By Andrew Warshaw at the ISEM conference in London
October 13 – London’s image as hosts of next year’s Olympics has definitely suffered because of the ongoing stadium row and will get worse unless the issue is resolved before the Games start, a leading sports administrator warned today.
Speaking here at the ISEM conference here, Paulo Ferreira, executive assistant of the International University Sports Federation (FISU) said he was surprised that the problem had been allowed to spiral out of control with only nine months to go before the Opening Ceremony.
Earlier this week, it was announced that the deal to allow West Ham United to take over the stadium post Games had collapsed and that a new tender process would now take place.
But Ferreira said that was not how it should be.
“Personally, I think it looks bad,” said Ferreira.
“I would have hoped that a deal would have been done in advance and everyone agree.
“As we advance towards the Games, it’s going to get worse.
“The closer you get, the more media attention will be focussed on it.
“That should not be the case.”
Ferreira said he was surprised that the London organisers had failed to realise this.
“I would have expected one of the biggest events on the planet to be better prepared,” he said.
“These deals have to be knocked into shape more in advance.
“People need to manage them better.”
Speaking on the same panel, Helen Rowbotham, director of consulting for pmplegacy, reminded the audience that the idea of a top-flight football club taking over after the Games was not even on the agenda during early studies of the Stratford site.
“At that time, Premier League football wasn’t in the mix,” she said.
“It was linked to an athletics legacy.
“But things move on, that’s the nature of events.
“Whilst we always try to get the strategy right…these things are moveable feasts.
“The financial position of the deal moving forward was a key consideration.”
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