Olympic Stadium judicial review rejected
Leyton Orient and Tottenham Hotspur have been refused permission by the High Court for a judicial review of the decision to award use of the Olympic Stadium to West Ham after next year's Olympic Games. The clubs are unhappy about Newham Council's £40m loan to help finance the move. Needless to say, West Ham are delighted with the court's decision.
The clubs are expected to appeal, although it might be that the advice to stop digging when in a hole is applicable. Orient have separate applications against the Government and the Mayor of London, but this decision does not suggest that their prospects are good. Leyton Orient have stated on their website that they are talking to their solicitors about whether to apply for an oral hearing on the decision. Spurs are also consider whether to apply for an oral hearing.
However, the judge in the case has made it clear that he is not impressed by the arguments advanced. He has ordered both clubs to pay the legal costs run up by Newham Council and the Olympic Park Legacy Company which could amount to six figures.
The argument put forward by Spurs that the action by Newham Council exceeded their powers in making the loan was rejected, as was the argument that they discriminated against Spurs by not offering them a loan, not a very strong argument given that they are located in another borough.
The clubs believe that they could dispute the ruling through reference to EU state aid rules, but that is a legal minefield and could ultimately involve the European courts. It is not unusual for local authorities to give state aid to stadium developments in continental Europe so it is difficult at first sight to see what kind of argument could be mounted.
Spurs perhaps need to focus on the re-development of White Hart Lane which would be the preferred option of many of their fans. Orient fans understandably feel aggrieved at having a big rival so near, but it is hard to see what options they have left.
Olympic Stadium decision
It seems the law favours the bullies of this world. As a life-long Orient supporter I feel that Spurs never had much of a case anyway. They should focus on the redevelopment of White Hart Lane and forget about a move that their fans don't want anyway. As someone born in Hackney and a mile from the Olympic Stadium, I'm very aware of the geography and logistics of the area and West Ham will now certainly be in the Orient's patch.
As a youngster growing up in th 50's and 60's I had a choice of temas to support( as indeed I would today) - Arsenal, Spurs , West Ham and Orient. The nearest team were Orient and I could walk there in half an hour. They were in The top flight for only one year in this period but had something of a fan base despite all that opposition. My friends in school tended to be Arsenal or Spurs fans but we had a good nucleus of O's supporters. - MORE than West Ham which was further away. My point is that young kids growing up in this area now will never even think of going down the O's and support for the club will wither away, especially if free tickets are distributed because of West Ham's inabilty to fill the stadium. The Premier League/ Football League( as West Ham are now in The Championship!) are the ones to look at now. The O's deserve compensation of some kind becuse it will have an effect on their business and slowly decease their support so that the club dies . This is a fate it doesn't deserve as one that is run prudently by the owner Barry Hearn. Yet it seems no one cares about what happens to the grass roots of football and a constituent part of the sporting legacy of the East End.
Treatment of Orient
Thanks for this interesting post. I agree that Orient have had a raw deal. The Premier League has in effect disregarded its own rules, but that is not a great surprise.