Wednesday, January 25

Turning the London Stadium Inside Out

Should you blame tenants for the sins of their landlords? The BBC's Inside Out had a lengthy report on Sadiq Khan'a inquiry into the spiralling cost of the London Stadium, which rather unfairly focused on West Ham. What the critics frequently forget is that West Ham are not the only users of the stadium. The Hammers will play there for all of 23 days this season and it's also used for athletics, rugby, concerts and possibly cricket. There's no reason why West Ham's £2.5 million rent should be expected to cover all the annual running costs. It also has to be remembered that we gave up being ground owners to become council tenants. 

The blame for the costs is, as the programme admitted, down to Sebastian Coe and Boris Johnson for changing their plans mid-project and the suits of the LLDC who installed the wrong kind of retractable seating. Why were they surprised when Karren Brady negotiated a decent deal for West Ham? Have they never watched The Apprentice? She's a Tory businesswoman and you can't really expect her to accept a moral obligation for paying for security when it's already included in the rent. You do wish the media would make up its mind. Is the stadium a soulless corporate bowl or the deal of the century? At present we're being attacked on both fronts. Click on the link to view the programme.

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