West Ham fans launch petition to make big change at London Stadium

West Ham fans have begun a petition to get the club to introduce safe standing areas at the London Stadium. Supporters want to bring in standing sections to the Bobby Moore lower tier and its surrounding corners. Hammers fans launched the petition just before David Moyes' side 2-1 win away at Tottenham, and it already has almost 200 signatories.

“We, the fans of West Ham United, are calling on West Ham United FC and the LLDC (London Legacy Development Corporation) to work together to introduce safe standing areas into the Bobby Moore Lower tier and its immediate surrounding corners, and the Trevor Brooking Lower tier of the London Stadium," Will Bellew, one of the fans behind the petition, said. "The safe standing areas should be reserved for the most passionate fans of the club, and should be designated by the club as 'hardcore' sections to help introduce some much-needed atmosphere into the London Stadium."

Standing sections were banned from top-flight grounds for more than three decades after the Hillsborough disaster in 1989, in which 97 Liverpool fans lost their lives in a crush. However, in 2021 safe standing trials began at Chelsea and other clubs.

The Hammers moved to the London Stadium from the Boleyn Ground in August 2016. On the field, West Ham have won three away matches in this season's Premier League, as many as they won in the whole of last season.