By Andrew Warshaw
April 5 – West Ham United’s bid to move into the Olympic Stadium two years after London 2012 is “fundamentally flawed”, according to Barry Hearn (pictured), chairman of Leyton Orient who has long been fiercely opposed to the move for fear his own club could go out of existence.
West Ham, who originally won a bid to take over the venue only for the deal to collapse, have renewed their application along with three other parties including Essex County Cricket Club.
The Championship club have applied for a 99-year lease of the stadium, but Hearn is now demanding the bid is rejected on a technicality.
“I am 100 per cent certain that West Ham do not have the permission of the Football League, a fundamental criteria of the bid process” Hearn told the BBC.
“The Olympic Park Legacy Company (OLPC) have no choice but to disqualify them.”
According to the OPLC’s recent Invitation to Tender, each prospective bidder “must have written confirmation from the relevant governing body”.
Hearn believes West Ham failed to meet that condition by March 23, the deadline for bids.
“We have now, through our lawyers, written to the OPLC, asking if this clause was satisfied as we believe it wasn’t, and we’ve asked for West Ham’s bid to be disqualified,” he said.
Hearn fears West Ham’s move into what would become a converted 60,000-seater stadium with an athletics track will seriously jeopardise the League One club’s future.
“We’re totally opposed to West Ham taking occupancy of the stadium,” said Hearn.
“My mind boggles at the problems they will give us. It would be extremely harmful to Leyton Orient.”
In a statement, West Ham said the club “submitted a bid to play matches at the Olympic Stadium from 2014.
“The rules of the competition impose duties of confidentiality which all bidders must abide by and therefore we make no further comment.”
The London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) – the new name since April 1 for the OPLC – also refused to comment.
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