Source: Daily_Mail
West Ham move closer to Olympic Stadium after teaming up with council
West Ham's dream of using the Olympic Stadium after the Games in 2012 have moved a step closer after the club submitted a joint bid with Newham Council to occupy the venue.[LNB]The race to use the stadium after the London 2012 Games officially started today when would-be tenants for the £537million venue, which could include West Ham, were called to makeexpressions of interest by the the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC). [LNB]In a joint statement, West Ham and Newham Council said they wereworking together to ensure'it provides a viable and lasting legacy' after the Olympics.[LNB] Plans: How the Olympic Stadium in Stratford is expected to look[LNB][LNB] West Ham vice-chairman Karren Brady said: 'We are very excited tobe working with Newham and are already bursting with some fantastic andinnovative ideas. [LNB]'West Ham United is a people's club at the heart of its communityand, like the Mayor of Newham, Sir Robin Wales and the council, we wantto grab this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create a real,life-changing legacy - not just for this part of London, but for thewider area as well. [LNB]'It's about realising the full potential of the Olympic Park. Aswell-established local organisations, Newham Council and West HamUnited are best placed to make it happen. If achievable it is the idealanswer for those who, rightly, demand a sustainable legacy from the2012 Games and not a white elephant. [LNB]'We acknowledge the need for the stadium to host world-classathletics and so it should. But it can accommodate football, too - anda whole lot more. There has to be a way of achieving that.'[LNB]All would-be tenants for the stadium have an eight-week deadline to come up with proposals - which can be anything from sporting, community, education, visitor attraction and commercial uses - for the site in Stratford, east London. [LNB]The future use of the stadium will be settled by March 2011.[LNB] Eyes on the prize: West Ham are desperate to move to the 80,000 capacity stadium after the Olympic Games in 2012 are held in East London[LNB]Andrew Altman, chief executive of the OPLC which is in charge of planning, developing and managing the Olympic Park, said: 'The Olympic Stadium is a truly iconic structure that should be a focal point for sport and community-led events including schools, clubs and creative and social enterprises. [LNB]'A successful stadium legacy is vital to the company's long-term aspirations for the Olympic Park.'[LNB]West Ham's new co-owners David Gold and David Sullivan took over the cash-strapped club this year and immediately confirmed their interest in relocating to the 80,000-capacity Olympic Stadium as they try to improve the club finances. [LNB]After the Games the stadium is due to be reduced to a 25,000-seat venue with an athletics track. Football would need the capacity to range from 25,000 to 60,000 depending on the size of the club fan base. [LNB]The OPLC confirms that interest so far has come from UK Athletics (UKA) whose long-standing aim is for the stadium to become the national venue for athletics, hosting events such as the IAAF Diamond League and various national championships. [LNB] [LNB]Ambitious plans: West Ham co-owner David Gold (left) and vice-chairman Karren Brady (right)[LNB]There have been 'high-level discussions' with both the Rugby Football Union and cricket organisers who are interested in the stadium. The 2015 Rugby World Cup has been discussed with rugby officials while cricket has raised the prospect of Twenty20 matches, the document confirms.[LNB]Talks have also been held with US sports organisers on using the stadium for American football and baseball games. [LNB]Having a Grand Prix athletics track at the stadium was one of the pledges made to the International Olympic Committee when London won the right to host the Games. It is a promise that must be kept, London 2012 chair Lord Coe, OPLC chair Baroness Ford and Olympics minister Tessa Jowell have all said. [LNB] But Baroness Ford has said the door is not closed on it being a multi-purpose venue, saying there seems to be no reason why football and athletics could not exist together in the stadium. [LNB]Considering that the showpiece venue sits inside the Olympic Park, which is designed to drive regeneration in a deprived east London region, it must be more than an 'occasionally open sports facility', the OPLC said. [LNB]After the 2012 Games, the park is being designed to include waterways, a legacy of Olympic sports and family neighbourhoods. It will be next to the new 1.9 million square feet Westfield shopping centre, with a catchment area of 4.1 million people, expected to attract 20 million visitors each year. [LNB] Lord Coe puts West Ham on the right track for London's Olympic StadiumOn track! West Ham encouraged to bid for Olympic Stadium by ministerWest Ham are out of order! Athlete Kelly Sotherton blasts Hammers' plans to make Olympic Stadium their new home WEST HAM UNITED FC
