Here's me and my nephew's (17) day/my thoughts on the away day:
Me and my nephew went to Hackney Wick via Victoria (easiest place to meet him), with myself wearing a Palace scarf and he wearing a Palace top. Got off at Hackney Wick around 7 and walked, which was about 10 minutes and not particularly busy either.

The security queue took about 2 minutes and the staff seemed friendly enough to me. Walked through tonnes of West Ham fans and got absolutely nothing bar one 13 year-old tryna looked hard to his mate by saying "Palace scum" under his breath despite being surrounded by his own fans. Again, at the turnstiles, absolutely fine getting in. So far, so good.

Then we went into the ground. Don't get me wrong, the look of the place and the architecture of it is absolutely brilliant. HOWEVER, echoing what others have said: it is not a football stadium. You have to climb up s***loads of stairs to get to the back, too few toilets compared to people and they don't sell beer after kick-off (even one of the stewards said it's ridiculous). One redeeming feature, however, is that you can generate a good noise from the back of the stadium.

Penultimatey, the atmosphere, have to say from our perspective, was one of the worst aways I've been to this season. I was at the top tier around row 67, and first half we made a good noise throughout. Second half, bar a small 5 minute chunk around the 60th, there was pretty much nothing. Home fans were awful, and the West Ham fans know how bad it has become (and I do genuinely feel sorry for them).

Finally the trip back to the station, which we decided to go to Pudding Lane. Again, I had or saw absolutely no grief whatsoever despite having a Palace scarf and my nephew wearing a Palace top; even had some banter when the copper tried to close that gate, but failed miserably. Train was packed, but nothing out of the ordinary for a football match, then Bow Church to Victoria (which is long as f***).

Overall, I don't think I'd go again, especially on a weekday.

Edited by Dan1994 (31 Jan 2018 10.03pm)

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never been there but alot of spam fans i know have said they dont like it to far away from the pitch can take a hour after the game to get to the station,I know of 3 season ticket holders given there seats up, its no upton park lost there soul for the sake of a bigger ground

To be fair, it might be better on a Saturday afternoon.

Only for the fact I could get blazing drunk before it, only to be told that I cannot get a drink at half time. Then the rage would start again!

Wet Spam can cram 50 thousand plus into that stadium. And that is what makes it a good stadium. Up until the 1980s the best gate for any game in English club football was some 76thousand that saw Charlton play Arsenal in 1956 (I think). That figure is being challenged quite often and beaten recently when 80 thousand turned up at Wembley for the Manure age.
Big gates are the way forward and, unfortunately, the maximum 35thousand we may see at a rejuvenated Selhurst aint gonna cut it.

Cut what exactly?

Putting 50k into a stadium does not make it good. Clubs are not driving by the weekly attendance of the average punter anymore!

Any ground over 40k will find it difficult having a sustained noisy atmosphere for the whole 90 minutes. Keep it intimate.