The London Stadium has seen several improvements since it first opened in 2012. Now, with West Ham gaining a place in the Europa League, the club has been making more reconfigurations to the stadium in preparation.

Gaining a Place in the Europa League

Last season, West Ham only narrowly escaped relegation. But under the guidance of David Moyes, the Hammers have had an incredible year, culminating in the club clinching sixth place in the Premier League and attaining a spot in the next Europa League.

The club managed the feat after facing Southampton at London Stadium in May, in front of 10,000 supporters. With Pablo Fornals’ first brace in Claret and Blue colours, West Ham managed to gain its highest finish in the Premier League in twenty-two years. In fact, the Hammers missed out on a place in the top four Premier League clubs by only three points.

© Samuel Regan-Asante

Thankfully, manager David Moyes has just announced that he is staying with West Ham for the next three years. So, the Hammers could be in a great position to continue their streak of wins. Before West Ham plays in the Europa League, five of the club’s players are busy playing in Euro 2020. You can visit this site to find out all the latest EM betting 2020 odds.

Lower Tier Improvements

With West Ham having secured a place in the Europa League next season, the club has been busy improving the London Stadium to enhance the experience for all fans in attendance. Firstly, the lower tiers behind each goal have already been altered. The lower tiers of the Sir Trevor Brooking Stand and the Bobby Moore Stand have been brought closer to the pitch and squared off.

The alterations to the lower tiers of the stands mean fans can enjoy a better view of all the action. By bringing the stands closer to the pitch, which is something that supporters have wanted for some time, London Stadium now has a more traditional look and feel of a football stadium.

Furthermore, the reconfigured lower stands have been designed for rail seating. That means they can easily be adapted in the future if there are any new rules from the Premier League concerning safe standing.

The Installation of Safety Rails

The other key improvement being made by the Hammers at the London Stadium is the instalment of safety rails. They are being installed in the Sir Trevor Brooking Stand, which caters for around 3,000 fans. The rails will help to ensure the safety of home and away supporters.

The New LED Floodlight System

When the much-anticipated Europa League begins, there are sure to be evening fixtures. To enhance visibility and uniformity for both fans in the seating and players on the pitch, a new state-of-the-art LED floodlight system has been installed. In addition to helping provide brightness and clarity to the on-pitch action, the LED lighting is more energy-efficient and promotes sustainability.

Final Thoughts

The above improvements will go a long way to improving the safety of fans and the visibility of play on the pitch. And with other improvements having been made in the last couple of years, such as the introduction of more Claret and Blue branding to put West Ham’s stamp on the stadium, London Stadium is shaping up to be one of the best football stadiums in England.

It will be interesting to see whether the reconfigurations help West Ham to win their home matches when the next Europa League season begins. And you do not have long to wait. A little under a month after the Euro 2020 final, the Europa League starts on 5 August 2021.