Tottenham Launch Second Court Appeal Against Stadium Decision

English Premier League soccer club Tottenham Hotspur have started a second High Court legal action over West Ham United’s successful bid for the 2012 stadium, asking for the roles of the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) and two government departments involved in making the decision to be reviewed.

Last month Tottenham had sought permission from the court to bring a claim against the east London Borough of Newham after they arranged a £40m (US$65.75m) loan to finance West Ham’s successful move, with the club due to move into the stadium in the summer of 2013.

Tottenham have now widened their appeal by asking the High Court to start a separate judicial review into the roles of several other key parties involved.

A statement from the club said: “The club has today sought permission from the High Court to bring a claim against the Olympic Park Legacy Company Limited, the Mayor of London, the Minister for Sport and the Olympics and the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for judicial review of a series of decisions made by them to appoint a joint bid by the London Borough of Newham and West Ham United Football Club as preferred bidder in a competition for the lease of the Olympic Stadium.”

Tottenham also said they were continuing discussions with both local and national government bodies to seek to agree a “feasible stadium solution”. English League One side Leyton Orient also demanded a judicial review against Newham’s role in partnering West Ham’s bid last month.

The High Court will now assess all claims that have been made before deciding whether to hold a judicial review into the case.