Olympic venue can be great for West Ham, says Breitner

 
p77 Bayern Munich captain Franz Beckenbauer holds his trophy aloft after his team beat Leeds United 2-0 in the European Cup final at Parc des Princes, Paris, 30th May 1975.
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Simon Hart22 March 2013

West Ham fans wondering how the Olympic Stadium will impact on their club’s fortunes can take heart from looking at one of Europe’s biggest clubs.

Bayern Munich would never have become such a force in football had they not moved into the Olympiastadion in the 1970s.

That is the view of Paul Breitner, the ex-Bayern defender, who recalled how the stadium provided the opportunity for the Bavarian club to grow into the biggest in Germany.

“Maybe Bayern wouldn’t have grown so quickly without the Olympic Stadium. It was one of the foundations of the club’s success,” he said.

Bayern actually played their first match at the Olympiastadion in the run-up to the 1972 Olympics.

It was the final day of the 1971-72 season and they beat Schalke 5-1 to clinch the German championship — only the third League title in their history but the first of many at their new ground.

Before long, Bayern were winning a hat-trick of European Cups — from 1974-76 — and, for Breitner, playing at the Olympiastadion provided extra motivation.

“The capacity of 80,000 was a big step up for the club from the 40,000 at our old ground and it was one reason why we didn’t lose a game at home for four years. We wanted to defend this Olympic Stadium, nobody else had any business being there.”

West Ham hope the attractions of the Olympic Park will ensure increased attendances at a venue holding 25,000 more seats than Upton Park — and the example of Bayern and the Olympiastadion is cause for optimism.

Breitner, 61, recalled how the surroundings of the Olympic Park in Munich attracted an influx of new supporters.

“When the Olympic Stadium opened, you had the choice to decide what you wanted to do: are we going to the cinema, the theatre, or are we going to the Olympic Stadium and get noticed there?” he said. “From the summer of 1972 on, more and more people went to the stadium. This went on and on and today we can see what kind of acceptance the game enjoys and what a role it plays, also for commercial enterprises.”

But there is one cautionary aspect of the story. The running track around the pitch led to complaints about the lack of atmosphere and, in 2005, Bayern left their home of 33 years to move into the football-specific Allianz Arena.

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