By Tom Degun
February 25 – Barry Hearn (pictured), the chairman of Leyton Orient, has revealed he will be requesting the assistance of West Ham United and the Premier League to help his club build a new 15,000-seater stadium at nearby Eton Manor on the Olympic Park, in return for not disrupting the handover of the London 2012 Stadium with legal challenges.
Hearn has appointed leading London law firm Mishcon de Reya and is threatening a judicial review after the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) announced earlier this month they will be recommending West Ham move into the Olympic Stadium after the London 2012 Games, despite Leyton Orient being based closer to the venue.
The OPLC’s recommendation looks almost certain to be approved by the Government and the Mayor of London despite Hearn’s threats, but the Leyton Orient chairman has suggested that he will drop the legal action if all parties help his club construct a new stadium in Eton Manor so that they are not forced to leave the Borough.
“For the first time I actually felt a glimmer of hope,” Hearn told The Guardian following a meeting with Chris Robbins, the Leader of Waltham council.
“It was totally their idea.
“They don’t want to lose us.
“In a way the benefits of this FA Cup run [which saw Orient earn a lucrative rematch with Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium after an unlikely first leg draw] have crystallised their thinking on what’s important to their community.
“At the moment I’m keeping all my options open – and threatening to sue everybody.
“I hadn’t heard from them until now even though they’re my Council.
“But Chris Robbins said: ‘We don’t want you to go.’
“I explained that if we stay here, Orient won’t go under overnight but we’ll slowly slip away with an ageing audience.
“The Council said: ‘What about looking at Eton Manor because that doesn’t have any use for it planned at this stage?'”
Eton Manor is currently being redeveloped and is due to host three temporary training swimming pools for aquatics during the Olympics and then wheelchair tennis during the Paralympics.
It had been intended that after the Games Eton Manor will be transformed into a unique mix of sporting facilities for local and regional communities, including a tennis centre with four indoor and six outdoor courts, a hockey centre with two competition pitches and five-a-side football pitches.
The facilities will be able to accommodate elite hockey events for up to 15,000 spectators.
“We talked about making some kind of presentation to the OPLC – saying there might be a deal to build a new stadium, the Olympic Community Stadium, where I would bring Orient and, also, I think, Saracens Rugby Club, because they’re good friends of mine and they’re very keen to move,” said Hearn.
“There’s also a Help the Heroes rehabilitation centre and Paralympic guys there.”
Hearn estimates the cost of a 15,000-seat stadium would be in the region of £35 million ($56 million) and pledged to use all the proceeds from the sale of Brisbane Road, Orient’s current home, to fund the development.
“I own the ground and I’ve always said that whatever money I make on the ground I’d give the club half.
“You know what, if this came off I’d give the club all of it.
“I’d give them all the profit.
“I’m not interested in making a profit out of Leyton Orient.
“Newham Council somehow found £45 million ($72 million) to lend to West Ham.
“In an area that’s cutting back on Meals on Wheels for old people, it’s a staggering investment in West Ham season tickets.
“But I’ve got to be realistic and we want to fund the scheme in a way that doesn’t involve drainage on the public purse.
“Let’s have a planning meeting with everyone and say: ‘Can this work?’
“Let’s make a proper business proposal.
“I think the Premier League would help as well but everyone must sit down and let’s not do anything in haste.
“Otherwise, the legal process kicks in.
“They would be very wise to consider their position at this stage.
“If they rubber-stamp West Ham’s move now we’ll have a judicial review and the court will say: ‘Show us the evidence where you’ve considered Leyton Orient because they have a legal right to be considered.’
“But there isn’t any evidence because they haven’t made one inquiry.
“So they are, seriously, up the swannee.
“What really annoyed me was the total lack of respect from everybody – the Premier League, the Football League, the Mayor of London, the Government, the Olympic Legacy people.
“Because there are problems with the Olympic legacy they think they’ve got a solution with West Ham – who are obviously going to take it at any price.
“They’re rather be sweeping us under the carpet.
“But no one has made one enquiry as to how this is going to affect us.
“With 130 years of tradition and the award-winning community schemes we operate, we deserve more.”
Robbins said: “We think it’s vital for us to keep Orient in the borough and we’ll bend over backwards to make that happen.”
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