Oh dear. I think most of us agree that David Sullivan and David Gold have got off to an excellent start in their new roles at West Ham. Some thought, however, that it was only a matter of time before Karren Brady put her stilettos in it. And so it has proved. Her suggestion that West Ham should lose the “United” and become West Ham Olympic is both crass and idiotic. Karren is very talented lady, but she has to realise that there are certain West Ham traditions which you interfere with at your peril.
The fact of the matter is that it would be a non starter anyway because the word Olympic is one of the most heavily protected trademarks there is. She must know that, so why mention it?
And can you really imagine us switching from chanting “U-NI-TED!” to “O-LYM-PIC!”? No, nor can I
UPDATE: I’ve been told that Karren Brady intended to say she thought the stadium itself could be called the “West Ham Olympic”, rather than the team.
Fail.
From the previous thread…
We could never be re-branded as Olympic West Ham or anything Olympic come to that.
The word Olympic is one the most heavily guarded by copyright law. The US Olympic committee have it nailed down and have a full time team of lawyers dragging companies, sports teams and even fish a chip shops through the courts should they dare use the dreaded O word.
The Gay Olympic Games of 1987 were even prevented from using the word Olympic after a famous, expensive and lengthy legal case. That particular event is now known as the Gay Games.
.The Olympic copyright ruling, however, does not apply to any businesses or sporting clubs registered before Sept. 21, 1950.
Therefore teams like Olympic Marseilles, who were formed in 1899 , are in the clear.
I have just been reading about a small firm in Chicago called the Olympic Meat Packers Inc. They have been in business for 40 years but were forced to change their name to the Olympus Meat Packers Inc. The American lawyers will have a field day in London once they have finished with the good people of Vancouver during the Winter Olympics. I half expect them to sue any cafes putting five onion rings on a plate. Typical over-the-top Yanks, in my opinion.
So we have no worries about being re-branded West Ham Olympic.
well done lofty mate……that puts it to bed then.
What about Olympique Marseiile and Olympique Lyon? How come they don't have any problem?
Nice one Karren! Don't be put off by all of these head in the sand surrender monkeys!
My earlier message did explain about Marseilles and others, Chikaching.
so far I’ve got to admit I like what the new owners are saying.
but this displays that Brady has got a LOT of learning to do. she can’t waltz in an say things like this if she wants our support.
I know we can’t swear on here, Iain, so I’ll refrain, but this has really, really annoyed me.
this makes Dux look like a hero, he’d never have allowed this
IRONS
I have been pleased with most of what G&S have said this – not all of it by any means. However, Ms Brady is one of those people who winds me up – I just find her annoying beyond belief.
She has said enough about us over the years for us to know that she doesn't particularly like us (Tevez affair/Upson etc). That does concern me – would you be able to put your heart and soul into running Spurs?
As Lofty says above – she can't do it anyway but I do think she should consider her suggestions a little more carefully in the future.
If we are to take her seriously then she should think before writing such garbage in the red tops. She is supposed to be a serious business woman bringing management expertise and leadership to the WHUFC staff. Let's hope that she keeps her head down and get's on with the job
not worried in the slightest about these comments,she will get to know soon enough how we wont accept that and reading it im not sure she even ment it as a serious proposition.
Apparently were changing our badge to claret and blue olympic rings as well and when we play at home in our new stadium the linesmen's flags will be replaced with olympic torches.
On a serious note what has happened to nanni since the new regime arrived?
Saw Nani in Debenham's yesterday buying a family set of suitcases. Could be a sign.
Salt and pinch of….
That goes for all the comments being made by our new owners.. I not going to make judgement until I see action..
But as you say, generally G & S have been saying the right things as were Karren's words in the rest of that article… but talk is cheap!
Sorry but cant see how people think Gold and Sullivan have got off to a good start, they have done nothing! Well apart from bang on about how huge or debt is to the point where teams like Citeh think they can buy one of our best players, frighten off investors, sell our home, brag about signing a player on £100k a week (which now looks to fall flat on its face) and want to change out name to Olympic!
I mean just what was the brief they gave Brady, it cant possibly be to run the club like the only reason they bought it is because they love the club and want to make it a huge success, because if it was there is no way she would come up with a plan like this.
I may be hungover from last nights Munster game but even with a brain clouded from a night on the beer I can hear alarm bells ringing!
I see O'Gara got you through………….
Skin of our teeth mate! Worst final round pool game performance I can remember! Am sure Leinster will do the business today, long as the Heineken cup stays in Ireland I will be happy!
with you on that one!
Celtic, I have to laugh, as soon as I saw the headline, I knew you would jump all over it. Its a silly idea and one that The Sun in all likelyhood suggested or made up. Have your day and fill your boots, go on, dig dig dig and grind out your spew.
It isn't ging to change a thing mate, Gold and Sulivan are here to stay, longer then you no doubt.
OK well we would not need to change our name but rename the Stadium the WHU Ring or something on those lines to connect us with the Olympics.
Plenty of time to decide we have at least 3/4yrs before a decision needs to be made. Anyway remember it is always a womans priviledge to change her mind!
it is a rough area. i know i live there. investment and all that is needed with an identity for the people. we all forget that many of green street residents moan about having football club there anyway. did asda get bigger by staying in that small corner shop yrs ago. i think not!!!!!!!!!
Just read Bradys piece in the sun, just wondered how people who live in the West Ham catchment area will take to the slap in the face about living in an under priviliaged area!
Celtic, enough already. Lets give these guys a chance.
I am sure that if they achieve only half of their ambitions for the club, you will be as delighted as the majority of the rest of us. As it is, with your every comment aimed directly at the new owners, you are undermining your own credibility in respect of many of your otherwise very readable and worthwhile opinions.
Matter of record, Celts. After Tower Hamlets, Newham is ranked poorest of all London Boroughs. Not sure what criteria is used, probably unemployment, income and property values.
Yeah but Lofty do the people that live there need to read it in the mornings papers from a women who lives in a mansion with her former professional footballer husband?
CH, I know you didn't want G&S to win with their bid, but they DID win. You may not still like it, but like the rest of us we have to put up with them.
PLEASE, if you can't say anything positive, dont't say anything at all. We are all now aware of your feelings regarding them so now can you drop it, move on & post something upbeat.
Sorry Paul but I have never been the go along to get along type but I assure you that as soon as something upbeat happens I will post about it! I am not going to just snipe away at the new owners, when they do something good for the club I will happily give them due credit.
This isnt some series of crazed rants, these are genuine concerns, I wont get caught up in the wave of "local boys done good" nostalgia, to date their tenure has been worrying, all they have done is talk themselves up. Zola's reaction has far from been all embracing of the new owners, his reaction is best described as circumspect thats what worries me, I admire Zola greatly as a coach but more so as a man, he has intelligence and integrity and he hasnt exactly been dancing a jig!
Celtic I can understand your point of view regarding giving credit when they have done something good for the club, however I can't see that they have done anything wrong yet ?
Have there been any interviews with Zola since the take over ?
How do you know how he is feeling about it ?
The comments in relation to the tevez case paticularly stick in the throat. At the time of the initial FA charge a non guilty plea would still have resulted in the same verdict and most likely a punnishment involving a points deduction which would have seen us relegated. It was not only the best option but the only real one we had at the time.
Sullivan then cracks on about the blunts case (he also inflates the damages to £30M) and how we should have fought harder.
If it wasnt for the rags that he calls newspapers and his mates in the gutter press claiming we were going to go bust from the compensation and stating with tabloid certainty that we were looking at £50M+ of a liability then we could have convince the clubs auditors to sign off on the accounts with the blunts case still outstanding but no, thanks to Sullivan and his media pals we were forced to settle a case that we could well have won.
Why isnt Sullivan taking his share of the blame for the media witch hunt that the club endured for the last 3years? He is happy to bang on and on about how terrible BG was, and what a fool The Egg was but if he had used his newspapers to support the club during that time, or simply print the truth then maybe we wouldnt have been driven down the road we have.
Oh believe I have a damn site more respect for him as a businessman now than I did before, he was positively Machiavellian in how he got his hands on the club. I truely underestimated him.
I accept your point of view Celtic. However it has not yet been a week since the takeover was confirmed. We have 7days till the transfer window closes & we hope that short term arrangements to enhancing the squad can be met.. It will take time before we start to see changes in how WH is run on a financial basis. I for one will continue to back your balanced view of what is happening & hope that further investment into the club is forthcoming over the coming months.
Did anyone actually read this further than the first paragraph? Becoming very tiresome reading these daily negative posts.
Gald to hear that your not 100% going out to slag the new owners off, although your record at it is 100% so far
This it's even worth debating stupid comment wo'nt ever happen end of.And by the way Celtic West Hams direct catchment area is largely under privilaged.
Agreed, good start by Messrs. Sullivan & Gold. Of course none of us want to see the name of our club changed, however, I think what Ms. Brady is saying is IF we do want the move to the Olympic stadium then we're going to have to make some compromises in order to 'keep the Olympic legacy'. Ideally we would move to the Olympic stadium and keep our current name, however using 'Olympic' after West Ham may go some way to sweetening those who are against our move to the stadium. What do other Hammers fans think, move to the new stadium with West ham Olympic or stay at our 36, 000 capacity Boleyn Ground? I'm undecided.
P.s, who saw our very own Ray Winstone on Soccer AM today and the lovely Hammerettes!! Would love it if Sullivan and Gold brought them back !
COYI
Kushal.
There is the third option of redevelopment of the East Stand and fill in.
yes I though of that one, but it would only bring up levels to 45000 max. Nothing lasts forever & moving to the OS from a commercial point of view, if we wish to compete, then the next decade in the history of WH is going to be massive.
Not sure what her motivation was for making such a stupid comment – she must know it would wind up the supporters. The owners have made a good start and are enuine fans which makes a big difference. Would love to know what Ms Brady brings to the party. What is her great talent exactly?
So you all think you can't use the name Olympic for a football team? Then explain this; for over 30 years and to this day a team in Sydney plays at the highest level in our leagues (not saying much) with the name 'Sydney Olympic'…I say, anything is possible and until this stupidity is completely refuted by Ms. Brady I wont be forking any cash over for anything! West Ham UNITED is is and WEST HAM UNITED it will stay!
Gollivan may have had a good start but Brady is heading for the lower divisions!
Attractive people in this world will always get on in their given sphere no matter how lowly that position happens to be. If that attractive person is good at sucking up the the right people at the right time, say the 'right' things and appears to be forward thinking and innovative, they'll do even better. Depending on how attractive they are, the people they are sucking up to can be a little blinded by the candy they see before them and buy into all sorts of mistakes because a massaged ego lead them there instead of their brain; I've seen it a a few companies I have worked for over the years – I wouldn't be surprised if she gets her way in the name of progress supported by middle-aged men who should know better
Taxi for BRAAAADDDYYYYYY!
You're not "How to win friends or influence people," I'm afraid Karren. I recommend a look at Dale Carnegie's famous book.
Brady being involved is a big mistake, that is why IMO that Sullivan made a point of saying the club was not paying her wages, Not sure what sort of welcome she will get at UP.
Theirs nothing wrong with brand it fiances that need sorting out not a rebranding I suggest she puts spends her time more productive
No women at Football sorry!!(joking)
Grrrr Chris – where do you sit? We will come round and hit you with our handbags!!!!
Very polite Ray,not what I was thinking,but it will do.
Two words from me. SILLY COW !
She would be better of sticking to her new chosen career of T.V. Celeb. We are about to see her week in week out as Lawd Sugar's new "adviser" on the next series of the UK apprentice. She had nothing good to say about us when she was at Birmingham so I would prefer she stuck to her column in the Scum and T.V.
& one more thing. According to Karren Brady there are thousands of West Ham Supporting Blind and/or Crazy people in the underprivileged East End.
Sounds to me like a "tongue-in-cheek" comment and nothing more. Will get some headlines though (so job done for her I am sure!).
Nothing in the sun is worth reading WHY buy it ? Let alone talk about it.
As i said not worth debating!
I have to say that what have we achieved so far with the new owners …. all their PR has gone down well but are we any closer to finding a striker in time for tuesdays game at Pompey …
Celtic has a valid point in regards to GFZ reaction … and as for Brady … I'd rather her ruthless approach than some of the tosh we have had from the club over the past years …
Where is Kia Joorachbian … Duxburys interviews last summer that the TV money would all go to GFZ yet the new owners say we a £12m creditors bill to pay … so maybe thats when UPson is off …
Time to publish the accounts me thinks … time for some detailed home truths …
Tom i don't know what Zola is supposed to do dance in the street,he said the meeting with the new owners went well and that they were very positive i'm not sure what he else he can do or say really.And G&S have both said very positive things about the manager so any fears he had over lossing his job are gone for the time being.
On the plus side I like the comments in the KB article about DS's "passion, emotion and will to do the right thing for West Ham." I think that nicely summarises what we have seen this week.
As for the rest of the article….
Hopefully the bark of the "Stratford Bull terrier" is going to be worse than her bite…
How many other teams in top class football have supporters shouting "United United etc"? If the name is appropriate, what is wrong with being unique and making sure the players know who our shouts are for, particularly when we are playing someone like Manure?
That sounds like a good idea – at the end of the old Bubbles Number we can chant Olympic Olympic, yeah has a certain ring…scheesh
That great hooliganism legacy, segregation, the players ain't got a clue these days especially at the Theatre of Dreams and when the spud fans were singing 'Arry 'Arry gis a wave 'Arry gis a wave he never had a clue where it was coming from so waved to brother in the lower Bobby Moore's scream it was. Yep Brady's idea will certainly sort that one out
This is the sort of thing that worries me. It is probably a load of old tosh but why does Brady need to say anything? Like alot of you on here, I think she seems to have a good business mind but she does have the habit of being outspoken. The thing is I don't care what she thinks, I just want her to do a good job of getting the club running on a stable rail. Leave the talking to those that know how to manipulate the media to give us positive press and get on with the job you are employed to do Karen. As for the take over I will wait for the dust to settle. So far it's been a good day for Sullivan and Gold but there is alot to do and a long way to go. I'm sorry but I've seen and heard it all before, I wish them luck, after all I want success as do we all but after about forty years of support I am cautious of getting carried away by words and am not sure what Sullivan hoped to achieve by saying he was trying to sign a player who would get £100,000 a week.
COYI, keep the faith and lets get up the table.
I posted this proposal a couple of weeks ago that the idea was to have Olympic in the name and I was surprised at the small amount of comment it generated, I also told you that G/S were always going to get the deal, no one believed me." It's not what you know" as he saying goes, and it certainly isn't assumptions and cut and paste that some people fool us with on here.
Olympic is a serious propositon, really!
West Ham Olympic………… W.H.O. Perfect! nice one Karren
No no no, this cannot happen, we are west ha munited and should always be west ham united, can't see this happening in my opinion. Any one have any further nws on the transfer latest, i think we need a post which is just purely about transfers.
Sky Sports News Latest:
Reports in spain are claiming that Ruud Van Nistelrooy has undergone a medical with Hamburg and will complete his move to the Bundesliga club from Real Madrid on monday.
Looks like he is out of the question now but it might not have been him we were after, Huntlaar could well be the man we want as he wants away from Milan on loan and we need a striekr, Perfect. If only things were that simple.
So she expects to hear there’s Only One Olympic from the terraces, not there’s Only One United and thats how its always gonna be
Does this meen were getting a new badge if our name gets changed
I have always been a West Londoner, but for nearly 30 years West Ham United has been in my blood. My opinion will be unpopular with some of you, but I believe that tradition can be limiting sometimes. I also believe that sometimes change can be stability, change can be strength. I also want West Ham to be the number 1 club on the planet and if it means moving to the olympic stadium and renaming us West Ham Olympic I accept that.
Dont let the brady bunch change our title, we are who we are, the mighty hammers! west ham united foreever !!!!!
Thames Ironworks anyone?
So, if this happens does the club pay to sort out changing my tattos?:)
Gold has confirmed that West Ham United will NEVER change names whilst under his tenure. He did, however, suggest that a move to the Olympic stadium could merit a the "West Ham Olympic stadium".
No problem with that.
And anyone who still seriously thin ks we could relegated – take a look at the current table and the goal differences.
That tells you all you need to know.
[...] West Ham Olympic? You're 'Avin a Giraffe, Karren! [...]