Was it the author of The Games Gone Crazy, a sworn opponent of the move to the OS from the off? On January 21, this site carried the following:
"What a disgrace. Newham Council have approved a £40 million loan to West Ham United to support the bid for the Olympic Stadium, supposedly to protect local jobs. O yes? So why would Tottenham moving to the stadium threaten local jobs exactly? Won't they need stewards, burger sales vans and the like? In fact, won't MORE jobs be created by knocking down the original stadium and building a new one?
With local services being cut left, right and centre, is this really an appropriate use of public funds? Sorry, we have had to close the local library, the local swimming pool and the local relief care facility for disabled children, because we have loaned £40 million to West Ham United football club. Crazy. "
So, it seems, that even if not the mystery assassin, Hammersfan may have loaded the ammunition and pointed the gun.
But who then pulled the trigger? Avram perhaps, wreaking his revenge? Or Levy? Or Zola? Or Curbishley? Or Duxbury? Or what about Tony Fernandes? You make enemies and there is a price it seems.
To be fair, the deal isn't completely dead yet, we can still become council tenants, living under permanent Tory threat of eviction if we can't control the unruly elements in our extended family no doubt. One thing's for sure, the running track is now going nowhere and expensive remodelling of the stadium aint going to happen if we don't own the lease. Still fans can always pay to get into the stadium and then watch the entire game on big screens, just like they would free of charge in the pub!
Gullible fools who believed the Fools Gold dream will be distraught this morning. But you know, I bet Bobby Moore, John Lyall and Ron Greenwood are smiling. Their West Ham may yet survive!
hf lol what the fcuk are you on about ? orient stuck the boot in with europe as they were looking for a handout ie the hockey stadium as a kid when i lived in east london it was home games at upton park one week and the following week it was watching poxy orient the following week before i was old enough to watch westham away games now i wish i had have stuck to watching westham reserves instead of wasting my pocket money paying to watch that shit at brisbane road half there crowd in the 70s were westham supporters as they there were more away fans than orient fans there what a bunch of ungrateful scumbags led by hearn
ReplyDeleteThis is posted by lofty perch on a far better west ham blog site.
ReplyDeleteSurely this is a tactical move designed to outflank Spurs and keep the OPLC out of the courts for what could have been years.
Instead of us borrowing the money from banks and Newham Council, which was the cornerstone of Tottenham's argument, the Government will now stick in £50m to re-design the stadium and we will pay an increased rental, reported to be about £2m a year.
When Iain says we will not have the stability of home ownership, we were never going to own the OS anyway. This deal will be similar to the Man City set up at Eastlands.
I hate the idea of watching football behind a track so the headline that West Ham's deal had collapsed was exciting. However, as I said initially, I believe this is just a tactical re-positioning of the process designed to put the Tottenham upstarts in their place and smooth our path to E20.
Karen Brady has also posted a statement on the official website. I'm sure you can find that. I wish Twitter would stop dragging me here. You annoy me
I wouldn't get too excited just yet about this particular deal being off Hf There is absolutely no indication that another deal will not be created with West Ham ending up there, possibly with the same stadium alterations without them having to pay out. Whether the move would be good or bad I can't make up my mind.
ReplyDeleteEmlyn, I am well aware of Brady's statement and of other opinions being expressed. The fact is, however, that we are back to square one in this process. Who knows, Fernandes may fancy moving QPR to the OS, he is looking for a "fan base" so why not try to pinch ours? There's a thought!
ReplyDeleteIt does not surprise me that Sullivan and Gold are still keen - why do they care about a £2m bill each year for renting when they can redevelop the Boleyn and scarper with the cash?
My warning all along has been that we will end up without an asset. The counter argument was that owning the lease was as good as owning the stadium. Well now that argument is in tatters. So, the waters are now unmuddied. Do we want to be tenants or do we want to own our own ground? With no tangible assets outside of the team, we would be in an incredibly vulnerable position financially. How do you raise finance exactly if you have nothing to mortgage?
You seem to be assuming that the tax payer will fund redevlopment of the stadium. That constitutes state aid too, and I can't see the Tories approving that in the current economic climate. So, we are looking at paying £2m a year to rent a stadium that is unsuited to the sport of football. Does that make sense? Not to me. But to Sullivan and Gold? Well they can recoup their initial investment by redeveloping the Boleyn so why do they care?
Kevin in Manchester writes..
ReplyDeleteIn theory here's the choice - stay as we are a middling team in and out of the Prem or move to a stadium which will allow us to compete commercially in the top half of the Prem league.
True, not having the asset of a stadium is a danger but assuming we win the bid to lease the place it does mean we'll have to find less money up front.
Whether the stadium will work for football we won't find out until and unless we move in.
I say that there's a choice in theory. In practice a football club is a private company and it's situations like this which underline how impotent fans truly are.
We do have the ultimate sanction; withdraw our physical and finanical support but that's never happened in sufficient numbers to make a difference at any professional football club ever and it won't happen here.
Suck it up lads or do an AFC Wimbledon or FC United.
I've been renting my flat for so long the landlord can't raise my rent or kick me out.....
ReplyDeleteSquare one? are you really that dense.... we've actually outflanked Levy. Brilliant piece of work, even had you fooled... mind you that's not difficult.
ReplyDeleteOutflanked Levy? do me a favour the whole mess is most likely a collabaration with Levy who get's his stadium in north london and Gollivan who get to rent a stadium (we tried to buy it and invest in West Ham's future honest we did)and the money comes rolling in well not from me I will be exercising my rights and I (and I'm not alone)will never set foot in the OS
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