Why West Ham should have played hard ball
Another day and another gigantic bill faces the British taxpayer as the Government called off protracted buyout talks with West Ham United for the Olympic site. It means as first feared that the Stratford Stadium will become little more than an aging monument, no legacy and a whole bagful of regrets in a few years times. The bottom line is very few people care for Athletics in this country to warrant a stadium of such a size, in the post Olympic era.
The official word from Hugh Robertson is that the all the impending legal disputes, with regards to the potential acquisition of the stadium, had threatened to put the Olympic Legacy at risk. I maybe alone in thinking this but does anyone see the word ‘legacy’ as the simple way to justify the extortionate price this who event has cost. It is certainly the word that West Ham’s Karren Brady happily throws into every other sentence to ensure that the club’s intentions are looked on favourably. The fact remains that the decision to turn down West Ham’s bid has destroyed any hope of making this stadium a relative success and to ensure it doesn’t become little more than a relic.
Sentiment has paid far too big a price in the decision of what to do with this stadium. While Tottenham’s proposal to destroy the site in favour of a new state of the art stadium was met with such disdain; their promise to redevelop Crystal Palace and turn it into a world class Athletics arena for future events and meetings would certainly have fulfilled the legacy brief. Surely the whole purpose of a legacy was to ensure that budding athletes inspired by the Olympics will have the facilities in order to hone their skills, so why does this have to take place at the Stratford Stadium? Even with West Ham’s promises to ensure that the legacy is maintained, it appears it is not enough as the Olympic committee desperately trying to secure future events after 2012, as probably a way of appeasing the Government officials seething at the cost of the event.
So where do we go from here? Apparently the committee will be seeking tenants for the stadium and West Ham have put their name in the ring, much to the pleasure of Hugh Robertson. I am not a Hammers fan myself, but this sounds a ridiculous situation where the football club will simply have no hold over the stadium, or be in a position to create an identity for themselves at the site. The club will be selling out big time, for the sake of playing in a soulless stadium. Maybe the Hammers would have been better off standing their ground here and refusing to bow down to the new terms on offer. The fact remains that due to Tottenham’s proposal being thrown out of the water that West Ham held the only hope of this stadium and surrounds being a profitable venture. The club should use that knowledge in their bargaining, to ensure this Olympic Stadium doesn’t become the relic I fear it will prove to be.
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Some of us are old enough to remember the first time that Crystal Palace was promised to become a world class facility. It never materialised because it is totally unsuitable for the purpose in both location, transport and potential. No one will invest in it and no one will maintain it. Who for instance would have maintained it after Tottenham’s generous offer to set it up effectively with our money to hide the fact that they would be stabbing us all in the back. Cant really imagine that Tottenham who hardly do a wonderful job of supporting their own communities in Haringey and Enfield even now would do so, along with supporting their new responsibilities in Newham and Tower Hamlets. The proposal was, and remains ludicrous pie in the sky with their reality distortion field circa 2018 fading enough for even the most rose tinted enthusiast to have seen the con.
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As a West Ham fan, I couldn’t agree more, and with that last paragraph especially.
Of course I can see the many potential benefits of West Ham moving into a brand new, state of the art stadium. But it has to be fit for the purpose. If it can be altered to become a football stadium, with the crowds right up alongside the pitch creating the sort of atmosphere we’re used to at the Boleyn, I would welcome the move.
But it really doesn’t seem like that will be the case.
West Ham should, as you say, play hard ball. We either get a stadium which we have some input over the design, which is a proper football stadium (they can keep the running track, just find a way to cover it with retractable seating), and that can be a worthy upgrade on The Boleyn Ground as the home of West Ham United. Or we walk away and have nothing to do with what will surely become latest white elephant of London town.
It seems the club are determined to get the stadium, regardless of how suitable it is for football. They should draw a line in the sand, in my opinion, and let it be known that they will only pursue their interest if there is no compromise on the requirements West Ham have for a new football stadium
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