West Ham are set to increase the London Stadium capacity by 5,500, according to reports.

The fact that West Ham have consistently filled one of the biggest stadiums in the country has shocked many but, due to high demand for tickets, they want to increase the numbers significantly, according to The Daily Mail.

The London Stadium currently has just over 68,000 seats and the Hammers hope to use all of these by the 2026/27 season. Licensing regulations with stadium owners London Legacy Development Corporation only allow for a capacity of 62,500 during West Ham matches.

This change would see the owners paying an extra £200,000 in rent a year, bringing it to a total of £3.7million each year.

Despite having the seats available, the East London side would have to increase catering and toilet facilities to stick with legislation.

It’s an interesting development in West Ham’s ongoing situation with LLDC. It’s understood that the owners of the London Stadium are operating on a loss/minimal profit and have been looking at bringing in a sponsor to raise funds, with the most likely being Allianz.

Additionally, there have been reports that the board could look to buyout the stadium in the near future but these latest reports could say otherwise.

A higher capacity can only be a good thing for our Irons. It means more fans can attend games and hopefully it will create a better atmosphere in, what would be, the second biggest stadium in English football.

By Charlie Bass