Spurs In New Judicial Threat

Tottenham Hotspur has demanded answers from the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) over West Ham’s successful bid for the London Olympic stadium – which could result in possible court action by the club.

The OPLC has confirmed it received written questions from Spurs’ lawyers, with the Olympic chiefs being given four weeks to respond, after which Tottenham Hotspur could request a judicial review.

The north London club may seek to challenge the process the OPLC followed in making its decision to select the Hammers as its preferred bidder for the Olympic stadium – according to media reports.

An OPLC spokesperson said: ‘The Olympic Park Legacy Company ran a very rigorous and transparent process in its selection of the recommended preferred bidder. We have been supported by independent experts in their field in terms of legal, financial, commercial and technical advice’.

The OPLC is jointly owned by the UK government and the office of the mayor of London.

The spokesperson added: ‘We have been consistent, fair, objective and entirely equal in our dealings with the bidders from start to finish. We are confident that if these judicial review proceedings are pursued, our approach will be entirely vindicated by the courts’.

Judicial reviews allow bodies to challenge decisions on grounds of illegality, irrationality and unfairness.

A statement by Tottenham Hotspur said: ‘At this stage the club has not issued any proceedings against the OPLC or any other party in respect of the decision regarding the award of the Olympic Stadium’.

‘The club’s lawyers have written letters to the OPLC, the Mayor of London, the Minister of Sport and the Secretary of State for Local Government and a separate letter to the London Borough of Newham raising a number of concerns with the processes which led to the award’.

The letter also requested the provision of information regarding the processes regarding the selection of West Ham ahead of Tottenham.