Pair receive call-ups
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's band of internationals have a busy period ahead in the
final break from domestic football of 2016. The 2018 FIFA World Cup
qualifiers continue, with no fewer than a dozen senior Hammers hoping to
feature.
Starting in European Group A, Dimitri Payet's France welcome Sweden to Paris
on Friday 11 November, having picked up four points from their opening two
fixtures.
In Group B, Edimilson Fernandes will hope to be included in the unbeaten
Switzerland squad for their home game with the Faroe Islands in Lucerne on
13 November.
Group C is where Havard Nordtveit and goalscorer Martin Samuelsen will hope
Norway can build on their 4-1 win over San Marino when they head to the
Czech Republic on 11 November.
Darren Randolph and James Collins could both be in action in Group D, where
Republic of Ireland travel to Austria and Wales host Serbia respectively.
Both have already received call-ups from their respective nations and will
hope to get some game-time.
In Group F, Michail Antonio will be hopeful of another call-up for England's
mouth-watering qualifier with Scotland at Wembley on Remembrance Day – and
friendly with Spain at the same venue the following Tuesday.
Finally in Europe, Group G is where Angelo Ogbonna's Italy travel to Vaduz
to face Liechtenstein.
Cheikhou Kouyate's Senegal travel to Polokwane to face South Africa in
African Round 3 Group D on 12 November, looking to build on their 2-0
victory over Cape Verde in their opening fixture.
In Group B, Sofiane Feghouli's Algeria travel to Nigeria on the same date,
having drawn 1-1 at home with Cameroon in their opening match.
In Group E, Andre Ayew will hope to make a triumphant return to the national
team when Ghana travel to Egypt. The Black Stars – managed by former Hammers
boss Avram Grant – were held goalless at home by Uganda last time out.
Winston Reid is set for the longest trip, with New Zealand facing New
Caledonia home and away in their opening Oceania Round 3 Group A fixtures.
The home leg will take place in Auckland on 12 November, with the return in
Kone three days later.
Away from the competitive fixtures, Doneil Henry's Canada travel to South
Korea for a friendly.
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Noble backs Penguin Waddle
WHUFC.com
Patron Mark Noble has given his support to Richard House Children's
Hospice's annual fundraising 2016 Penguin Waddle.
The event will see participants embark on a scenic walk through central
London from 6.30pm on Tuesday 15 November, raising funds for the
Beckton-based hospice, which supports children and young people with
life-limiting conditions.
The Singology choir and our fashionista host Josh Newis-Smith will warm up
participants in the shadow of St Pauls Cathedral in Paternoster Square,
before the walk weaves its way through the capital to end at a fantastic
Penguin Party with DJ at the Scoop by Tower Bridge.
The event is ideal for all the family and for just a £25 registration fee
plus £50 minimum sponsorship, supporters will get their own penguin outfit,
and will join hundreds of other penguins in this festive 1.3-mile waddle.
Family and group discounts are available.
Sign up using the code 'West Ham' to receive a £5 discount on the standard
registration fee. Minimum sponsorship applies.
Contact Tom on 020 7540 0228 or email tommu@richardhouse.org.uk for more
information.
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Noble pleased to be back at London Stadium
WHUFC.com
West Ham United captain Mark Noble is looking forward to playing at London
Stadium once again and hopes the fans will generate another special
atmosphere against Stoke.
Noble believes the team produced one of their best performances of the
season in the last home game to record a memorable win over Chelsea in the
EFL Cup.
The Hammers fans turned out in their thousands once again and saw Cheikhou
Kouyate and Edimilson Fernandes score the goals to help them set up a
quarter final showdown with Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Despite the disappointing defeat against Everton last weekend which ended
the Hammers four match unbeaten run, Noble is convinced the team can get
straight back on the winning trail and build on recent home victories
against Sunderland and Chelsea.
Noble said: "We have made the big move into London Stadium and it was going
to take time to get used to our new surroundings, but the victory over
Chelsea has really made it feel like home and I am really pleased about
that.
"We have beaten Bournemouth, Sunderland and Chelsea at home and have not
really struggled despite what some reports have said. We have to deal with
that and hopefully get another victory against Stoke.
"We were getting hammered a month ago for the way we were defending and
should other things change.
"We then produced a fantastic performance against Chelsea and it was a
fantastic evening with great support. We didn't really get recognised for
that.
"Hopefully that will change against Stoke, but we know it will be another
tough encounter as Stoke have won their last three Premier League games."
Noble has enjoyed playing in a new wing-back system and feels it has played
a major part in helping the team turn their season around.
Noble added: "Slaven has changed the system in recent games and I am really
enjoying it.
"Changing to three at the back and players like Pedro and Edimilson coming
into the team has been a major bonus and the teams looks better for it.
"We look a lot more solid and it has given us the foundation to go on and
win games."
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From the Terraces
WHUFC.com
Fan blogger Joe Difford returns with his latest look at the Hammers…
After last season's phenomenal comeback at Goodison Park that saw Dimitri
Payet poke home a last minute winner, fans were optimistic about Sunday's
game with Everton. What raised expectations even more was the fact that we
had confidently beaten a strong Chelsea side last Wednesday in the EFL Cup
and made it four games unbeaten.
Unfortunately for us, Romelu Lukaku continued his remarkable goal scoring
record against the Hammers, and we were unable to pick up the three points
that would have taken us almost into the top half of the Premier League
table.
Michail Antonio, who was playing as a striker once again, was lively from
the off, beating anyone who tried to stand in his way, but unfortunately his
instinct to run out to the flanks combined with our lack of a fit and firing
striker meant that his efforts were in vein.
Manuel Lanzini and Payet did what everyone expected, and dazzled with their
interplay and neat one touch passing, carving the Everton defence open on a
number of occasions.
Up the other end of the field, Adrian was back to his best, making a number
of world class saves, including one special stop where he managed to extend
an arm mid-dive to keep out an effort from close range.
But just as it seemed we could push for an opener, Lukaku did what he does
best, slotting home against Slaven Bilic and Co. after some fast and
impressive build up play.
1-0 would have been a tough result to take but one that wouldn't hurt too
much considering our form at Goodison Park over the years, but the second
goal was frustrating as we were in their half and looking to snatch an
equaliser.
Everton broke on the counter and moved the ball out wide, before crossing to
the back post where Ross Barkley was waiting to volley home an impressive
effort into the bottom corner.
After three fantastic wins on the trot, a loss away isn't the worst result,
but with a tough run of fixtures coming up in November and December that
include Spurs, Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United, we must take all
three points when Stoke City visit next week.
Unfortunately, Winston Reid picked up a yellow card and will miss the game,
but it could be a great opportunity for James Collins or Reece Oxford to
step up and impress alongside the experienced Angelo Ogbonna and Cheikhou
Kouyate.
Fans will also be hoping to see more of Edimilson Fernandes who has been
excellent in his first two Premier League appearances for the club.
The start to the season hasn't been perfect, and the loss to Everton
undoubtedly hurt our momentum, but if we can get Simone Zaza or perhaps
Ashley Fletcher to open their goal scoring accounts, we could turn this
great football into great results.
For more West Ham fan views or to join the conversation visit www.90min.com
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those
of West Ham United
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Loan stars make brief return to Chadwell Heath
WHUFC.com
The Academy of Football's loan stars returned to Chadwell Heath last week as
they took a break from their busy schedules to catch up with fellow players
and staff.
In total, seven players made the trips back from their respective loan clubs
to East London, including Josh Cullen, Reece Burke and Martin Samuelsen.
The day started with a talk from Academy Director Terry Westley who went
through each player's development plans as well as watching through some
highlights from the individual's performances during their loan spells.
The players then headed outside for a brief and very light training session
before coming back inside for a full Sunday roast, as they caught up with
each other over lunch.
Westley was keen to stress the importance of the day and said he hoped the
players would take a huge amount for the experience.
"The purpose of this day is to get everyone back together and remind them
that they're West Ham players," he said.
"Sometimes, these days remind us of the quality we have at the Club who are
out on loan.
"Our U23s and U18s are doing very well this season and we're holding our own
here but you cannot forget about the quality we have out there."
The Academy of Football puts in a lot of hard work to make sure they are up
to date on the progress of the players they have out on loan.
Their continuous graft and commitment to developing young players has paid
off, as the appearance numbers of Academy players in the West Ham United
First Team and at other clubs on loan has massively increased over the past
few seasons.
"The Club has been brilliant. Everyone at the Academy has been in constant
contact with us, making sure everything is alright," said Josh Cullen,
currently on loan at Bradford City.
"We had the meeting this morning and you can see how in-depth they go into
match reports. There is someone at every game watching us so they're keeping
close tabs on us and that's good to know."
"Terry, Liam, everyone at West Ham are doing a great job following the
progress of the loan players," added Martin Samuelsen, currently on loan at
Blackburn Rovers.
"Today, getting all the players in together is really good and beneficial. I
couldn't praise them (the Academy) enough."
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Cole - It is great to be back
WHUFC.com
Hello everyone,
It is nice to be back at West Ham and I am just trying to keep myself fit.
It is the end of the season in the America and I want to keep ticking over
and plan to be here for a couple of months. The gaffer has allowed me to
stay over and use the facilities and train with the team until January. It
has been unbelievable since I went to the States and I have really enjoyed
myself playing for Sacramento Republic. It is very different culture wise
and the fans are a lot different. It is a bit of a contrast to what we
experience in England. It has been a great experience for me.
London Stadium is unbelievable and a bit different to what I am used to in
America! It is a great Stadium and I have the experience of playing in front
of so many West Ham fans when we played at Wembley in the Play-Off Final. I
cannot imagine what that must be like every week. It must be unbelievable
for the players because I will never forget the atmosphere that was created
by the Hammers fans at Wembley that day and that will always be in my mind.
I still take a lot of pride for being part of the team that got us back into
the Premier League and scoring one of the goals, but a lot has happened
since then.
The owners have done really well for the Club and changed things around. The
only way is up now. The fans turned out in their thousands for us that day
and having that every home game in the Premier League and other competitions
must be a dream for the players to play in front of. I came back for the EFL
Cup game against Chelsea and although it was two of my former Clubs in
action, it was nice to see West Ham come away with the victory. I had a
feeling they were going to win because every time I have come back they have
always beaten a big team so I was very happy to see that happen. I was happy
to see Cheikhou get on the scoresheet and to see his confidence come back
and show the level of performance he was producing last season. It was nice
to see the boys enjoying their game.
Nobes and Ginge are still going strong – they are going as strong as Ginge's
beard at the moment! The gaffer is a great manager to play under and you can
see they are still enjoying themselves. I think we will have another strong
season. The confidence has come back now and the players are all pulling in
the same direction.
We obviously had to get used to playing in the new Stadium and it would have
taken a bit of time to adjust but the last two home wins have made a big
difference. I can see it getting better from now on. I would have loved the
chance to play alongside Manuel Lanzini and Dimitri Payet and it is all
about timing in life! I always loved to play with great players and I was
fortunate enough that I had the chance to do that at West Ham. But you look
at someone like Payet who has been nominated for the Ballon d'Or and that is
a great achievement. That just shows you what he has done since he arrived
at West Ham and how the Club has grown as well.
I hope to see everyone soon.
Coley
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Get your Stoke tickets on the Ticket Exchange
WHUFC.com
Tickets available on Ticket Exchange for 5 November game against Stoke City
Stoke game is a sell-out but some Season Ticket Holders have made their
seats available to purchase
Earn money back to redeem against your Season Ticket renewal
You don't have to miss out on the sold-out visit of Stoke City on Saturday -
as tickets are available on the Ticket Exchange! With over 55,000 supporters
on the Waiting List, demand to watch the Hammers live in action has never
been greater. The visit of Stoke City on 5 November sold out to Claret
Members in the Ticket Ballot - as all Premier League games at London Stadium
have. Our Ticket Exhange allows Season Ticket Holders the fantastic
opportunity to earn money back if they cannot attend a game, while making a
fellow Hammers supportet happy.
Relist your ticket for this - or any - league fixture and if it purchased
you will receive ticket credit, which you can use towards future ticket
purchases, including your Season Ticket renewal. Once a Season Ticket
Holder's ticket has been exchanged, his or her Season Card will be disabled
for the game, while the buyer's Claret Membership Card will be activated. If
you are not a Claret Member, you will be able to print your ticket at home.
The credit for the ticket sale will be made available in the seller's Season
Ticket Holder account, minus a 10% administrative charge.
For full details of how to release your seat to the Ticket Exchange, and for
terms and conditions, please click here to view our helpful User Guide.
Season Ticket Holder seats which become available on the Ticket Exchange
will be available to purchase online here.
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London Stadium: Campaigners welcome investigation into rising costs
BBC.co.uk
Campaigners have welcomed the start of an investigation by London Mayor
Sadiq Khan into a £50m rise in the cost of converting West Ham's London
Stadium. The outlay to modify the Olympic venue has risen from £272m to
£323m. The investigation will look into inherited issues, including the cost
of moving retractable seating. "This is a breakthrough in our long campaign
to highlight the intolerable burden on taxpayers," read a statement from the
Olympic Stadium Coalition. "We have never objected to the idea of West Ham
playing at the stadium; the question is simply one of how much the club
should pay, and how much the taxpayer should be expected to fund."
West Ham, having won the right to be anchor tenants for the Olympic Stadium
in 2013, played their first game there in August, after 112 years at Upton
Park. The Premier League club contributes £2.5m a year in rent, after paying
a one-off £15m towards the conversion cost. The Olympic Stadium Coalition,
which is comprised of 14 supporters' trusts and groups, said taxpayers
deserved to be made "fully aware" of how much they are paying. It added: "We
hope to be able to meet the mayor to present him with the significant
information that we have gathered about the operational costs of the
stadium. "The mayor's investigation is good new starting point, but it is
only a start."
The investigation is "fully supported" by Mayor of Newham Sir Robin Wales,
whose borough co-owns the stadium after investing £40m. And John O'Connell,
chief executive of the Taxpayers' Alliance, said: "For too long the details
of this shabby deal were kept in secret and lacked proper scrutiny, so Sadiq
Khan is absolutely right to look again at the case. "It's now down to those
in charge of the inquiry to get to the bottom of how West Ham were gifted
the deal of the century while ensuring their investigation doesn't end up
costing the taxpayer as much as the stadium."
West Ham's move to the London Stadium has been marred by fan violence,
leading the club to issue a five-point security plan to prevent further
disorder.
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WEST HAM'S FIRST – AND WORST – FOREIGN STRIKERS
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 1 NOVEMBER 2016 AT 10:43PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
West Ham's first – and worst – foreign strikers by @sid_lambert
Another season, another West Ham striker crisis. As Simone Zaza continues to
disappoint – and Andy Carroll continues to disappear – we're all wondering
when we're finally going to get a reliable frontman. Zaza is the latest in a
long line of foreign forwards who've flattered to deceive in claret and
blue. Historically our continental shopping trips haven't always provided
value for money. This week, we look back to when Harry Redknapp first
plundered foreign markets – with very mixed results.
In many respects, West Ham's progress during the Nineties was summed up by
our strikers. We started with Clive Allen and Trevor Morley, and ended with
the mercurial talents of Paolo Di Canio and Fredi Kanoute leading the line.
In the space of a decade we'd transformed from a perennial yo-yo club to an
established top tier outfit. Much of that progress was due to the transfer
policy of Harry Redknapp. The deal-maker supreme was unafraid to shop
abroad. Defensive reinforcements Marc Rieper and Slaven Bilic, both signed
for a pittance, justified his strategy. However, before the arrival of Di
Canio, Redknapp had a decidedly mixed record when it came to foreign
strikers. Here are some of those whose time in claret and blue didn't quite
hit the same heights.
Paolo Futre
In the late Eighties Paolo Futre was in the conversation as the greatest
footballer on earth. As a teenager, he was compared to Maradona. However, by
1995 the Atletico Madrid and Porto hero was set for the scrapheap. Injuries
meant he'd barely played in four seasons. Quite how he passed the medical at
Upton Park is a mystery. It was common knowledge that his knee was held
together by little more than chewing gum and a piece of string. Nonetheless,
Redknapp took a punt on the maestro. Whilst Futre's limbs struggled to stay
intact, there were no such concerns about his volcanic temperament. His
intended debut, away at Arsenal, was marred by an outburst that has since
become the stuff of legend. The Portuguese was furious to learn that his
preferred squad number, 10, had been allocated to John Moncur. The dressing
room stood in shock as Futre promptly dressed back into his civvies and
marched out of Highbury in disgust. Later in the game, Redknapp was forced
to field madcap keeper Les Sealey as an emergency striker. Within a week
Futre's legal team had negotiated the return of his favoured squad number,
in exchange for a cash sum and letting Moncur holiday at his villa in the
Algarve. When he did finally play, there were brief flashes of Futre's
former genius. An exciting cameo against Coventry was followed by a virtuoso
showing against Southampton. His fourth – and final – start for the club
came on a sunny September afternoon at home to Wimbledon. After a typically
robust encounter with the Dons' midfield, Futre was left prone on the turf.
His game, and effectively his career, was over. West Ham went on to lose
2-0, and one of the most gifted players of his generation was upstaged by
Efan Ekoku.
Marco Boogers
Arguably Redknapp's most high-profile failure, the Dutch target man arrived
from Sparta Rotterdam for £1m in the summer of 1995. His scoring record in
the Eredivisie did little to excite and it was later revealed that Redknapp
had never actually seen him play. The striker was red-carded in only his
second appearance off for a horrific tackle on Gary Neville, just moments
after coming on as substitute. Struggling with a pre-existing knee injury,
Boogers returned home for treatment. Within weeks The Sun reported, falsely,
that "Barmy Boogers" was hiding away in a caravan, shielding himself from
the pressure of the Premier League. Despite the club's denial, it remains
the epitaph to Boogers' career in England. Four forgettable substitute
appearances (all of which ended in defeat), no goals, one red card and
labelled a madman by the country's most popular paper. In some ways, perhaps
it's better than the truth. Boogers was ultimately replaced by the goal-shy
Iain Dowie.
By that stage his humiliation was complete.
Paulo Wanchope
According to Redknapp, Paulo Wanchope could pose a problem to any defence in
the Premier League. The Costa Rican burst onto the scene at Derby, scoring a
wonderful solo goal at Old Trafford. The rangy forward was a mixture of
muscle and madness, capable of fancy footwork that belied a man of his
stature. However, for all his flicks and tricks, Wanchope's scoring record
was distinctly average. Having scored only nine goals the previous season,
there were a few eyebrows raised when Redknapp parted with £3.5m for his
services in 1999. His debut against Heerenveen in the Intertoto Cup did
little to bolster confidence as the striker missed two absolute sitters. He
got off the mark in the return leg in what was a microcosm of his career at
Upton Park. Sometimes brilliant, sometimes utterly inept, he was a source of
consistent frustration. A two-month goal drought at the turn of the year
didn't silence the doubters. He did return to form slightly towards the end
of the season, though by then many supporters had their sights set on a more
reliable target man. How do you solve a problem like Paulo Wanchope? Buy
Fredi Kanoute.
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West Ham's Olympic Stadium deal explained: from Water City to the London
Stadium
Owen Gibson
Wednesday 2 November 2016 13.30 GMT Last modified on Wednesday 2 November
2016 14.11 GMT
The Guardian
The total cost of converting the Olympic Stadium from an athletics stadium
into a multi-use venue has soared to £323m, taking the overall cost of West
Ham United's new home to £752m – largely borne by taxpayers. How did we get
here?
How long have you got? The story begins in 2003 when Lord Rogers wrote to
Tony Blair suggesting a stadium in Stratford built for football with interim
use for athletics as the centrepiece of any Olympics bid, to be funded by
joint tenancy between Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham. The so-called Water
City scheme foundered over land issues. Once the bid was won in 2005, with
Sebastian Coe's promise to retain the running track as a legacy for
athletics one factor in swinging votes, there was a determination to get on
with building – issues with spiralling costs and delays at Wembley and the
embarrassing Picketts Lock fiasco (where plans to host the 2005 World
Athletics Championships had to be abandoned) were weighing heavy on the
minds of Olympic officials and ministers. Tentative talks with football
clubs, including West Ham, had proved inconclusive. As such, at a fateful
meeting of the Olympic board in February 2007, it was decided to press on
with building an athletics stadium that could easily be "demounted" to
become a community facility with a 25,000-seat capacity but was harder to
convert to a football stadium. In effect, discussions over the future use of
the stadium were parked.
When did football re-enter the equation?
With Boris Johnson, and his love of eye-catching projects, replacing Ken
Livingstone in 2008 and the coalition government coming to power in 2010 the
idea of finding a solution that would enable the stadium to be retained as a
larger, dual use facility gained momentum. In order to make the finances
work, a Premier League football club was considered a prerequisite. The then
Olympic Park Legacy Company launched a contest for the stadium. Encouraged
to provide West Ham with some competition by Johnson, Spurs proposed to
knock down the stadium and rebuild it for football, upgrading Crystal Palace
as an athletics venue. That idea met a furious backlash from Coe and others
involved in the Olympic bid who said it would be a betrayal of the promised
athletics legacy. Following a bitter, controversial battle - including
allegations of spying, phone hacking and industrial espionage – West Ham
were awarded the stadium in February 2011.
Why did they did not move in sooner?
The plan for West Ham to take over the stadium was challenged in the courts
by Spurs and Leyton Orient and the whole plan had to be scrapped amid "legal
paralysis" when a complaint was made to the European Commission on state aid
grounds. The contest was relaunched, with West Ham – effectively by now the
only game in town – this time emerging as tenants rather than leaseholders
following a long and bruising negotiation. The 99-year agreement was finally
confirmed in March 2013 and work began in earnest to convert the stadium so
it could become West Ham's home ground in the winter and used for athletics,
concerts and other events in the summer.
What was the bill for the conversion?
Because the original canopy only covered two-third of the seats, the initial
estimated cost was £160m to build a new cantilevered roof, the largest of
its kind in the world – using technology developed for use on North Sea oil
rigs – and to install 21,000 state of the art retractable seats that would
bring the lower tiers closer to the action and assuage fears of fans who
worried it would not be suitable for football. Permanent toilets, catering
facilities, executive boxes and so on also had to be built. In essence, the
stadium had to be almost rebuilt from scratch from the inside out as a
54,000 capacity dual-use arena.
Who paid what?
The largest chunk of funding for the transformation comes from a one-off
settlement of £148.8m from the exchequer in 2010. On top of that Newham
council provided £40m through a loan (in return for a 35% stake), almost
£40m came from the original £9.3bn budget for the Olympics and a further
£25m from the government. UK Athletics invested £1m and the London Marathon
Charitable Trust provided £3.5m.
West Ham agreed to pay £15m towards the overall conversion costs, plus a
basic £2.5m a year in rent. The rest of the conversion budget is funded by
LLDC. Following a long freedom of information battle, campaigners eventually
uncovered the detailed terms of the contract – including extra payments by
West Ham if they succeeded on the pitch but reductions in the annual rent if
they were relegated. In return the joint venture between London Legacy
Development Corporation (LLDC) and Newham council that owns the stadium
meets all the running costs. Under various formulae, West Ham also share in
profits from hospitality and catering.
Critics said West Ham had secured "the deal of the century" at the expense
of the taxpayer. The club, who hoped to use the move from Upton Park as a
springboard to boost revenues, attendance and their status (as signified by
adding the word London to their badge), contended that only they could offer
the stadium a sustainable future free of subsidy and that the deal was fair
for all parties.
Why did costs rise?
It quickly became clear that the £160m budgeted would not be enough. First,
the costs rose to £193.3m as a result of difficulties that the constructors
Balfour Beatty experienced building the cantilevered roof and in the face of
challenging weather conditions. Then in June last year the price tag rose to
£272m. This was presented as a final budget, although with the caveat that
costs could yet rise further. As the blame game intensified, Johnson turned
on the pre-Games planners. "A very bad call was made when those in charge at
the time backed a stadium construction plan that would leave the Olympic
Park with a much smaller, mouldering and tumbleweed ridden arena following
the Games," he said. "Following that plan would have literally torn the
heart out of the park and put at risk the incredible economic regeneration
we are now seeing in east London."
And now the cost has risen even further?
Yes. It is now estimated that the total bill for the conversion will be at
least £323m - more than twice the original estimate. Added to the final cost
of building the Olympic Stadium (put at £429m by the Olympic Delivery
Authority) the final bill for the rebuilt, renamed London Stadium now stands
at £752m.
Why has the bill risen again?
One issue is the fact that the retractable seats – supposed to be the jewel
in the crown of the design – have encountered issues that have pushed costs
from £300,000 to an estimated £8m. It has also emerged that they will take
longer to shift from "football mode" to "athletics mode" than anticipated,
threatening the revenue-generating potential for the French operators,
Vinci, employed on a 20-year contract. Another factor is the cost of the
ambitious wrap and huge digital screen that will soon greet fans when they
arrive at the stadium. Following typically intensive negotiations with West
Ham, the E20 Stadium Partnership (the special purpose vehicle formed by
Newham and LLDC that owns the stadium) is meeting most of the costs.
Why has the London mayor Sadiq Khan launched an inquiry now?
Partly to get to the bottom of what has gone wrong. But also because,
politically, it makes sense for an incoming Labour mayor to pin the blame
for the problems on Johnson's administration. It may not be a coincidence
that the new inquiry, which will report jointly to Newham council, comes as
Khan also questions his spending on everything from the regeneration project
at Old Oak Common in the north-west of the city – like the stadium, this
week branded "a mess" – to plans for the Garden Bridge over the Thames.
The new inquiry also comes at a particularly sensitive time for LLDC and for
West Ham. Already under pressure, rightly or wrongly, over the perception
that West Ham were gifted the stadium at the expense of taxpayers, the first
few months in their new home have been far from smooth for the east London
club. Serious problems with the "migration" of fans from Upton Park to the
London Stadium and issues with stewarding have cast a pall.
Last week, the negative publicity continued with television pictures of fans
posturing and hurling seats and coins inside the stadium during the EFL Cup
tie against Chelsea. The various relationships between West Ham, the stadium
operators LS185, LLDC and Newham have remained strained. The new questions
over rising costs and how they are met will only increase that tension.
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West Ham unlikely to play at London Stadium until September next season due
to World Athletics Championships seating delay
MATT MAJENDIE, MARCO GIACOMELLI
Evening Standard
West Ham are confident they can handle any disruption caused by issues over
the retractable seating at the London Stadium. The Hammers are unlikely to
play at home next term until September because of the delay in converting
the stadium back to football following a summer of athletics there. Standard
Sport understands it could take up to 15 days for seating to be moved back
into place but the World Athletics Championships end on August 13, which is
likely to be the day after the Premier League season kicks off. In the
original plans for the multi-use stadium it was thought it would take only
five days but the company behind that proposal, Alto Seating Solutions, has
gone into liquidation. Under the original proposal it was going to cost
£300,000 to move the seating but the process is now being put out to tender
and it is thought it could cost up to £8million. No date has been set for
the start of the next Premier League season but it is likely to be August
12. Given the World Athletics Championships finish the next day, West Ham
will ask the Premier League to be away on the opening day of the season and
the following week too when they shoud be at home. They would then be away
in the third round of League matches, meaning they would not play at the
London Stadium until mid-September.
This arrangement would mirror the one Liverpool had this year when they
moved their second match of the campaign — against Burnley — to Turf Moor as
Anfield was still being redeveloped. As well as the World Athletics
Championships, which start on August 4, the stadium will also host a round
of the Diamond League on July 9 with the World ParaAthletics Championships
beginning five days later. London Mayor Sadiq Khan has announced an inquiry
into the cost of converting the stadium, which has risen from £272m to
£323m.
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Tory MP slams 'astronomical' cost of West Ham Olympic Stadium deal
JOE MURPHY
Evening Standard
A senior Conservative MP today hit out at the "incredibly generous" deal
given to West Ham to take over the former Olympic Stadium. Damian Collins,
chairman of the Commons culture committee, backed an inquiry into the
"astronomical" cost to taxpayers approved by ex-Mayor Boris Johnson. He said
the probe, announced by new Mayor Sadiq Khan, should ask whether Mr Johnson
"was determined to get Premier League football to the stadium at almost any
cost". Mr Collins told BBC Radio 4: "These costs seem to be out of control.
I think most people would say West Ham have got an unbelievably good deal.
Lessons should be learned from this saga."
Mr Khan has expressed "deep concern" at the £50 million hike in the cost of
turning the Olympic Stadium — now the London Stadium — from an athletics
venue into a multi-purpose 60,000-seat venue fit for top-flight football. Mr
Collins said Manchester City paid half of a £40 million bill for converting
the former Commonwealth Games stadium, while West Ham paid £15 million and a
low rent for a transformation costing over £300 million.
West Ham have a 99-year lease and pay an annual rent of £2.5 million. Mr
Khan said: "I am deeply concerned by the serious financial issues with the
Olympic Stadium.
"It has emerged that my predecessor oversaw a dramatic increase in costs as
well as a series of poor decisions. In short, he left a complete financial
mess." The inquiry will look for savings and improvements. There has been
widespread criticism of the deal from politicians and supporters of rival
clubs. Recent West Ham games at the stadium have also been marred by
violence among fans. The chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, John
O'Connell said: "For too long the details of this shabby deal were kept
secret so Sadiq Khan is right to look again at the case.
Instead of focusing anger on West Ham for taking advantage of this
ludicrously generous taxpayer-funded subsidy, we should be demanding
explanations from those that signed off on this agreement." The probe will
look into the retractable seating that gets football fans closer to the
pitch. It is understood the seats are not as "retractable" as the Greater
London Authority — the Stratford venue's owner — was led to believe, and
takes 15 days to remove or replace. This undermines plans for concerts and
other events. Depeche Mode are set to play on June 3. The GLA says the
"final comparable cost" for converting the stadium is now £309 million with
a further £14 million set aside for "essential enhancements". That produces
a conversion bill of £323 million and final cost for the stadium of £752
million. Allies of Mr Johnson accused Mr Khan of "whingeing". One said:
"Sadiq Khan has done nothing for the Olympic Park. "He has done nothing
for any regeneration sites. He criticises spending on the Olympic Stadium
when his own deputy mayor Jules Pipe was on the London Legacy Development
Corporation and approved the whole package.
"He needs to stop whingeing and come up with ideas of his own. The Olympic
Park is the greatest regeneration site in Europe." The site is being
transformed into the "Olympicopolis" arts quarter, featuring the V&A,
university campuses and Sadler's Wells. A former official involved in the
stadium talks warned that "talking down the stadium will destroy any chance
of a naming rights deal", potentially costing the GLA some £5 million a
year.
West Ham declined to comment.
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Anger over massive cost of converting Olympic stadium for West Ham
Ashitha Nagesh for Metro.co.uk
Wednesday 2 Nov 2016 9:59 am
Sadiq Khan is launching an probe into the soaring costs of converting the
Olympic Stadium for use by West Ham football club. The Premier League club
moved to the stadium this season, but there have already been several
incidents of crowd trouble and complaints about a lack of atmosphere. Khan,
however, is more concerned about a £51million hike in the cost of converting
the stadium from its Olympic configuration into a 60,000-seat multi-purpose
venue. 'The mayor is deeply concerned about the finances of the Olympic
Stadium, which have clearly been left in a total and utter mess by the
previous administration at City Hall,' a spokesperson for Khan said.
'The former mayor announced just last year that the total cost for
transforming the stadium was £272million. In reality, this is £323million –
a difference of more than £50million.'
Estimated cost of converting the stadium
New estimate £323,000,000
Original estimate £272,000,000
Cost of moving the 'retractable' seats
Current estimate £8,000,000
Original estimate £300,000
When contacted for a response, West Ham chose not to comment.
The club has a 99-year lease on the venue and pays an annual rent of
£2.5million, which covers almost all of their costs. It has also contributed
£15million towards the conversion costs, but the public is covering the
rest. John O'Connell, the chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, told
PA: 'For too long the details of this shabby deal were kept in secret and
lacked proper scrutiny, so Sadiq Khan is absolutely right to look again at
the case. 'But instead of focusing our anger on West Ham for taking
advantage of this ludicrously generous taxpayer-funded subsidy, we should
instead be demanding explanations from those that signed off on this
agreement and ask how they ever thought that this offered value to those of
us footing the bill. 'It's now down the those in charge of the inquiry to
get to the bottom of how West Ham were gifted the deal of the century while
ensuring their investigation doesn't end up costing the taxpayer as much as
the stadium.'
What's the big issue?
The main problem with the stadium is the 'retractable' seats, which aren't
so retractable after all. Apparently the Greater London Authority (which
owns the venue) was led to believe the seats were retractable, when in fact
they take 15 days to remove or replace. This means there are now extra costs
and delays – which is a major concern given that the stadium's business plan
depends on concerts and other events being held there during the off-season.
For example, Depeche Mode are supposed to be performing at the stadium on
June 3. The original estimate for moving the retractable seats was around
£300,000 – a figure that is now believed to have been wildly optimistic. Sky
News has suggested that the cost is closer to £8million.
London Assembly member Andrew Dismore said: 'This is a staggering burden to
place on taxpayers. It's only a year ago that Boris Johnson promised both
full transparency and that no more public money would be spent on this
project. 'Londoners must now add the stupendous costs of retracting the
seating to the other numerous poor deals for the taxpayer the West Ham
contract contains. 'Boris even went so far as boasting about the rental
income from West Ham, which at £2.5m per season can now be seen to be a drop
in the ocean when compared with the cost of retracting the seats. 'Londoners
will rightly want to know how they ended up bearing the costs of the former
mayor's disastrous negotiations.'
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Sadiq Khan orders inquiry into Olympic Stadium as cost of converting it for
West Ham soars by £51m
HATTY COLLIER
Evening Standard
Sadiq Khan today ordered an inquiry into the finances of the Olympic Stadium
after it emerged that the total cost of converting the arena for West Ham's
use has soared by £51m. The Mayor announced the investigation after learning
that the conversion cost had increased from £272m to £323m. The price of
retractable seating, installed to improve the view for football, was one of
the main factors behind the cost rise, which triggered Mr Khan's decision,
Sky News reported. The cost of the seats is said to have risen from an
estimated £300,000 to £8m. Deputy mayor Jules Pipe told Sky News: "Last
year the previous administration told the public that the costs had risen in
total to around £270m. "The new Mayor has now been told that cost will be
over £320m. "Understandably, Sadiq has ordered an investigation as to why
those two figures are so wildly different. "As the new administration at
City Hall clearing up the mess of the previous administration, we need to
make sure that the stadium runs on a sustainable basis and it is affordable
to London."
The stadium has been beset by problems in recent months after violent
clashes broke out between fans at the football venue. Engineers have said
work to move the retractable seating could take 30 days each season – three
times as long as the five days initially predicted. The extra days' work
could threaten planned events, including athletics and concerts, or even
delay West Ham's return for the start of the new football season. Former
mayor Boris Johnson had agreed to West Ham's request to install the seating
as a quick and cost-effective way for the stadium to be converted for
athletics and other events. Mr Pipe said the investigation would look at all
aspects of the stadium. He added that renegotiating the deal with West Ham
would be difficult. The total cost of the stadium is now £752m, which is
taxpayer funded besides a £15m contribution from West Ham. A spokesperson
for the Mayor of London said: "The Mayor is deeply concerned about the
finances of the Olympic Stadium, which have clearly been left in a total and
utter mess by the previous administration at City Hall. "The former Mayor
announced just last year that the total cost for transforming the stadium
was £272 million. In reality this is £323 million – a difference of more
than £50 million. "Sadiq has ordered a detailed investigation into the full
range of financial issues surrounding the stadium. "We remain committed to
the future of the stadium as a venue for football and other sporting and
cultural activities. "We are confident that London will host a fantastic
World Athletics and Para Athletics Championships in 2017."
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Thursday, November 3
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