Thursday, March 28

Daily WHUFC News - 28th March 2013

Tomkins can't wait to relive Olympic buzz
WHUFC.com
James Tomkins experienced the Olympic Stadium in full cry last summer and
can't wait to do it again
27.03.2013

James Tomkins has already experienced the buzz of walking out to a packed
London Olympic Stadium. The Hammers defender was part of the Team GB squad
for the London 2012 Olympic Games and paraded in the spectacular Opening
Ceremony as the festival of sport got underway. Tomkins lapped up that
experience of the rousing atmosphere at a home Games, and he cannot wait to
hear the Stadium in full voice again when West Ham make the venue their home
from 2016. He told West Ham TV: "Walking out there for the Opening Ceremony
of the Olympics, as the home country, I was extremely proud and the
atmosphere was electric. I'm sure the West Ham fans can get the atmosphere
rocking like that - it'll be one hell of an atmosphere. "You can see the
inspiration that clubs with big stadiums get from their fans and we'll be
able to experience that lift as well. The Boleyn is always filled out at the
moment - West Ham is one of the best-supported clubs in London so we'll have
no worries about filling it. "It'll have a great atmosphere when it comes
around and it's a great opportunity for West Ham."

Basildon-born Tomkins has been with the Hammers throughout his career,
developing as a youngster in the Academy before making his first team debut
in March 2008. Now 23, the centre back is excited by this new chapter for
the club and he is keen to be a part of it. He continued: "I'm majorly
excited now I've seen the plans. Being a football fan and a West Ham
supporter, this is going to be brilliant for the club and for the local
community. It's a proud day for everyone. "The main concern for the fans was
that maybe the atmosphere wouldn't come across from the old stadium, but
after seeing the plans, and seeing how close the seats are going to be to
the pitch - you can see the atmosphere will be brilliant. "All the views
will be brilliant too so I think it's going to be good for everyone. "It
shows the direction the Chairmen want to take the club in. It's a massive
day for the club. I've been here since I was eight years old so I've seen it
at its highest and lowest and this is definitely one of the proudest days
I've had as a West Ham player and fan. "I've been here for the whole process
of trying to get the stadium, and now we have I want to be part of that. If
I can be here in 2016 it'll be a proud day for everyone [playing our first
game at the stadium]."

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'I'm sure Bobby would love it'
WHUFC.com
Bobby Moore's daughter Roberta believes her father would have embraced the
Hammers' Olympic Stadium move
27.03.2013

The late, great Bobby Moore OBE was often described as being years ahead of
his time on the football pitch. A ball-playing defender whose technique and
reading of the game were considered to be among the best the sport has ever
seen, Moore captained West Ham United and England to glory in the 1960s.
Moore led West Ham to the FA Cup in 1964 and European Cup Winners' Cup in
1965 before skippering his country to FIFA World Cup glory in 1966. In all,
he played 646 times for West Ham between 1958 and 1974, scoring 27 goals and
was voted Hammer of the Year on four occasions. The legend's daughter
Roberta Moore believes her forward-thinking father would have also embraced
his club's impending move to the Olympic Stadium. Speaking exclusively to
West Ham TV, Roberta said her Dad would have been excited about the prospect
of the Hammers playing at a larger, modern venue where more supporters could
watch their team in action. "I think Bobby was very proud of his country and
he played for England and he would have loved the Olympics and the legacy
that it has left," said Roberta, who recently returned to the Boleyn Ground
to mark the 20th anniversary of her father's passing. She was joined on an
emotional evening by Moore's grandchildren Poppy, Ava and Freddie. "I think
he would think it is a fantastic move. Upton Park is the spiritual home of
West Ham, but life moves forward and I think it's a wonderful opportunity
and I'm sure he would think it's an amazing opportunity as well. It's
fantastic. "If it means more people can get to see West Ham play, then much
the better, so I'm sure he would love it."

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West Ham manager Sam Allardyce claims he is close to agreeing new deal
Last Updated: March 27, 2013 9:16am
SSN

West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce claims he is close to agreeing a new
contract at the club. Allardyce's deal at Upton Park expires at the end of
the season and there has been some speculation that he could leave the
Hammers in the summer. But the former Newcastle United manager insists both
parties are keen to find a solution. "We both want to do it, it's just a
question of sorting out the dotting of the i's and crossing of the t's,"
Allardyce told Sky Sports News HD. "As always, that is not as easy a
situation as you would like. "We need to move to this new stadium to compete
with the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham in this world."

"You always have to do some negotiations when you are moving into the next
contract, just as there were plenty of negotiations over the first contract.
"So we will hopefully come to a conclusion very shortly." A new deal would
raise the possibility of Allardyce overseeing the transfer from Upton Park
to the Olympic Stadium, set to occur at the start of the 2016/17 season. The
move has been the subject of resistance from various parties, including some
West Ham supporters, but the manager believes it is necessary if the club is
to progress. "We need to move to this new stadium to compete with the likes
of Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham in this world," he added. "I can
understand why they don't want to leave Upton Park because they probably
came here in their infancy and their dad, uncle or grandad brought them so
they've grown to love this stadium. "But at the end of the day, football has
to progress."

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West Ham's Carlton Cole relaxed over Upon Park future
Last Updated: March 27, 2013 10:29am
SSN

Carlton Cole is not panicking over his West Ham United future despite his
contract being set to expire at the end of the season. The striker, 29, has
not started a game for his club since the 5-1 Premier League thrashing by
Arsenal at the end of January. It therefore remains to be seen if he will
still be at West Ham beyond the summer but Cole, who was a target of Turkish
club Kasimpasa in the winter transfer window, remains calm. "I wasn't ready
to leave in January," he said in the Daily Mail. "Other clubs talked to the
agents but I didn't listen. I was still focused on West Ham. "You've got to
understand it's not a joke. If another striker comes in, I'll welcome him
with open arms but I'm always there to push you."

"At the end of the day, you've got to make sure you're in the manager's
thoughts. Otherwise you're just wasting your time and the manager will get
rid of you anyway. "It's all about actions. It's not about speaking, 'I'm
gonna do this, I'm gonna do that.' If the manager sees I'm trying hard, he's
got to be fair. But if the guy's doing it in front of you, you've got to
wait your chance."

On-loan Andy Carroll has been preferred by West Ham manager Sam Allardyce
and the Liverpool striker is expected to complete a permanent move in the
summer. But there is no animosity from Cole, a 2005 signing from Aston
Villa, towards his squad-mate. "I've seen a lot of strikers come and go at
this club. I've been here seven years,' said Cole. "You've got to understand
it's not a joke. If another striker comes in, I'll welcome him with open
arms but I'm always there to push you. "Right now I'm not playing but I'm
still pushing Andy to make sure he plays well. "My contract is up in the
summer. It's the first time I've ever been in this position. It's no slight
on my behalf or the club's behalf why it's like that."

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Pavel Pogrebnyak dismisses talk linking him with Reading exit
Last Updated: March 27, 2013 11:55am
SSN

Reading striker Pavel Pogrebnyak has dismissed speculation linking him with
a summer move amid reported interest from West Ham and Southampton. The
Russian striker, who joined the Royals on a four-year deal from Fulham last
summer, has been unable to prevent the club's slide into the Premier League
relegation places, with seven points currently between them and safety. West
Ham and Southampton are rumoured to be keen on the 29-year-old, with reports
suggesting the clubs have held unofficial talks with Reading over the
striker. However, Pogrebnyak has rubbished the speculation and says he will
not discuss his future until the end of the season, when he is confident the
Royals will still be in the top-flight. He told Russian website Sport
Express: "It's b******t, nonsense. I haven't heard anything about it and I
don't want to comment any transfer news until the end of the championship.
"We'll talk everything over with president Anton Zingarevich at the end of
the season. But we won't be relegated."

Pogrebnyak has also been linked with a return to Russia with Zenit St
Petersburg but, asked what he would do in the event Reading do suffer
relegation, he added: "My priority is England." The striker went on to
dismiss reports Rubin Kazan were poised to sign him in the January transfer
window. He added: "It's a nonsense again. Look at my answer for the first
question."

Lift

Pogrebnyak believes the arrival of new manager Nigel Adkins will lift the
players going into the run-in. He added: "The new manager, Nigel Adkins, was
introduced to us and he had his first training with us. "He was working with
Southampton recently. I think his arrival means a positive feeling for us
before the end of the season."

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Big Sam's big deal
By DAVID COVERDALE
Published: 6 hrs ago
The Sun

SAM ALLARDYCE has revealed he is on the verge of signing a new deal at West
Ham. The Hammers manager's £2.25million-a-year contract expires in June.
Talks over an extension were thought to have been put on hold until the
club's Premier League status was secured. But Big Sam insists discussions
have already taken place and is confident a new deal will be agreed soon.
Allardyce said: "We both want to do it, it's just a question of sorting out
the dotting of the i's and crossing of the t's. "As always, that is not as
easy a situation as you would like. "You always have to do some negotiations
when you are moving into the next contract, just as there were plenty of
negotiations over the first contract. "So we will hopefully come to a
conclusion very shortly."

Allardyce took over at Upton Park in June 2011 after the club were relegated
to the Championship. He led them to promotion in his first season in charge
and a new contract could see him stay in East London until the summer of
2016 — when West Ham move into their new home at the Olympic Stadium.
Allardyce added: "2016? I hope so. That means it will be me serving at a
football club for the second longest time I've ever been. "It will probably
be close to five years and for a manager that is a long time these days. "If
I can continue to grow the club on the field then that helps everybody to
start moving towards moving into the Olympic Stadium. "And there's one thing
for sure — if it's me that walks out at the Olympic Stadium with the team it
will have to be the best team that I've had since I've been here."

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Cottee Column: The move was right but I will never forget those Upton Park
memories
London 24
Tony Cottee, Recorder Columnist
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
12:00 PM

Friday's decision to make West Ham the anchor tenants at the Olympic Stadium
certainly left me with mixed feelings. I was pleased with the announcement.
I think it is the right move for the club, but I can't say hand on heart
that I am happy to leave Upton Park and all its memories. When I spoke to
the club a few months ago about the move I said that I would not back a plan
that I didn't believe in. I had two reservations – the roof, which had to
cover every fan in the arena and the running track which we have seen all
over Europe can effect the atmosphere in the stadium. I am one of the few
lucky people who has seen the plans and I have to say that my fears have
been dispelled on both fronts and I am excited by what I have seen. Some
have said that we will never be able to fill a 54,000 capacity stadium, but
I don't agree with that. If we have a successful side that are up there in
the Premier League, or playing FA Cup quarter-finals, then I think 54,000
would not be enough, while David Gold and David Sullivan have already said
that they will look to have reduced ticket prices.

Of course I am not happy to be moving from Upton Park. I have so many
memories there from when I was a fan and then a player, but I think it is
vital.
Making my debut in front of 33,000, the superb atmosphere during the 1986
season when we came so close to winning the league, the great European
nights. I will never forget when Dinamo Tbilisi came and played us off the
park. They were so good that we applauded them off at the end. But I want to
see a successful West Ham and remember it is 33 years since we last won a
trophy. Moving to the Olympic Stadium will enable us to move up and
challenge the likes of Chelsea, Tottenham and Arsenal in London. Moving
worked for Arsenal and Manchester City, while Spurs are also planning a move
and Chelsea would jump at the chance. I was speaking to my twin 15-year-old
boys and they were saying they were not sure whether they would like to move
from Upton Park. I said to them that when they have sons, the new Stadium
will be all they know and they will have their own memories at a new
stadium. Back to the football and Saturday is a vital game for the Hammers
against West Brom. I said after the Stoke victory that it was the most
important win of the season, but when it comes to must-win games I think
Saturday is vital if we are to avoid going into panic mode for the rest of
the campaign. Obviously avoiding defeat is the priority, but if we can sneak
a win, even if it is only an awful 1-0 victory then it will take us to 36
points and almost certain safety. I will be bolder though and go for a 2-1
win.

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EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT WEST HAM'S MAIN TRANSFER TARGET
Posted on Wednesday, 27th March 2013 by Jack Fox
Forever West Ham

Wilfried Bony, Is he signing? Is he any good? Are Chelsea really trying to
get him to sign for us? Thanks to David Sullivan, West Ham fans are
wondering is this just another PR stunt or if we will actually succeed in
someone we are after and what this potential new striker possesses.
Having signed Matt Jarvis for over £10million this summer, Sullivan has
indicated in his press conference that he is talking to a European striker
who will smash our record signing fee. Bony meanwhile has been slapped with
a £12-14million price tag by his club Vitesse Arnhem.
Now we've got all these 'ITK' reports telling us he's signed for the club,
he's in talks or he's talking to Fulham or Stoke, in theory talking a load
of rubbish.
With more rumours suggesting that Roman Abramovich is getting involved as he
has something to do with Bony's club Vitesse Arnhem and telling the club to
sell to us in case interest from 'Chelsea's rivals' appeals to the Ivorian
more.
Aside from the rumours and the speculation, who is Wilfried Bony?
Yes you can look on YouTube for yourself and see if he's any good, but then
again it made the likes of Julien Faubert and Savio look invincible.
The 24 year old Ivory Coast international plays in the Dutch League as
mentioned for Vitesse Arnhem. This season so far he is the third highest
goal scorer in Europe, behind two of the world's greatest players, Lionel
Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo with 24 goals in 26 games.
However this isn't just one lucky season it seems. Last season for Vitesse,
he bagged 12 in 28 games and the year before that 3 in 7. Altogether Bony
has 38 goals to his name for the Dutch side in 57 games. It must also be
added that he has 5 international goals to his name for the Ivory Coast in
17 caps. Impressive figures but you can debate whether it gives him the
status as a prolific goal scorer.
Bony is also 6 foot tall, so must be ideal for Sam Allardyce, anything
smaller and he'd be shipped off to the Championship.
You can argue though that the Eredivisie, (Dutch Premier League) doesn't
hold the best standard of football and the only strikers who have been
imported by English Premier League teams that have turned out to be
successful are Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Luis Suarez and Dennis Bergkamp. The
likes of Dirk Kuyt and Ryan Babel have ended up on the wings and haven't
really set the world alight, particularly the latter.
But what can be said about Wilfried Bony is that he does know where the goal
is. This being something that the club has missed for a number of years.
Personally I feel Dean Ashton was our last consistent goal scorer and both
Allardyce and Sullivan have come out and said that a goal scorer is
something we desperately need.
It's an expensive risk for the co-chairmen to make and knowing our luck if
we do sign him he'll flop but let's hope that with the Olympic Stadium
coming our way, another bit of fortune will follow just behind.

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West Ham target Stade de Reims midfielder as Diame replacement
By talkSPORT | Wednesday, March 27, 2013
By Lyall Thomas

West Ham United are targeting Stade de Reims midfielder Bocundji Ca as a
potential replacement for wantaway midfielder Mohamed Diame. Diame was close
to leaving the Hammers in January amid interest from a host of top Premier
League clubs including Arsenal, Tottenham, Chelsea and Everton. And with a
£3.5million buy-out clause in his contract, the Senegalese midfielder's
future at Upton Park remains in doubt, with Newcastle thought to be leading
the chase to capture the 25-year-old this summer. West Ham manager Sam
Allardyce is looking at a number of possible replacements and the club's
chief scout has made contact with Ca's representatives about the possibility
of bringing the star across the channel. Ca is a Guinea-Bissau
international, who was influential in Reims' promotion to the French Ligue 1
last season, and the 26-year-old player is keen to move to England not only
to benefit his own career, but to also raise awareness about the quality of
footballers coming from his native country. Ca began his career with Nantes
before spells with Tours and Nancy and was signed by Reims in the summer of
2011.

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If West Ham move into the Olympic Stadium Leyton Orient will surely suffer a
slow and painful death
By Luke Edwards1:25PM GMT 27 Mar 201328 Comments
Telegraph.co.uk

It has never been easy to support Leyton Orient, but it would be even harder
to watch them suffer a slow and painful death caused by the decisions of
politicians, the self-interest of a rival and the inaction of those who know
football in this country is about far more than the Premier League. If West
Ham move into the Olympic Stadium, less than 1000m from Orient's Matchroom
Stadium and they stand idle, the O's, the second oldest professional club in
London, will surely die. Think of the local butcher and greengrocer forced
out of business when the giant supermarket with free car parking was built
round the corner. This is Orient's future, this is what the legacy of the
Olympic Games will be for the O's. Something has to be done to save them,
but what? Leyton Orient are a small club in an unfashionable corner of east
London who have always lived in the shadow of bigger, more illustrious
clubs. There are three Premier League sides within a few miles of Brisbane
Road and Arsenal, Tottenham and West Ham have always dominated attention and
gobbled up fans in this part of the capital.
The O's have played a solitary season in the top flight and attract crowds
of less than 5,000 in League One, but they are not irrelevant and they
cannot be ignored because it is convenient for those in power to do so.

They are a football club that inspires devotion and loyalty like any other.
For those who support them, Orient are the only club they can love. I should
know.
I grew up in Leytonstone and, like all those who follow the O's, could have
supported any of the above. But in the 80s, crowd trouble was a problem and
my parents took me to Brisbane Road instead. It was safer, cheaper and there
was even room to run around when I got bored. I caught the bug, sitting on
the wall behind the goal, behind a metal fence which, pre-Hillsborough,
penned fans in, my feet swinging through the gaps. I was a mascot like my
brother before me, as was my cousin after that. When we moved to Ipswich, I
continued to travel down from Suffolk to be a ball boy at every home game.

When we moved again to Sheffield, we travelled all across the north of
England to see Orient play and always made sure our returns to London tied
in with a home game. Now a football journalist covering the collective
under-achievements of Newcastle, Sunderland and Middlesbrough, my Geordie
wife, as well as my brother and father-in-law, are honorary O's. They caught
the bug too. Trust me, Orient matter. So why have the Football League and
the Premier League apparently forgotten their own rules which stipulate a
club can only move into a new stadium if it "would not adversely affect
Clubs having their registered grounds in the immediate vicinity of the
proposed location?"

They more than anyone have a responsibility to protect one of their members,
but all that has been forgotten in the quest to ensure the Olympic Stadium
does not become a White Elephant. In the desire to make sure the flagship of
last summer's magnificent London Olympics has a long term use, all anyone
has worried about is getting a Premier League football club to make it its
new home. Had Orient's chairman, Barry Hearn, not challenged the decision to
allow West Ham to move into the Olympic Stadium through the courts, the
Hammers would have been named as tenants months ago. Hearn has fought the
Government, the London Legacy Development Corporation, West Ham and the
Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, every step of the way. He has shouted as
loudly as he can, but his words have been lost on the wind blowing against
him. He has refused to go away, but he has always been left outside in the
cold with his nose pressed against the window.

He knows better than anyone the commercial pressures Orient are under. For
the past 30 years, Orient, like virtually every lower league club, have been
involved in a fight for survival. It is a fight they can no longer win if
West Ham land on their doorstep. Orient bring new fans into the stadium by
offering cheap tickets to families, generating a fan base rather than
attracting one. They reach into the local community by visiting schools and
youth clubs, running workshops and coaching sessions. Hearn has turned them
into a viable business that would pass Uefa's Financial Fairplay rules. West
Ham wouldn't.

Still, it is tough to keep crowds above 4000 in such harsh economic times.
Now they will have West Ham a few hundred metres away doing exactly the same
thing. West Ham fail to sell out Upton Park every week, yet they are moving
into a stadium which will have around 25,000 extra seats to fill.

To make their move work, they have to bring in new fans and they will
aggressively look to do so. West Ham want to compete in Europe and they hope
the extra money generated by larger crowds will enable them to do so. There
will only be one winner in the Boroughs of Waltham Forest and Newham. If you
had the choice, would you take your family to see League One football or
Premier League at the same price? Orient will probably never play in Europe,
but they would like to be able to carry on playing. Hearn has talked about
ground sharing with West Ham, but the Hammers have rejected the idea.
Hearn's plan would be to sell Brisbane Road, prime real estate on the edge
of the Olympic Park, and use the money to guarantee Orient's future for the
next 20 years or so.
However, there are major problems with this. Playing inside such a huge
stadium with small crowds could be a soul-destroying experience and would
not remove the problem of having West Ham stealing their future customers.
There is an alternative that has been discussed. For Orient to move with the
times, maybe they should just move. It is an idea that generally appals
football fans and there was vitriol spouted when Wimbledon moved to Milton
Keynes and became the MK Dons, but there might not be an alternative for
Orient. After all, most of their fans don't live in Leyton, they are spread
across Waltham Forest and Essex, many living in the suburbs off the A12 and
A13. There are places they could go, with Harlow, Romford or Basildon
mooted.

For a club that began life as Clapton Orient, another relocation is not
abhorrent if the alternative is extinction. Hearn, who owns Brisbane Road
and whose wheeler dealer reputation has not helped Orient's pleas for
financial assistance, could still sell their current stadium to help pay for
the move, although Orient will need more than that to build a new one. Then
again, if around £60m of taxpayers' money can be used to turn the Olympic
Stadium into West Ham's new home, surely Orient deserve some sort of
compensation, some means to survive. No money has been offered, no help has
been given. Nobody seems to care, but there are plenty of us who do and we
will continue to fight our cause.

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Bony idol on Roman's radar
The Sun
By MEL HENDERSON
Published: 27th March 2013

CHELSEA are planning to hijack West Ham's £12million move for goal-ace
Wilfried Bony. The Ivory Coast international is top scorer in Holland, with
26 goals in 24 league games for shock title contenders Vitesse Arnhem. The
Hammers thought they were close to agreeing a record-breaking deal to nab
him in the summer. Co-chairman David Sullivan met one of the player's
agents, London-based Francis Kacou, on Monday. But Chelsea see the
free-scoring forward as a potential replacement for £50m flop Fernando
Torres — and made their move later that day. Jose Mourinho, touted to return
to Chelsea from Real Madrid in the summer, was at Stamford Bridge that night
for the friendly between Brazil and Russia. Also present were Vitesse owner
Merab Jordania, who has close links with Blues supremo Roman Abramovich, and
Erwin Kasakowski, managing director of the Dutch club. The main topic of
conversation between the four was 24-year-old Bony, a player similar in
style to his fellow countryman and ex-Chelsea favourite Didier Drogba. Bony,
who scored for Ivory Coast in the 3-0 win over Gambia at the weekend, is
under contract until 2015 — but is desperate to move to the Premier League.
And Chelsea are now in pole position to seal a four-year deal for him worth
£80,000 a week. The Blues have a good relationship with Vitesse, with seven
Chelsea youngsters having gone there on loan in the past two seasons.
Vitesse are resigned to letting Bony go in the summer. But first they hope
the goals from a player who cost £4m from Sparta Prague in January 2011 will
help them clinch a place in the Champions League for the first time.

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Kev's grounds for Sam to stay
Published: 27th March 2013
The Sun

KEVIN NOLAN insists Sam Allardyce is the man who should lead West Ham into
the 54,000-seat Olympic Stadium. Hammers boss Big Sam is out of contract at
the end of this season. And skipper Nolan said: "He's the perfect man. It's
massive to make sure we secure his future now we've secured this stadium."
Nolan also reckons the club will fill the new ground. He said: "I speak to
people who can't get a ticket because we've had 13 sell-outs on the spin."

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Oarsome! Sir Steve Redgrave backs West Ham's move to the Olympic Stadium
The Mirror
27 Mar 2013 22:30

Sir Steve Redgrave has thrown his support behind West Ham's Olympic Stadium
move as it keeps alive the memory of London 2012. The awesome oarsman admits
he was concerned by the counter-proposal to keep the Stratford site solely
for athletics due to the cost and relative lack of use the stadium would
have.
Worst of all, he says, was Tottenham's rival proposal to knock down the
stadium - complete with golden memories of Jess Ennis, Mo Farah, David Weir,
Jonnie Peacock and others - and start all over again. "I think it's a good
situation that we've arrived at and I'm quite pleased," said the Olympic
legend. "A multi-use stadium makes most sense. "The key thing for me has
always been that it remains an Olympic Stadium and retains the memories that
were created last summer. "When we talk about legacy we talk about
inspiration and I know, from when I was growing up, how inspired I was by
the likes of Daley Thompson, Seb Coe and Steve Ovett. "The more gold medals
the more memories. Team GB won five golds in each of the Games at Moscow,
Los Angeles, Seoul and Barcelona between 1980 and '92. "In the five
different summer Games in which I competed we won in total 27. Yet in London
we picked up more than in all those Games put together." That is just
counting the 29 gold medals Team GB won at the Olympics. There were a
further 34 in the Paralympics. "Our youth will remember that for many years
if not the rest of their lives," added Redgrave. "Those are memories that
hopefully will remain with them for the rest of their lives."

* Sir Steve was speaking at the launch of Matalan Sporting Communities to
help 14 to 19-year-olds.

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