West Ham United had no ‘culture’ before they moved into the soulless Olympic Park
Having to deal with life in the rented atmosphere-phobic Olympic Stadium, West Ham United fans can now consider the tactful words of their celebrity vice-chairwoman and Arsenal fan Karren Brady.
Addressing the Leaders 16 awards (an AGM for people involved in sport-related business), Brady assured the fans that the move to the Olympic Stadium was a great chance to “rebrand” the club.
West Ham fans will surely rejoice that their club is now a ‘brand’ managed by the marketing department. Times writer Owen Gibson says Brady followed that by saying West Ham had “no culture” before current owners Davids Gold and Sullivan took over in 201o:
Karren Brady says Olympic Stadium was an opportunity to “rebrand” the club. Also says club had “no culture” when she arrived.
— Owen Gibson (@owen_g) October 5, 2016
Bagsy that copy of the Guardian when’ve done with it, Bonza.
Note: The Guardian has more:
The vice-chair said that when Gold and Sullivan bought the club it was necessary to reduce their debt and overhaul “their culture”.
“There were two interesting things about it. One, it had £100m worth of debt. Two, it had no what I would call culture. At football clubs we don’t make anything, we don’t manufacture anything, we don’t really produce anything other than more players,” she told the Leaders Sports Business Summit. “So getting the culture right, being a place where something is expected of you, having discipline, planning and process and strategy. That wasn’t there.”
Like the culture of adding the word “London to our crest because we felt it had real global appeal. Nobody else does it”.
Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs don’t need to. It’s a bit sad, like one of those ‘LONDON’ fridge magnets tourists buy in tat shops on Oxford Street and wearing plastic police helmets for trips to the Planetarium. It says London on the tin but inside it’s just a hollow ploy to make foreigners part with their cash.
Posted: 5th, October 2016 | In: Celebrities, Sports Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
