West Ham given London Stadium boost

Premier League club West Ham have reached an agreement to increase the capacity of their London Stadium.

The number of tickets available to be sold for West Ham home matches has been capped at 57,000 since they moved to the host venue for the London 2012 Olympic games in 2016.

A deal with stadium operator E20 has increased that number to 60,000, with further scope to eventually fill the 66,000-seater arena.

That further expansion would give West Ham the second-biggest home ground in the Premier League behind Manchester United.

A statement from the club acknowledged the increased capacity would make London Stadium a more attractive proposition for potential naming rights partners.

"West Ham United and its landlord E20 have agreed a plan which allows the club to sell additional seats for their matches, thereby ending the litigation surrounding the capacity at the London Stadium," the statement read.

"Both parties are delighted to have taken the first step towards the stadium reaching its potential of up to 66,000 capacity [which would] would see it become the largest in London and the second largest in the Premier League. The increase in capacity will also make the London Stadium a more attractive proposition for a potential naming rights partner.

"The arrangement means that, subject to regulatory permissions, the club will be able to sell up to 60,000 tickets for their games as soon as possible and leaves scope to expand up to 66,000 seats for future matches.

"The agreement brings with it more funding for E20 and significant additional revenue for West Ham United on matchdays - a deal that works for everyone."

West Ham announced in January that they have 52,000 supporters on their season-ticket waiting list and their average attendance in 2017-18 was declared as 55,309.

However, a report by BBC Sport in September, following a Freedom of Information request, claimed West Ham's average crowd over the course of 12 games examined was around 12,500 fewer.

Premier League champions Manchester City visit London Stadium on Saturday.