• Premier League

Gold: 17th place not good enough for West Ham

ESPN staff
May 21, 2012
David Gold celebrates West Ham's return to the Premier League © PA Photos
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West Ham co-owner David Gold says the club's long-term future is the No. 1 priority as they prepare for life back in the Premier League.

Ricardo Vaz Te's late winner saw the Hammers beat Blackpool 2-1 in the Championship play-off final at Wembley as the club returned to the Premier League just 12 months after they were relegated.

West Ham's future remains uncertain, with the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) delaying the final decision on the future tenants for the Olympic Stadium. Although he is setting his sights higher than merely avoiding relegation, Gold insists his ownership of the club is about securing a legacy.

"There's nowhere else to be," Gold told Sky Sports News. "Whether you talk about money, whether you talk about pride, ambition, you have to be in the Premier League.

"This is about the next hundred years; it is not about what division are you in today and what division are you going to be in next year?

"Are we going to be in Europe in 50 years' time or are we going to be in the third division in 50 years' time? What we do know is that this is a substantial football club that has a proud tradition."

When asked if avoiding relegation was the main aim for next season, Gold replied: "I try and pitch my requirements a little higher than that."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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