David Sullivan and David Gold's plans to move West Ham to the Olympic Stadium after the 2012 Games have taken a massive blow after Olympic Minister Tessa Jowell announced the stadium would be used for athletics

David Sullivan and David Gold's plans to move West Ham to the Olympic Stadium after the 2012 Games have taken a massive blow after Olympic Minister Tessa Jowell announced the stadium would be used for athletics.

The new owners had targeted a move to the 80,000 seater arena to help improve the club's finances, but news that the running track will be staying could end their interest.

"It will be a grand prix athletics stadium," Jowell said.

"We have made that commitment, that was one of the reasons that we bid to win the Games and so that is a given."

In their first press conference after taking over the club the duo said they would make a bid for West Ham to move in to the venue, if the athletics track could be removed when matches took place.

"There may be a way we could lay the running track for three months or something," Sullivan said.

"I don't think running tracks work, particularly behind the goal. The customers are so far back it doesn't work."

Jowell however has been critical of the duo.

"I don't think you can jump from a press conference where the new owners sit down and say we'd like to move to the Olympic Stadium to how it might work," she said.