My original thinking on the Olympic Stadium was that West Ham was likely to move there after 2012, not that all their fans are keen on the idea. I thought that the Spurs application was something of a diversionary tactic to give them a Plan B and allow them to put some pressure on Haringey council over planning issues.
My original thinking on the Olympic Stadium was that West Ham was likely to move there after 2012, not that all their fans are keen on the idea. I thought that the Spurs application was something of a diversionary tactic to give them a Plan B and allow them to put some pressure on Haringey council over planning issues.
But it is increasingly becoming evident that Spurs are deadly serious about their bid. Their latest plan is to demolish and re-build the stadium as they see it as unsuitable for football. To appease the athletics establishment, they would refurbish the Crystal Palace athletics facility. Even so, it is clear that the leading lights in athletics back West Ham.
Part of the motivation for Spurs is that they calculate their scheme would cost £200m less than re-building White Hart Lane. This may seem suprising, but one has to remember that it is a heavily built-up location which would lead to all sorts of access problems and costs. There are also costs associated with improving transport links. The Olympic Stadium is a stand alone facility.
Spurs would still benefit from all the decontamination work and use the podium on which the stadium is built. Tottenham’s architectural adviser David Keirle described the stadium which has cost £496m as a ‘sophisticated Meccano kit’. All the concessions are outside and it has no toilets, suites or boxes. Football economics guru Stefan Szymanski commented, ‘From a legacy and cost point of view, we would have wanted to plan for a football tenancy from day one. That’s where the waste is coming from.’
Whilst I can’t speak for Spurs fans, my sense is that most of them would prefer to stay at their historic home if at all possible. That may well be the outcome as West Ham still seem to be the favourites given that their plan is more compatible with what was seen as a ‘legacy’ outcome and they have more local links.
Against that Spurs hold all the financial cards which are important when the government is trying to get some money back. Spurs are owned by Joe Lewis, the billionaire currency trader. Its partner is SEG, the US sports and entertainment company which owns the O2 arena. Financially, West Ham my find it difficult to compete.