I couldn't believe the first match I watched on TV from that stadium. It was not just the distance from the pitch, of which some parts of the ground must be 20m away to accommodate the running track, but the shallowness of the stands. Those at the back are miles away from the pitch, and the roof is high. It's no wonder I could not hear any crowd noise (except for the away fans), and it's been the same each time I've watched them even with the piped fan noise (allegedly).

They are welcome to that for the next 99 years.

It should be the London Olympic Stadium Economically Rented.

Or the LOSER for short.

They'll be halving their rent if they're not careful.

I watched that game on the telly, and I was shocked at the size of the track around the pitch (and the pathetic attempt to hide it with a giant green carpet). It's a truism of any sport that the atmosphere is improved by having the fans closer to the action. That's why Selhurst is so intimidating when it's rocking, despite having only a 25,000 capacity.

In the US, they have recently reversed the trend for cavernous, multi-sport venues - of which the AstroDome in Houston was the first (and which also gave us AstroTurf). Many cities went for the blueprint of a circular stadium so that it can host both (American) football and baseball. The problem was that these sports have completely different "shapes" to them, and so the sight lines and spacing required to accommodate both meant that fans weren't happy for either. Most cities (except just Oakland, now, I believe) have split the sports and have purpose-built grounds for each, and everyone (except the tax-payers who fund the construction) is happy.

In stead of the Irons, they'll become the Iron Hoofs, also known as The Rent Boys

They seem to have enormous gaps between the two tiers especially behind the goals. Bizarre