How clubs fared in first season in their new home

09 January 2017 09:23

A 5-0 FA Cup exit to Manchester City continued West Ham's troubled first season at the London Stadium.

The Hammers won their first league game at the 2012 Olympic venue but only one of the next six, during which they conceded four goals to Watford, three to Southampton and five to Arsenal.

They exited the Europa League when Romania's Astra Giurgiu won 1-0 in Stratford, while crowd trouble has also marred a number of home games.

That leaves Slaven Bilic's side with a home record in all competitions of seven wins, two draws and six losses, scoring 15 goals and conceding 23.

Here, Press Association Sport looks back at other Premier League clubs to move grounds in recent years, and how each got on in their first season. Only clubs who were in the top flight for the first season in their new home were considered.

Arsenal - Emirates Stadium (2006)

Home record (all comps): W16 D10 L1, F55 A21

The Gunners finished fourth in the Premier League for the second straight year, behind third-placed Liverpool on goal difference but 21 points adrift of champions Manchester United. They lost only one home game all season, though, 1-0 to West Ham in April. A season-high 60,128 watched January 21's 2-1 win over the Red Devils.

A youthful team reached the League Cup final but lost to Chelsea. Blackburn ended their FA Cup run in a fifth-round replay while the Gunners topped their Champions League group but lost to PSV Eindhoven in the last 16.

Manchester City - Etihad Stadium (2003)

Home record (all comps): W7 D12 L5, F43 A30

Having finished ninth in their first season back in the top flight, City moved to the former Commonwealth Games venue but limped to 16th, only avoiding relegation with two games remaining. They drew nine of their 19 games in their new home, which witnessed an average league attendance of 46,834.

The season's most memorable game came not at home but at White Hart Lane, a comeback from 3-0 down to beat Tottenham 4-3 in an FA Cup fourth-round replay despite Joey Barton's dismissal during half-time. They lost to Manchester United in the next round and reached the League Cup fourth round and UEFA Cup second round, where they were eliminated by Polish side Groclin.

Southampton - St Mary's (2001)

Home record (all comps): W7 D5 L7, F23 A22

The Saints took only one point from their first five home games, but after replacing manager Stuart Gray with Gordon Strachan - and enlisting Pagan priestess Cerridwen 'Dragonoak' Connelly to perform a ritual to rid the ground of a supposed curse - they recovered to finish 11th. Strachan quipped of Connelly's involvement: "If she's that good, she can take training for the next two weeks and I can get on with my golf."

An average attendance of 30,633 was more than double that in their final season at the Dell. They exited both cup competitions early, playing only away games in the process, in club favourite Matt Le Tissier's final season before retirement.

Middlesbrough - Riverside Stadium (1995)

Home record (all comps): W10 D5 L8, F31 A28

Moving from Ayresome Park for their first season back in the Premier League, Boro opened their new home with a 2-0 win over Chelsea and despite a mid-season slump, big-money signings Juninho and Nick Barmby helped them finish a creditable 12th.

They lost fourth-round replays at Wimbledon in the FA Cup and Birmingham in the League Cup after home draws. Their average attendance was 29,283, with a high of 30,011 for a league derby against Newcastle.

Source: PA