West Ham fans - I'm not saying all of them - that wanted David Moyes out. They wanted a new brand of football.
"Fans are able to influence owners into making changes, but look at what's happened: they are going down."
BBC Sport, external has also pinpointed four things that could be knock-on effects if West Ham are relegated:
Stadium complications: London taxpayers may have to pay an extra £2.5m if West Ham are relegated. Under the 99-year lease agreement for London Stadium, West Ham would pay the Greater London Authority about half their current annual rent of £4.4m if they are relegated.
Seven-figure loss in revenue: An expert says relegation would cost the club about £100m. In addition, West Ham have a wage bill four times that of the Championship average.
Jarrod Bowen's future: West Ham's club captain is likely to be top of the list of players the club might look to sell to ease the financial burden of relegation.
Another new manager? Nuno Espirito Santo's future is far from clear, despite signing a three-year contract when he joined in September 2025.
Watch the full episode of Monday Night Club on BBC iPlayer and listen on BBC Sounds
