POSTED: May 16th 2011
NewsUpdate
West Ham say that relegation makes no difference to 2012 stadium takeover
KEIR RADNEDGE / Sports Features Communications
LONDON, May 16: West Ham United have assured Olympics organisations that their relegation from the Premier League will not in any way deflect them from their intention of moving into the London 2012 stadium after the Games.
Relegation was assured on Sunday after the Hammers lost 3-2 to fellow strugglers Wigan. The consequences of that defeat led to the removal of Avram Grant as manager within hours of the end of the match.
However a club spokesman said: "We remain totally committed to it. Our target is to move there in three football seasons time and we would hope that we would return to the Premier League as soon as possible.
"Our [stadium] bid was based on several different areas. It was modelled on Premier League, Championship and different scenarios. That that has been the case from day one. As far as our plans for the Olympic Stadium are concerned, we are continuing at a pace.
"All things are connected but the club will obviously set about rebuilding so that we are in a position to challenge at the highest level in the Championship and get back into the Premier League as soon as possible."
Athletics track
West Ham, in a joint bid with Newham Council, intends to convert the 80,000-seater, £486m stadium into a 60,000-seater arena but keeping an athletics track. It would start playing there in 2014-15 with a 250-year lease but accepting a 250-year sub-lease to UK Athletics.
A competitive tender has been launched to designate contractors to convert the stadium despite the threat of possible judicial reviews being sought by Tottenham and Leyton Orient over the way in which West Ham became preferred bidder.
Last month Tottenham applied for a judicial review of Newham Council's role in arranging a £40m loan to finance West Ham's move. The club has also asked the High Court to start a separate judicial review into the roles of several other parties involved in awarding West Ham the stadium.
Leyton Orient have also demanded a judicial review of Newham's role in partnering West Ham's bid.
Keywords · Olympic stadium · London 2012 · West Ham
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