Spurs sign up Mike Lee to run Olympic Stadium campaign

By Duncan Mackay
British Sports Internet Writer of the Year

January 5 – Tottenham Hotspur have appointed former London 2012 communications director and West Ham United director Mike Lee to spearhead their campaign to take over the Olympic Stadium.

Lee, the former director of communications at European football governing body UEFA, has a reputation for being one of the world’s leading spin doctors.After helping London successfully bid for the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics he set-up his own company, Vero Communications.

The London-based firm worked on Rio’s successful bid to take the Olympics and Paralympics to South America for the first time in 2016 and then on Qatar’s controversial campaign which saw them become the first Middle Eastern country to be awarded the FIFA World Cup, which they will stage in 2022.

Lee, who also worked as director of communications for the Premier League, is currently helping Liverpool’s owners, New England Sports Ventures, following their take-over last year of the five-time European Cup winners.

Lee’s move is certain to upset officials at West Ham, led by chair Karren Brady, as he was formerly a Board member there and advised them during the takeover by Icelandic businessman Eggert Magnusson, who launched his own failed bid to move into the Olympic Stadium.

West Ham are already furious, privately, that London 2012 deputy chairman Sir Keith Mills sits on the Board of Tottenham and they believe is one of the main driving forces behind their bid to move from White Hart Lane to Stratford.

Tottenham’s appointment of Lee pits him and Sir Keith against London 2012 chairman Sebastian Coe, who is backing West Ham’s proposed takeover of the Olympic Stadium.

They have guaranteed to keep the athletics track at the £537 million ($826 million) Stadium while Tottenham’s plan includes ripping up the track, which goes against the promises that Coe made during London’s bid.

Lee’s immediate strategy will be to counter the growing “No to Stratford Hotspur” orchestrated by opponents of the Olympics move.

Final offers for the stadium must be submitted to the Olympic Park Legacy Company by January 21 and its board is expected to identify a single preferred bidder by the end of March.

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