9 Oct 2008London Olympic stadium 'not suitable for Premier League clubs'

Football Technology and Stadia

The Olympic Stadium in London will not be used by a Premier League club after the 2012 Games, according to the head of the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA).

West Ham are believed to have made enquiries about the possibility of relocating to the stadium, while Leyton Orient chairman Barry Hearn has expressed an interest in the past.

However, Hearn was deterred after learning that the stadium will be scaled down into a community venue, something which ODA chairman John Armitt was keen to point out yesterday (October 9th).

He said: "We had a legacy commitment to ensure the stadium was to be used for athletes and athletics.

"You then have to say; is it possible to mix a Premier League club with an athletics stadium and that's not easy."

"I think the likelihood of those two things ever coming together was always slim because we have this commitment to an athletics stadium."

Mr Armitt did confirm, however, that a number of Football League clubs have declared an interest and that talks are ongoing, as indicated recently by London mayor Boris Johnson.

The stadium is set to be reduced from its 80,000-seat capacity to a smaller, 25,000 seat version after the conclusion of the Games and an athletics track will be retained.

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