Club chiefs secure backing of major stakeholders as they bid for Olympic Stadium keys

WEST Ham have until the end of September to persuade legacy chiefs to hand them the keys to the Olympic Stadium.

The Hammers’ joint bid with Newham Council is among around 150 that have been submitted to the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC). The organisation will announce after September which bid has been successful.

One rival is thought to be The O2 owner AEG, which will seek to re-create the stadium as a concert venue.

But West Ham, who are believed to have drawn in an athletics track as part of their plans for the site, are still confident they are in pole position as the bids are put forward.

Karren Brady, the club’s vice-president, said: “Put simply, we believe we would be the best anchor tenant for the Olympic Stadium and it would also provide the best chance for West Ham United to grow and evolve in a way that fits with our proud traditions and history.

“We would not only incorporate Premier League football but are talking to athletics, cricket, rugby and other sporting institutions. It would be a true home for British excellence and provide the long-lasting conditions to create elite sportsmen and women of the future.”

The club says it has the backing not only of Newham Council but also of the likes of UK Athletics, Essex Cricket, Westfield Stratford City, the Canary Wharf Group and the University of East London.

There are plans for the stadium to be open all year round and to include a visitor centre for tourists, a sports museum and national institute for sports science and sports medicine. The club’s current Boleyn Ground would form part of a regeneration scheme to include new homes, shops and community facilities.