Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Could Spurs still end up at the Olympic Stadium



With West Ham United squarely looking at the trap door to the Championship, could their move to the Olympic Stadium be on hold? It's a question that needs to be asked.


On 11 February 2011 the Olympic Park Legacy Committee selected West Ham United and Newham Council as the preferred bidder to take over the Olympic Stadium after the 2012 Games. The decision in favour of West Ham's bid was unanimous. However Leyton Orient have complained that the stadium is too close too their ground and would breach FA rules. They claim that West Ham's plans could force them into bankruptcy. On 3 March 2011 West Ham United's proposed move to the Olympic Stadium was approved by the British government.


Their relegation to the Championship could throw a huge wrench into their plans, gone will be the huge crowds that watch Premier League football and the large revenue that comes from both tickets sales and the Premier League TV deals worldwide. How is a club with such a decline in revenue, even if its for just a year, going to be able afford to make the needed changes to the Olympic Stadium. It's expected to cost about £95m to convert the venue from an 80,000 seat stadium to a 60,000-seat venue for football, athletics and cricket, according to the BBC. The Olympic Delivery Authority is to give £35m of that to West Ham, while most of the remaining funds have been provided by a £40m loan arranged by Newham Council.


Could West Ham issues, allow Spurs to call the Olympic Stadium home. Spurs have the money to pay for the changes that need to be made to the stadium in order to bring it up standards for Premier League football. Spurs have the supporters to fill the stadium.

I know nothing is set in stone, but if it all plays out like this, it could be very hard for The Hammers to hold on to their proposed new home.

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