Judge Mulls Olympic Stadium Review

A judge is expected to rule soon whether Tottenham Hotspur and Leyton Orient should be allowed a judicial review of the UK government’s decision to allow West Ham United the future use of London’s new Olympic Stadium.

London Mayor Boris Johnson and the government ratified the Olympic Park Legacy Company’s recommendation that the Hammers should get the ground March 3.

Spurs and Orient immediately began their various protests.

The two clubs’ main objection centres on Newham Council’s decision to lend £40 million to a joint venture it’s formed with West Ham to help pay to convert and run the building.

They say that without the loan, the West Ham deal wouldn’t stack up financially and the council’s decision to grant it breaches EC laws barring state aid for private companies.

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy reckons his club was encouraged to join the bidding process only so the OPLC could leverage a better deal out of West Ham.

There is a counter argument that Levy first entered the bidding process so that Spurs could leverage better terms out of Haringey Council for a new stadium in Tottenham, next to the club’s current ground at White Hart Lane.

If West Ham keeps the stadium, Live Nation would handle the concerts and other entertainment events that would help fill the diary.
If Spurs eventually fetched up in the Olympic Stadium, AEG would handle that side of things.