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Athletics chiefs slam Spurs' stadium plans

The race is on to become the new tenants of the Stratford site after the 2012 Olympics © Getty Images

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Tottenham Hotspurs' plans to demolish the Olympic Stadium have been blasted by furious athletics chiefs, who claim the club will "erase" the history of the 2012 Games if their plans come to fruition.

Spurs are keen to redevelop the Olympic site after 2012, pulling down the existing Olympic Stadium in favour of a new 60,000-seat arena.

However, rival bidders West Ham, who have declared their intention to retain the athletics track, have dismissed Spurs' claims that they will adhere to calls for an athletics legacy by redeveloping the national stadium at Crystal Palace.

Ed Warner, the UK Athletics chairman, has rejected Tottenham's suggestion that Britain would therefore be able to hold the World Championships, criticising the club for failing to consider transport difficulties.

"Tottenham's legacy would be for there to be an Olympic stadium or Olympic track," he told the Times. "All that history would be erased. Let's be very clear. They want to move for the transport links because they have problems with Seven Sisters Tube and the rest of it; well, we have all that with knobs on at Crystal Palace.

"The place would not be good enough for the World Championships because of the transport issues. If the Tottenham plan went ahead then don't blame us if we don't produce champions that the public seem to want. Everyone says athletics is their second-favourite sport, but the UK does not have a first-class facility for catering for it."

West Ham, in alliance with Newham Council, are prepared to keep the track and their stance is favoured by many - including IOC president Jacques Rogge.

"If a solution could be found for the track we would be happy, but don't expect the IOC to intervene in an issue where we are not responsible. The IOC has absolutely no say o what will happen.

The Hammers have found support in former Olympic bronze medallist Katharine Merry and Alastair Campbell, the former director of communications to Tony Blair, who is desperate to retain the 2012 bid team's pledge of ensuring a long-term athletics legacy.

"The legacy of a world-class athletics stadium was one of the reasons we got 2012. The government cannot let this become one more broken promise," he said.

Meanwhile, Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is thought to be eyeing a potential ten-year deal with a sponsor, should they win the race to become the new tenants at the Stratford site.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.