Gold has doubts over West Ham Olympic Stadium move
WEST HAM co-owner David Gold has admitted for the first time his club are not completely committed to taking up residency of the Olympic Stadium following next summer’s London Games.
The Championship club were poised to sign a 125-year lease last month to move in to the £486m stadium, before the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) launched a new tender process amid legal challenges from Spurs, Leyton Orient and the European Commission.
Despite the collapse of that move, West Ham and their vice-chairman Karren Brady remained bullish saying “we have never dropped the baton and we won’t now”, while their bid was also unequivocally backed by Mayor of London Boris Johnson.
And although Gold reiterated his desire to see the Hammers relocate, he took a significant step backwards by suggesting their is some doubt about the viability of the Stratford site.
“I have mixed feelings,” said Gold. “The Olympic Stadium is very exciting, but we need a consultancy procedure with our fans, that is important.
“What we can’t do is nothing. I believe we are the eighth largest supported club in the country, and yet we perform more like the 20th biggest.
“The obvious change that everyone is looking at is the Olympic Stadium. But there is a doubt, there are issues that are unresolved.”