WEST HAM Football Club have been named as the preferred tenant of the 2012 stadium by the Olympic Park Legacy Company.
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The decision – possibly the year’s worst kept secret – was unanimous. West Ham have long been considered front runners despite a late surge by Tottenham Hotspur’s bid.
The choice means that, following the London Olympics 2012,the stadium will retain the athletics facilities which were to be scrapped as part of the Spurs bid.
The Olympic Park Legacy Company’s selection must now be ratified by its board, two government departments and the mayor of London. It is expected that this will happen relatively quickly, possibly as soon as next week.
Following the announcement, London Mayor Boris Johnson tweeted “Significant step forward today for the Olympic Park. Long-term future looking good.” His rival for next year’s mayoral race, Ken Livingstone, hailed the choice as “the right decision for Londoners”.
Baroness Ford, head of the OPLC, said: “We have made a unanimous recommendation to back West Ham and the borough of Newham as the long term tenant.”
“It is very good news for the UK taxpayer and a really good outcome for sport” she added.
Meanwhile former Spurs Chairman Lord Sugar lambasted the decision as ‘totally flawed’ saying “it will be a disaster for the taxpayer and we’ll end up having a mothballed Olympic village”.
The news will also dismay many Leyton Orient fans who fear attendance at their nearby ground will suffer once football Hammers-style comes to the Olympic park.
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