Exclusive: UK Athletics chairman wants "insulting" Tottenham Olympic Stadium bid ruled out

By Duncan Mackay
British Sports Internet Writer of the Year

October 6 – An angry Ed Warner, the chairman of UK Athletics, has demanded that AEG’s joint bid with Tottenham Hotspur to take over the Olympic Stadium following London 2012 be ruled out after it was revealed that they plan to rip up the running track if their application is successful.

AEG President Tim Leiweke claimed yesterday that it would not make economic sense to keep a permanent running track if they take over the £563 million Stadium.

But Warner claimed that AEG had not previously given any indication to UK Athletics that they planned to scrap the track.

“We’ve had a series of discussions with AEG this year,” Warner told insideworldfootball.

“At no point did we expect them to come up with a proposal to remove the athletics track.”

Warner also revealed that they have had no contact with Tottenham, whose late decision to bid for the Stadium has caused anger both among their own fans who want to stay in North London and Premier League rivals West Ham United, whose joint bid with Newham Council is seen as the front-runner.

Retaining the track was one of the key pledges to ensure a legacy for athletics in the capital was one of the main pledges made by London during its successful campaign to host the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics.

“The AEG/Tottenham bid should be ruled out swiftly by the Olympic Park Legacy Company.

“It’s an insult to the Olympic programme to ignore the athletics legacy.”

Warner (pictured) said that he is hoping to meet with AEG next week to discuss their plans in more detail.

Tottenham officials, meanwhile, today moved to reassure supporters that the bid for the Olympic Stadium was an insurance policy for if plans for them to redevelop their current ground at White Hart Lane fall through.

“We have registered an interest in the Olympic Stadium site in order to keep our options open going forward given the early stages we are in with the Northumberland Development Project scheme,” a statement on the club’s website said.

“This is a very preliminary stage and a Pre Qualification Questionnaire was completed jointly with AEG in order to meet the deadline for registration; we continue to progress the application for the Northumberland Development Project with Haringey Council and will continue to do so with a view to achieving full consent.”

That, though, did not appease Warner.

“It is insulting that the Olympic Stadium – and to those involved in London 2012 – that it is being used as a pawn in a different game,” he told insideworldfootball.