Why the West Ham decision is the right one

One of London’s worst kept secrets has been confirmed this afternoon as the Olympic Park Legacy Company have given preferred status to West Ham to take over the Olympic Stadium after the games. This seems to have been the popular choice, receiving the backing of Lord Coe, former Olympics minister Tessa Jowell, governing body UK Athletics, Olympic heavyweights such as Kelly Holmes, John Regis and Steve Backley, as well as international stars Usain Bolt and Michael Johnson. 72% of Londoners also backed the West Ham bid.

The major factor in Spurs losing seems to have been their proposal did not include keeping the athletics track within the stadium, a key issue, although they did have a commitment to pay for redevelopment of the Crystal Palace athletics stadium. The fact that London’s main athletics stadium will be in Stratford rather than Crystal Palace is a huge positive, as Crystal Palace is notoriously a pain in the arse to get to, whereas Stratford has excellent transport links. On top of this, Spurs failed to mobilise serious support from their own fan base as the move would have taken them out of North London, their spiritual home.

There are other considerations than sporting ones. At stake was the UK’s reputation on the international sporting arena; promises were made in Singapore 6 years about the lasting legacy of athletics in London, and if the Spurs bid had been accepted and the athletics track had been demolished, it would have damaged trust and jeopardised any future  international sporting  bids and agreements (not that Blatter is ever going to give us the World Cup). The legacy to the east of London was also an important factor – this was one of the more deprived areas in London and the stadium is a symbol of the regeneration of the area by the infrastructure and facilities that have been built.

It will be interesting to see what happens over the next few years. Lord Sugar (very angry in the aftermath of the Spurs bid losing) is convinced that by 2013, after West Ham have taken control of the ground, they will find an excuse to get rid of the athletics track, but West Ham claim they have signed a long term agreement guaranteeing the track. Another concern is the impact on Leyton Orient, which is the nearest club currently to the Olympic site. Barry Hearn, Leyton Orient chairman, has threatened legal action over the decision, although this is unlikely to succeed. One thing is for sure – West Ham may soon have the most spectacular stadium in the Championship