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The problem was created by Sebastian Coe & his obsession with the Olympics having an "athletics legacy". Hence he contracted to build a huge, white elephant stadium without securing football tenant in advance to share the cost & take of the ground.
The problem was created by Sebastian Coe & his obsession with the Olympics having an "athletics legacy". Hence he contracted to build a huge, white elephant stadium without securing football tenant in advance to share the cost & take of the ground.
That's not what the article says:
'Khan blamed predecessor Boris Johnson for agreeing "the worst deal imaginable" in 2012.'
Perhaps it doesn't really matter, whatever the reason a Conservative is to blame. You can't trust them with public money, can you ?
The problem was created by Sebastian Coe & his obsession with the Olympics having an "athletics legacy". Hence he contracted to build a huge, white elephant stadium without securing football tenant in advance to share the cost & take of the ground.
That's the problem with athletics, only pulls in a crowd every 4 years and that's in a different country every time. A worthy sport to participate in but best way to do it for an intercontinental event is do what Manchester did on the Eastlands site for the Commonwealth Games and design it from the start to be turned into a football stadium afterwards. Interestingly that saved Man C millions.
Never forget that on 7th. April 2021, for ITFC, the Game Changed.
'Khan blamed predecessor Boris Johnson for agreeing "the worst deal imaginable" in 2012.'
Perhaps it doesn't really matter, whatever the reason a Conservative is to blame. You can't trust them with public money, can you ?
It clearly was a terrible deal, and I've no desire to let Boris off this or any other hook. But by that time, the government had no negotiating position whatsoever. There was no other potential tenant who would pay what West Ham agreed to pay, and the government's bargaining position was obviously much better before the thing was built.
EITHER you go all in and promise, and deliver, an athletics legacy, knowing that it will cost serious money. OR you say "sorry, only football is popular enough to justify the cost", and get a partner club to share the costs properly. What you don't do is pretend you're doing the former, realise it's not worth the money, and then scrabble around later trying to hawk a lease for something which is already built, when there's realistically not a plurality of bidders. Just a total calamity from the start.
And athletics are rightly annoyed by the whole thing too. They can't have the world championships in london in 2029, even though public money paid for this athletics stadium, because West Ham would be able to block it.
I can see why there is a rent reduction when they're relegated - it makes it less likely that there will be a default and a white elephant, but you have to have it at a serious level to start with, and the sums they pay are just pretty paltry, given that they have had the benefit of the capital expenditure without having to finance it at all. Jammy beggars, and it would be an unmitigated delight to see them relegated for that reason, if it wasn't for the loss to the public purse!
That's the problem with athletics, only pulls in a crowd every 4 years and that's in a different country every time. A worthy sport to participate in but best way to do it for an intercontinental event is do what Manchester did on the Eastlands site for the Commonwealth Games and design it from the start to be turned into a football stadium afterwards. Interestingly that saved Man C millions.
Yes the design's all wrong for footy although i went to one of the early games there with a friend who had family STs when they played Watford. 2-0 after half an hour (was the game where Payet did a rabona cross to Antonio to head in) and the atmosphere was rocking. Although by the end it wasn't - they lost 4-2! Then in 24/25 i sat in his seat as he was elsewhere for the ITFC game there where we lost 4-1 and the atmosphere was dreadful. You'd think they'd lost 4-1. 10 seconds of cheering for a goal and then silence.
Yes the design's all wrong for footy although i went to one of the early games there with a friend who had family STs when they played Watford. 2-0 after half an hour (was the game where Payet did a rabona cross to Antonio to head in) and the atmosphere was rocking. Although by the end it wasn't - they lost 4-2! Then in 24/25 i sat in his seat as he was elsewhere for the ITFC game there where we lost 4-1 and the atmosphere was dreadful. You'd think they'd lost 4-1. 10 seconds of cheering for a goal and then silence.
I remember when the 1974 World Cup was on being amazed at seeing football being played inside running tracks as was the norm in Germany then, even 8 years later in the UEFA semi.
Never forget that on 7th. April 2021, for ITFC, the Game Changed.
Yes the design's all wrong for footy although i went to one of the early games there with a friend who had family STs when they played Watford. 2-0 after half an hour (was the game where Payet did a rabona cross to Antonio to head in) and the atmosphere was rocking. Although by the end it wasn't - they lost 4-2! Then in 24/25 i sat in his seat as he was elsewhere for the ITFC game there where we lost 4-1 and the atmosphere was dreadful. You'd think they'd lost 4-1. 10 seconds of cheering for a goal and then silence.
I was there for day 3 of the Paralympics so saw it in its original 80k configuration, and it was rocking to say the least.
Saw this happen, and it's still one of the most gobsmacking things I've ever seen in a stadium.
I was there for day 3 of the Paralympics so saw it in its original 80k configuration, and it was rocking to say the least.
Saw this happen, and it's still one of the most gobsmacking things I've ever seen in a stadium.
I saw a Diamond League athletics event there and we had cheap seats at the back but the viewing of the athletics was great. I went to the Ireland - Italy rugby World Cup game & despite the stadium being full I thought the viewing was awful. You cannot have a stadium fit for athletics and football/rugby, without the retractable seat option, which was ruled out for Wembley on cost grounds.
I was there for day 3 of the Paralympics so saw it in its original 80k configuration, and it was rocking to say the least.
Saw this happen, and it's still one of the most gobsmacking things I've ever seen in a stadium.
Bloody hell! Where did he come from?
PS. Yes, it’s disgusting, but then I assume WH wouldn’t have chosen that ground either. The whole thing was a mess from conception through to then trying to find a way to pay for it.
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