David Moyes says West Ham should consider introducing a dedicated singing section at the London Stadium to help rival Selhurst Park, Anfield and Old Trafford’s atmospheres.
The Hammers are fighting for a European finish in the Premier League this season and host Lyon in the quarter-finals of the Europa League next month. West Ham fans were in good form when they watched their side overcome Sevilla in the previous round but Moyes thinks the atmosphere can get even better at their 60,000-seater ground with some help.
That could mean following in the footsteps of Crystal Palace, whose singing section in the Homesdale Road End of Selhurst Park gives a huge boost to the sounds of fans cheering on the Eagles at home games.
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Moyes said: “I’m a football man. I go to games. I see the way it is at other clubs. I think for West Ham it might be a great idea for the future. There are a lot of safe standing areas coming in, and other things, and we need to grow with things like that and Thursday night [against Sevilla] shows that we can.
“Anything that encourages a better atmosphere is good. Crystal Palace for example get incredible support, incredible backing. You can name many other clubs. You can name Anfield and Goodison Park and Old Trafford. With a bit of work and creativity and thought, you can help those things.
“When I was a manager going to Upton Park it was incredibly tough and we don’t think that needs to change at London Stadium. The club is trying to make it even better if they can, and it was a great atmosphere the other night. Those supporters will certainly want to come to the next one.”
For Palace manager Patrick Vieira, seeing the atmosphere at Selhurst Park week in, week out has been one of the highlights of his tenure in south London. The Eagles regularly pack out their 25,000-seater ground and were in fine voice on Sunday afternoon as they roared their side into the FA Cup semi-finals after a 4-0 drubbing of Everton.
“It’s a wonderful day – a fantastic day for the football club,” Vieira told Palace TV+ after the game. “The noise! Everybody is really excited. You always think about it [the atmosphere], and you always think that you know, but when you get there you start to think: ‘This is what it’s all about.’
“There is a really good vibe around the football club, and we really wanted to go to Wembley because I think the fans deserve that trip because of how they have supported us."
