West Ham are less enthusiastic than they were about a move to the Olympic Stadium and will need a number of reassurances before they submit a bid in the re-opened process. The earlier tendering process had to be abandoned by the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) because of legal difficulties relating to EU state aid rules.
West Ham are less enthusiastic than they were about a move to the Olympic Stadium and will need a number of reassurances before they submit a bid in the re-opened process. The earlier tendering process had to be abandoned by the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) because of legal difficulties relating to EU state aid rules.
The club have expressed interest in a 99-year lease but want a number of points to be cleared up by the OPLC. The main areas of difficulty include sharing naming rights revenue (an important contributor to viability), branding issues on match days, flexibility on fixtures and the ability to modify stadium design.
The pitch and its preparation is a real practical issue. The use of the stadium over the summer by UK Athletics means that there would only be two weeks to prepare the turf for the football season. One of the bidders for Wasps is interested in a move to the stadium, but rugby clubs churn up the pitch and West Ham would not want to share with one.
The club are estimated to have spent £1m on the first bidding round.