The row over a West Ham WSL game being paid at the London Stadium continues an could be set for another legal battle in the courts.
Under the 2013 concessionaire agreement, West Ham is allowed to play up to 25 competitive games at the London Stadium in return for an annual usage fee.
The index-linked usage fee has inflated from £2.5m in 2016 to £4.5m each year in 2025, meaning each of the 25 games costs West Ham around £180,000 per match.
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West Ham want to use one of those twenty-five competitive games to play a West Ham Women’s WSL League game, which is mandated by regulations, but the London Stadium owners are refusing to allow it.
The London Stadium, which is now owned by Greater London Authority Holding, want to charge West Ham an additional six-figure sum to stage a WSL game, denying use of the quota for this purpose.
The legal contract written in 2013, which has been continuously challenged in the British courts by West Ham and others, is mute on the subject of whether the included competitive game quota has to be men’s or women’s.
West Ham legal action
The Hammers’ legal team have an almost 100% record in challenging the London Stadium owners time and again in court.
Last year, West Ham won an expert determination relating to the share premium due after Daniel Kretinsky invested in West Ham in 2021.
That resulted in the stadium owners returning millions to West Ham, plus interest and legal costs.
The London Stadium owners need to think long and hard before they battle West Ham again in court.
West Ham CEO & London Mayor Sadiq Khan may find themselves with different ideas for the London Stadium
A West Ham spokesperson recently said:
‘West Ham United would like to make it clear that hosting a Barclays Women’s Super League fixture at London Stadium in the 2025-26 season remains a key and absolute priority for the club. ‘Furthermore, we wish to place on record the fact that we have not sought any preferential treatment or subsidy for the hosting of competitive women’s first-team matches at the stadium.
‘The club is proposing to pay exactly the same fee to host a WSL fixture that we pay for a competitive men’s first-team match at London Stadium – even taking into account the fact that operational costs attached to a WSL fixture are significantly reduced. ‘London Stadium have repeatedly failed to acknowledge a WSL game as one of West Ham United’s allocated competitive matches, nor accepted our offer of paying a fee equitable to a men’s fixture, and have instead suggested that the club should pay more than double the fee paid to host a men’s first team game.’
A London Stadium spokesman replied ‘London Stadium has always been positive about welcoming women’s football to the venue. However, as with every other one of the capital’s football clubs, we cannot ask London’s taxpayers to subsidise the cost of West Ham putting on these matches. ‘The current agreement does not apply to West Ham women’s team therefore separate arrangements are required to be made. However, London Stadium shares the club’s enthusiasm to stage women’s matches and has made a very good offer to West Ham for use of the venue. We remain open to continuing the conversation.’
In response, a spokesperson for the London Mayor said: ‘It is unrealistic and unfair to expect the taxpayer to provide a competitive advantage to one of the capital’s football clubs by subsidising the staging of events at the Stadium. ‘The Mayor understands London Stadium has made a very good offer to West Ham United for use of the venue and that they remain open to further discussion with the club on this.’