Source: Daily_Mail
What they're saying about the Hammers' new home
Lord Coe[LNB]The London 2012 chairman (right) said: 'We're delighted with the news that the Olympic Park Legacy Company has recommended West Ham as the preferred bid to take over the Olympic Stadium after the London 2012 Games. I'd like to thank Baroness Ford and her team for being so thorough in what has been a highly competitive bidding process.'[LNB]Denise Lewis[LNB]I can't say I'm delighted, but it was much better than Spurs getting the nod,' said the former heptathlon gold medallist. A good day for football but not a great one for athletics, because football was never on the agenda in the original bid. Let's see if there's an athletics track in five years. This isn't just about a promise being kept today.'[LNB]Daley Thompson [LNB]The two-time Olympic gold medallist in the decathlon said: 'At the very least we've kept part of the promise we gave. Now strong rules need to be put in place so West Ham cannot renege on the track staying in place. We don't want people coming back in years to come, saying things have changed and suddenly the numbers don't add up, so we can get rid of the track now.'[LNB]Sharron Davies[LNB]Swimmer and commentator Davies said: 'I'm very pleased that West Ham have won. It would have been a travesty to remove the track that hosts the 2012 Games. If so many other countries can manage perfectly well to have football in a stadium that also accommodates athletics, I don't understand why we can't. Sports should work together, not against one another.'[LNB]Lord Sugar[LNB]The former Tottenham chairman, who favoured Spurs' bid to rebuild the stadium, believes West Ham will find the sports don't mix. He told TalkSPORT: 'One bit of advice I gave to Spurs is to collect all the articles that have been written about this fiasco and bring them out in four years' time. West Ham will be blowing a lot more than bubbles by then.'[LNB]Roger Black[LNB]Former Olympic 400 metres silver medallist and TV presenter Black said: 'This is 100 per cent the right decision and, in truth, it was the only decision if we were to be true to our word in Singapore and deliver the promise of a legacy for future generations for athletics as well as create a vibrant focal point for the community.' [LNB] Harry Redknapp fears Spurs will not be able to compete with Premier League eliteWest Ham 14 Tottenham 0! Olympic chiefs hand Hammers the keys to 2012 stadium[LNB] [LNB] [LNB] Explore more:People: Daley Thompson, Sharron Davies, Denise Lewis Places: London, Singapore, Olympic Stadium
