Source: Daily_Mail
Olympic Stadium debate takes new twist as Leyton Orient claim they should be considered
Leyton Orient chairman Barry Hearn claims his club are being treated like 'the lost tribe of East London and the elephant in the room' in the ongoing debate over the future of the Olympic Stadium.[LNB]West Ham and Tottenham are battling to be awarded the stadium by the Olympic Park Legacy Company after the London 2012 Games but the close and controversial nature of the fight means the OPLC want more time to decide and have postponed Friday's decision.[LNB]Hearn, though, claims his League One outfit have been overlooked.[LNB] Running battle: The saga of who will take over the Olympic Stadium is threatening to derail preparation for the London games[LNB]'We're only 750 yards from the edge of the Olympic Park, while West Ham are four miles away and Tottenham seven miles round the North Circular - yet nobody has bothered to ask little old Leyton Orient for their views,' he said. [LNB]Orient express: Barry Hearn believes his club, Leyton Orient, should be up for consideration[LNB]'Never mind that we're the second oldest Football League club in London, with a mere 130 years of history - we've become the lost tribe of East London, the elephant in the room nobody dares to mention.[LNB]'But we're not going to go away quietly. Leyton Orient may live in the shadow of two Premier League giants, but we've a right to be heard, especially when those giants could kill us off.[LNB]Hearn added in the Daily Mirror: 'I can't believe the legacy of London's 2012 Olympic bid was supposed to include one of the country's oldest clubs being railroaded out of existence. We may be a little club, but we're flag-bearers for our community, proud of our reputation as London's second favourite club and deserve to be heard.[LNB]'Nobody has come forward and said, 'This is how we are going to help Leyton Orient' once the Olympic circus has packed up its big top and the show has left town.'[LNB]Later, though, Hearn admitted that he would be interested in a move to the Stratford site's hockey stadium.[LNB]'I don't know if it's available. At the moment the hockey stadium's designated as a temporary facility,' said Hearn. 'It's a possibility if everyone pulls together. Let's talk about it.'[LNB] West Ham and Tottenham forced to wait on 2012 Olympic Stadium verdictMARTIN SAMUEL: Listening to Richard Keys and Andy Gray was like a visit to a 1970s cabaret clubCoe: Britain's reputation is trashed if Spurs land keys to the 2012 stadiumCHARLES SALE: Leyton Orient chairman Barry Hearn bays over Olympic Stadium[LNB] Explore more:Places: London, Olympic Stadium
