The London Stadium is one of the ‘marmite’ issues dividing opinion amongst West Ham fans. Some love it. Most hate it. Just about everyone has a strong opinion on it. For those who came from Upton Park the ‘new’ home of West Ham United is soul-less, open, windswept and without atmosphere or identity.
However some do like the place. Apparently. West Ham fans’ major gripe with the board – principally David Sullivan and Karren Brady surrounds the broken promises and falsehoods which were made at the time of the migration away from the Boleyn Ground. The fact that massive, mega million profits were made on the sale of the ‘old’ ground and the club live now virtually rent-free with a ‘lifetime’ 99 year lease at the not-built-for-watching-football- Olympic Stadium does not sit well with supporters.
London Mayor open to talks with owners – new or existing- over West Ham’s future relocation
That 99 year lease ‘dooms’ generations of fans to the least popular stadium in the Premier League effectively forever. At least it did,before London Mayor Sadiq Khan waded in with his own take. As reported by the mirror.co.uk, Khan suggests that all things are negotiable if the Hammers should find a new mega-minted owner and want to vacate:
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“I’ve been hearing about new owners of West Ham for the last nine years since I’ve been mayor, let’s wait and see if it materialises….So, if there is a new owner at West Ham, we’d be more than happy to talk. We talk really well, we get on really well with the current owners and staff, but I’m more than happy to always speak to people who run sporting events.
When questioned about whether there’s a back-up plan for the London Stadium should prospective new owners wish to depart and construct a new ground elsewhere, he added: “Well, at the moment, listen, we’re in a contract with West Ham, but if there are new owners for West Ham, we’d be happy to talk to them and the current owners as well…
And in a conclusion that seems to open the door on a Hammers relocation down the line if a new owner wished, Khan confirmed:
The London Stadium is a gorgeous stadium, and so, hypothetically speaking, if in the future West Ham wanted to vacate that stadium, I’m sure we’d have lots of other uses for it.
An intriguing possibility, then, might just exist for a sale of West Ham and relocation sometime in the future: A new owner can feel confident down the line of negotiating an exit from the soulless bowl. Once they’ve found a location and sunk a billion or so into a new place!