Lord Coe warned over plan to rip up track at the Olympic Stadium

21 January 2011 08:32
There could be no arguing with the logic of Lamine Diack, the head of world athletics: Lord Coe told us something to win the Olympic bid and now Britain want to do the opposite.[LNB] Coe's pledge was that London would keep a track and field legacy in the stadium. And now they are selling out to that big beast, football.[LNB]Tottenham v West Ham: The key points in the battle to take over the Olympic Stadium Olympic promise: Lord Coe pledged that London would keep a track and field legacy in the stadium[LNB] The fact is that neither of the two rival suitors, West Ham or Tottenham, totally fulfil the promise Coe made to the IOC in 2005. That was for the stadium to downscale to a 25,000 multi-purpose arena with athletics at its heart.[LNB] Diack was forthright on the eve of today's deadline for the final submissions to the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC).[LNB] 'Britain has a number of heroes inathletics,' he said. 'I could spend an hour listing one by one allthose who've achieved fantastic things in athletics. They are stillthere, involved. And this country, this city, is saying that I'm notable to have a stadium of athletics.'[LNB]Diack's comments echo those of most Olympic figures, who, howeverreluctantly, favour West Ham's plans because they at least plan tomaintain a running track - that crucial pledge made by Coe,vice-president to Diack at the IAAF, in Singapore.[LNB]Spurs plan to flatten the stadium and use it as a football-only siteand instead revamp Crystal Palace, the dilapidated home of Britishathletics.[LNB] Controversial plan: How the Olympic Stadium could be redeveloped for football[LNB] 'Destroying the track would betotally unacceptable,' added Diack of Spurs' proposals. 'Retaining asustainable athletics legacy after the London Games was not a footnoteof London's bid. It was a core policy of their presentation to convincethe Olympic family of their exciting, viable legacy plans.[LNB]'It offered a vision of year-round health and fitness opportunities forthe local community and a venue to stage national and internationalathletics, ranging from Diamond League to world championships.[LNB]'To demolish the Olympic Stadium, throwing away the original£500million investment of public money, seems to me an outrageousproposition.'[LNB] Diack'scontention about the potential damage to Britain's standing in the eyesof the world is partially borne out by America's experience since theAtlanta stadium, home of the 1996 Olympics, was turned into a baseballvenue. It is thought to have played a part in alienating IOC members,who rejected later bids to stage the Games in New York and Chicago.[LNB] A verdict on the future of London's Olympic Stadium is due to be reached by the OPLC a week today.[LNB] Forthright: IAAF president Lamine Diack (right) with Lord Coe[LNB] However, such is the weight of evidence to consider in light of Tottenham's emergence as serious contenders in a process West Ham were once clear favourites to win, they may choose to delay their decision. They are likely to finalise their own timetable on Monday.[LNB] There remains the faint possibilitythat both football clubs will lose out to the third option: theoriginal plan for the 25,000-seat arena. That would involve statefunding, though there is already provision in the budget to transformvarious sites for post-Olympic use.[LNB]Such a move would please athletics supporters, but it is unlikely thatthe stadium without a football club's involvement would generate enoughmoney around the year to be sustainable.[LNB]Spurs and West Ham spent yesterday disputing each other's arguments.Spurs claim that West Ham would leave a white elephant - anunder-funded stadium unsuited to either athletics or football. [LNB]Spurs manager Harry Redknapp said: 'If West Ham move into the stadium at Stratford with a whacking great running track around the pitch, the only legacy for them will be a nightmare.[LNB]'Try to mix football and athletics and you end up with a great big bowl of nothing.' Tottenham also say that their own plans for Crystal Palace would leave a perfect athletics legacy, albeit displaced. West Ham, they argue, would treat athletes as secondary tenants[LNB]West Ham, though, were defended by Diack. He said: 'While concerns havebeen raised about sightlines for football we should recall thatfootball has often shared with other sports. The old Wembley Stadiumhad a track, which was not only used for athletics but for speedway andgreyhound racing.'[LNB] Opposition: Spurs fans protested during Sunday's match at home to Manchester United against the proposed relocation to east London after 2012[LNB] West Ham said no spectator would be as far away from the pitch as some are at Wembley, partly because they will install seats at the turn of the athletics track.[LNB] Spurs alleged that fans under West Ham's proposals would be at least 45 metres behind the goal, more than twice the distance at Wembley. The disputes rage on. At least Crystal Palace FC cleared up their stance. They will only seek to take over the National Sports Centre that Spurs want to develop if West Ham win and give them a free run at planning permission. [LNB] Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham United: The key points in the battle to take over the Olympic StadiumAlan Pascoe: Spurs bid for Olympic Stadium leaves us with nothingCrystal clear: Palace put forward stadium plans to rock Spurs 2012 bidVan Commenee: 'Ridiculous' plans for Olympic Stadium will ruin UK AthleticsAll the latest West Ham news, features and opinionAll the latest Tottenham news, features and opinion[LNB] [LNB]  Explore more:People: Harry Redknapp Places: New York, London, Chicago, Singapore, America, Olympic Stadium

Source: Daily_Mail