West Ham neared victory in the battle for the London 2012 Olympic Stadium yesterday after being named ahead of Premier League rivals Tottenham as the preferred future residents of the site.
Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) chairwoman Margaret Ford said the board had backed West Ham’s bid “unanimously,” describing the decision as a “really good outcome for sport”.
The final decision still has to be ratified by London Mayor Boris Johnson and two Government departments, although that is regarded as a formality.
West Ham hailed the board’s decision to support their bid as a “momentous day” for the club.
“We are proud to have been passed the Olympic torch and fully embrace the responsibility we have for keeping the flame alive,” West Ham vice-chairwoman Karren Brady said in a statement.
“We have been working on this project for some time now and are just at the starting line of the race to make this a stadium that will really make the nation proud.”
London Mayor Johnson meanwhile welcomed the board’s decision.
“This milestone means we now have the prospect of a local football club and a multi-use venue capable of hosting athletics, a range of other sports and a vibrant programme of events for the local community and schools,” he said.
West Ham had emerged as the favourite after tabling a bid which proposed keeping the stadium’s running track.
Bid rivals Spurs had proposed demolishing the stadium and replacing it with a purpose built venue without an athletics track, a plan that had been condemned by British Olympic officials.
London 2012 chairman Sebastian Coe had said ripping up the athletics track would wreck Britain’s international sporting reputation and was out of line with promises made at the International Olympic Committee vote in 2005.
Coe said British officials had made a clear pledge to IOC voters that the stadium would be used as a multi-sports venue for future generations.
“The bid was very clear and unambiguous. This was a community facility, multi-sport, track and field,” Coe said last month.
West Ham’s victory had been widely expected after a series of leaked reports appeared in the British media this week.
Tottenham, who had proposed refurbishing the existing Crystal Palace athletics stadium as a permanent year-round facility, released a statement expressing their frustration at the decision.
“Much has been made of the promise to keep the athletics track within the Olympic Stadium and, therefore, we should all expect to see the retention of this track firmly embedded and legally guaranteed by those entrusted with this legacy commitment, today and in the future,” the statement read.
“The OPLC’s decision has still to be approved by two Government departments and the Mayor’s Office. We shall continue to monitor the bid process over the coming weeks up until its final determination, whilst reviewing our position and holding discussions with our advisors.”
Tim Leiweke, the president of Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) which partnered Tottenham, said the Olympic Stadium would “go broke in 10 years” if the athletics track was retained. Former Tottenham chairman Lord Alan Sugar also criticised the prospect of West Ham being awarded the Olympic site.
“You cannot combine football and an athletics stadium together; it simply doesn’t work and has been proven time and time again,” Sugar said.