Orient To Contest Olympic Stadium Tenancy
Leyton Orient chairman, Barry Hearn – who will speak at the Nolan Partners Sport Industry Breakfast Club later this month – is set to challenge the decision to allow West Ham to seek sole tenancy rights to the Olympic Stadium after launching proceedings for a judicial review.
The global sports promoter, who wants his own club and the Hammers to become joint tenants of the venue, has repeated his claim that the O’s will have no future if the Hammers move in.
London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) named West Ham United as the preferred bidder to move into the venue in December, adding the process had been ‘robust, fair and transparent’.
However, Hearn argues that the current process carried out by the LLDC has ignored the possibility of Orient and West Ham sharing the £429 million stadium.
Hearn told his club’s official website: ‘I was concerned that this was a done deal for West Ham before the bidding began, but the fact that both clubs had to commit to teaming made me believe that we were getting involved in a fair process. However, the LLDC have not stuck by their own rules and have left Orient with no option but to challenge their decision in the Courts.’
‘We don’t intend to interfere with West Ham’s residency at the stadium, but maintain the position that if they are going to be there, then we need to be there too. As I have said many times before, if West Ham move to the stadium and we are left a mile up the road, Leyton Orient will not survive.’
Hearn was also part of a judicial review in 2011, which included Tottenham and resulted in the process of awarding tenancy rights to the stadium being abandoned.
An LLDC spokesman said: ‘We have been notified that Leyton Orient have made the decision to issue proceedings for judicial review. Whilst this is disappointing, we believe that our processes have been robust, fair and transparent and that the challenge is misconceived.’
Barry Hearn will cover topics including the Olympic Stadium tenancy when he opens the 2013 lineup for the Nolan Partners Sport Industry Breakfast Club on 20th March, to ensure your place book now.
