Source: Daily_Mail
Tottenham ramp up bid for Olympic Stadium
Tottenham attacked West Ham's bid for the Olympic Stadium as they revealed their own plans.[LNB]Spurs confirmed they would demolish most of the 80,000-seater athletics arena and replace it with a 60,000-capacity football venue, revamping the Crystal Palace athletics stadium to fulfil Great Britain's legacy commitment.[LNB]Tottenham's architect and club vice-president David Keirle criticised West Ham's plan to retain the stadium at a capacity of just 60,000, saying: 'There would be nothing worse than, five years down the line, for a failing club not being able to meet its obligations because it's not getting 60,000 fans saying there's no atmosphere.[LNB] Ambitious plans: An artist's impression of the Olympic Stadium if Tottenham move in[LNB] How the rival bids compare [LNB]West HamSpursCapacity60,00060,000Redevelopment cost£100m£250mDistance from front row to goal-line45m8mFarthest seat from pitch205m175mPublic borrowing£40m£0Athletics legacyTrack staysNo track'The debate, such as it is, has been one-sided because we've not entered into this.'[LNB]Keirle insisted that athletics would benefit more from a revamped Crystal Palace than a stadium they would struggle to fill and only have access to outside the football season.[LNB]The Olympic Park Legacy Company are to select their preferred bidder in just over two weeks.[LNB]Keirle insisted Spurs' purpose-built ground would be far more sustainable and lucrative for the OPLC.[LNB]He was also adamant Tottenham's plansfor an athletics legacy were more viable than West Ham's, claiming the sport would benefit more by the rejuvenation of Crystal Palace than by retaining a 60,000-seater stadium they would struggle to fill and would only have access to outside the football season.[LNB] Pit6ch perfect? How Spurs imagine the action will look like when football takes over[LNB]Spurs have promised to boost the capacity of Crystal Palace by 9,500 to 25,000, with the ability for it to be extended by up to 15,000 for a World Championship.[LNB]'We think that we will deliver a legacy with athletics at its core, 365 days a year,' Keirle said, revealing the Tottenham also plan other ventures to increase participation in athletics.[LNB] Centre of attention: The stadium would dominate Stratford in east London[LNB]Convincing the OPLC is only half the battle for Spurs, who continue to insist they will not decide between the Olympic Stadium move and the redevelopment of White Hart Lane until a preferred bidder is chosen.[LNB]They face serious fan opposition if they decide to relocate, but the cost of the so-called Northumberland Development Project is also continuing to escalate.[LNB]It is estimated to be £450million in total and the Olympic move would be around £200million cheaper.[LNB]Tottenham MP David Lammy and fan group 'We are N17' have led the protests to the Stratford move with their 'No to Stratford Hotspur' campaign.[LNB] Confident: Spurs' architect and club vice-president David Keirle unveiled proposals [LNB]Keirle said: 'I was heavily involved in the Man City project. Nobody wanted to leave Maine Road. A few years down the line, nobody would ever go back. I've been looking at the chatrooms and there have been some quite emotive comments: 'I'll never go there'.[LNB]'But if Spurs plays a very big part in your life and they produce this wonderful stadium and they're winning then I would suspect those people would reconsider that down the line.'[LNB]Lammy responded to Tottenham's plans for the Olympic site, branding the scheme a 'diabolical waste of public money'.[LNB]'It would be astonishing in these hard pressed times if the government and [London mayor] Boris Johnson will approve a bid that sees over half a billion pounds of public money down the drain after just a month,' Lammy said in a statement.[LNB]'Now we know the full details of the Tottenham bid, I will be writing to Public Accounts Committee and the National Audit Office to demand an investigation if they are named the preferred bidder.[LNB]'I fully support the money spent on the Olympic Stadium, but for it to be only used for a month before being demolished is a diabolical waste of public money.'[LNB] Tottenham's David Bentley seals six-month loan deal to BirminghamSpurs under fire for 'diabolical' plan to demolish Olympic Stadium and build purpose-built football venueWelsh players will not play at the Olympics insists opposed FAWBeckham suffers injury scare during training but Spurs insist it isn't serious[LNB] Explore more:People: David Lammy, Boris Johnson Places: Olympic Stadium Organisations: National Audit Office, Public Accounts Committee
