Cheap seats!

Good news that West Ham are reducing season ticket prices for the first season in the Olympic Stadium, with the cheapest seats going for £289 and children's season tickets a very reasonable £99. It's not quite the completely altruistic gesture it might seem, in that it also makes solid business sense as the club is unlikely to fill an extra 20,000 seats at current prices. But even so, with most clubs charging obscene prices when with the massive new TV deal they could afford to let everyone watch for free, this has to be progress. Though it will be interesting to hear if the prices for existing season ticket holders are also going down.

Meanwhile the Guardian has a worrying report claiming that the Olympic Stadium deal might contradict European Union state aid laws, as Boris Johnson and the London Legacy Development Corporation did not obtain 'prior approval' from the European Commission. If the deal was challenged it seems it would be the LLDC and Boris who would be first in the firing line, though in a worst case scenario the Guardian claims the club could be asked to contribute to the £138.9m drain on the public purse. Still, West Ham and the LLDC insist the deal complies with all regulations and you'd hope that the combined business brains of Karren Brady, David Sullivan and David Gold have got this one watertight. Though after Tevezgate, like most West Ham fans, I'm always worried when M'Learned Friends get involved in football…