West Ham will have third largest Premier League capacity at Olympic Stadium

Increased seating at the Olympic Stadium means West Ham will have the third largest capacity in the Premier League from next season.

After 112 years at the Boleyn Ground, the Hammers will call the Olympic Stadium in east London their home from 2016/17.

The stadium was originally expected to hold 54,000 people but, due to heightened demand, the capacity has increased by 6,000 seats to 60,000. That's a significant increase on 35,345 capacity of the Boleyn Ground. 

The increased capacity means only Old Trafford (75,653) and the Emirates (60,260) can host larger crowds in the Premier League, while only 18 clubs across Europe have larger capacities, according to thestadiumguide.com.

Old Trafford's expansion over the years has propelled Manchester United's famous ground up to the ninth biggest stadium in Europe, while the Emirates and Celtic Park (60,500) are the only other British grounds to make the top 20.

The additional seating at the Olympic Stadium has moved the Hammers' new home above Manchester City's Etihad Stadium, Valencia's Mestalla and Atletico Madrid's Vicente Calderon.

The move was not met with unanimous approval from all fans, who still feel a great deal of affection for their spiritual home in Upton Park, but Tony Gale insisted the move is exactly what the club needs to keep pace in the Premier League.

"It had to be done, you have to move on," Gale told Sky Sports News HQ. "Arsenal had to move out of Highbury into the Emirates Stadium, thinking about the long term.

"The only worry is that it might take a long time to generate the same atmosphere of the Boleyn Ground.

"Hopefully the club will go from strength to strength."