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Orient to challenge stadium decision

The 2012 Olympic Stadium depicted as a football stadium © PA Photos

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Leyton Orient chairman Barry Hearn has revealed that the club are taking legal advice on whether to challenge last Friday's decision to award West Ham preferred bidder status for the Olympic Stadium.

The Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) confirmed that West Ham's proposal to occupy the stadium, and retain a running track, was deemed to best satisfy the criteria for providing an athletics legacy and that the board had voted unanimously for the club's bid.

However, Hearn is concerned that the arrival of West Ham in Orient's catchment area could threaten the League One club's existence, and he has already written to Prime Minister David Cameron and London Mayor Boris Johnson asking them to look again at the decision.

Hearn is in talks with his legal team about a judicial review, which could significantly delay the process of confirming West Ham's tenancy, and has outlined his concerns to Cameron and Johnson as well as Jeremy Hunt, secretary of state for Culture, Media and Sport, and Hugh Robertson, Minister for Sport and the Olympics.

"It's a question of due process and whether the Olympic Park Legacy Committee, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and even the Prime Minister have given consideration to Leyton Orient in these discussions.''

Hearn continued: "The government has a responsibility to take into account all the effects of any ruling they take.

"We are awaiting what I assume is a rubber-stamp decision from Boris Johnson and the DCMS to award West Ham the stadium.

"But I find it incredible they would even consider making the decision before undergoing due process in regard to the effect on the incumbent football club."

Orient were themselves touted as potential tenants shortly after the 2012 Olympics were awarded to London, but Hearn rejected the opportunity to move into what was then proposed as a downsized 25,000 capacity stadium, citing the need to keep the running track as a key factor in his opposition.

The League One club have consistently opposed the prospect of a Premier League club setting up home near to their Brisbane Road ground, which has seen an average attendance of under 4,000 this season.

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