By Andrew Warshaw
November 30 – Ian Tompkins (pictured), the man who spearheaded West Ham United’s aborted move to the Olympic Stadium after London 2012 is back in work four months after being suspended, insideworldfootball can reveal.
Tompkins was temporarily removed by the club in July after it was reported that his long-term partner, Dionne Knight – who was director of corporate services at the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) – had carried out consultancy work, in a potential conflict of interest, on behalf of West Ham who were engaged in a bitter battle with Tottenham Hotspur to move to the Olympic stadium.
An internal inquiry found no evidence that Knight influenced the decision by the OLPC to choose West Ham as its preferred bidder.
Since then the West Ham deal with Newham Council collapsed and the tender process has now re-opened though West Ham have not yet rekindled their interest in the Stratford venue and Tottenham have terminated theirs.
Little has been heard of Tompkins in recent weeks but West Ham sources say he is now “back at work” though his exact role is unclear.
It is understood it no longer involves Olympics work and has more to do with the club’s community relations programme.
Knight, meanwhile, is facing disciplinary action at the OPLC but has been on long-term sick leave since the allegations were published in The Sunday Times.
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