English League One soccer side Leyton Orient threatened yesterday, March 2, to sue the Premier League for “tens of millions of pounds” in damages if it does not reconsider its decision to allow West Ham United to move into the Olympic Stadium.
According to a report in the Evening Standard, a nine-page document was being sent today to the Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore which details the Orient case.
The club fear West Ham’s move to Stratford, less than a mile from the League One club’s home in Brisbane Road, could cost them up to US$2.4M a year, figures on which they will base their claim for damages.
At the heart of Orient’s case is their belief that the Premier League has ignored its own rules by giving West Ham permission to move after the 2012 Games.
Section 6.5 of Rule I states that the League would allow a club to move grounds provided the switch “would not adversely affect clubs having their registered grounds in the immediate vicinity of the proposed location”.
The Premier League released a statement in response today, March 3, which reads as follows;
With particular reference to Leyton Orient, full consideration was given to a letter written by its Chairman, Barry Hearn, to the Premier League prior to the Board meeting at which the decision was taken. In the letter Mr. Hearn accepted that either Tottenham Hotspur or West Ham United would inevitably move into the Olympic Stadium while outlining his preference for Tottenham Hotspur. Mr. Hearn enclosed a copy of a separate letter written to the Tottenham Hotspur Chairman in which he wished him ‘all success for the prospective move.’
After the Board had met and reached its decision the Premier League General Secretary wrote to Mr. Hearn informing him of its decision, the reasoning behind it and thanking him for his correspondence.
It is regrettable that Mr. Hearn is now claiming that Leyton Orient had no input into the Board’s decision making process when their views, as expressed in writing at the time by Mr. Hearn, were given due consideration. Clearly the position currently being articulated by Mr. Hearn in the media is at odds with his original submission.
The League has no view on the comparative merits of Tottenham Hotspur or West Ham United’s bids. It was ultimately the responsibility of the OPLC to decide how the site would be used following the 2012 Olympic Games.
With all this in mind there is absolutely no question of the Board’s decision being reviewed
“With particular reference to Leyton Orient, full consideration was given to a letter written by its Chairman, Barry Hearn, to the Premier League prior to the Board meeting at which the decision was taken. In the letter Mr. Hearn accepted that either Tottenham Hotspur or West Ham United would inevitably move into the Olympic Stadium while outlining his preference for Tottenham Hotspur. Mr. Hearn enclosed a copy of a separate letter written to the Tottenham Hotspur Chairman in which he wished him ‘all success for the prospective move.’
“After the Board had met and reached its decision the Premier League General Secretary wrote to Mr. Hearn informing him of its decision, the reasoning behind it and thanking him for his correspondence.
“It is regrettable that Mr. Hearn is now claiming that Leyton Orient had no input into the Board’s decision making process when their views, as expressed in writing at the time by Mr. Hearn, were given due consideration. Clearly the position currently being articulated by Mr. Hearn in the media is at odds with his original submission.
“The League has no view on the comparative merits of Tottenham Hotspur or West Ham United’s bids. It was ultimately the responsibility of the OPLC to decide how the site would be used following the 2012 Olympic Games.
“With all this in mind there is absolutely no question of the Board’s decision being reviewed.”
