Olympic stadium debate drags on…….and on…..

Nearly a year after the Olympic Games finished, we are still no nearer to discovering which team, if any, will occupy the Olympic Stadium moving forward.

Just when the apparent preferred option, West Ham United, believe they have a clear run at the stadium having seen off interest from Tottenham Hotspur, East London neighbours Leyton Orient and particular their chairmen Barry Hearn just will not go away.

Hearn’s argument against West Ham becoming occupants of the stadium is a valid one.  Orient’s Brisbane Road ground resides less than 5 minutes from the Olympic park and as a result any move by the Hammers into the stadium would intrude on the O’s catchment area.  This could potentially cost Orient fans which in turn would cost the club revenue and ultimately as Hearn so callously predicts, would result in the death of the League 1 club.

Hearn has suggested, if West Ham are to move into the stadium, that Orient also move in as part of a ground share agreement.  Cynics among the West Ham faithful would suggest that this would conveniently allow the land on which Brisbane Road stands, valued at around £6m for the building of flats.  Hearn has countered this by pledging that in any case, every penny from the sale of Brisbane Road would be re-invested in the club, something fans will have to the Orient Chairmen at his word on.

It is also the opinion of many in the West Ham corner that the Olympic stadium would be a bad move.  Their current home of Upton Park is full to capacity every week and with it creates an electric and hostile atmosphere which is intimidating for visiting teams, why would the club want to move out of this into a stadium near double the size with no assurance they can fill to capacity every week.

It would appear that the prestige that would accompany having the Olympic Stadium as your home is too much for any club to turn down, but bizarrely at the same time, nobody truly wants to play there!

Aaron SharpFollow @ajs26061988