deal suits West Ham down to the ground

An archive of news, events and discussion leading up to and post West Ham United's historic move from Upton Park to Stratford in 2016.

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deal suits West Ham down to the ground

Post by cockney hammer »

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Deal suits West Ham down to the ground
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http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/sport/col ... 317905.ece" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;"
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Re: deal suits West Ham down to the ground

Post by Rasp »

Cant get the link to work CH.
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Re: deal suits West Ham down to the ground

Post by gavrosh »

Full of vitriol, but eventually just agrees with what we all know; the stadium would be a white elephant without us

Matt Dickinson Chief Sports Correspondent

Last updated at 12:01AM, January 9 2015



For the first time since that indelibly uplifting summer of 2012, I wandered through the Olympic Park this week. The memories came flooding back as, for £11 between four of us, we swam in the very pool where Michael Phelps made history.

For another £22 each (including bike and helmet hire, and an hour’s group tuition), we cycled around the wooden velodrome of Sir Chris Hoy’s epic triumph and Victoria Pendleton’s tears, feeling the thrill of defying gravity on its daunting 42-degree wooden banks.

Perhaps one day, too, we will sit again in the stadium where Mo Farah, Jessica Ennis and Greg Rutherford put the Super into Saturday, and Usain Bolt danced down the track into immortality, although I may resent paying that entrance fee. When West Ham United reopen the doors, me, you — all of us — should be demanding a free ticket given everything we have already put into that ground.

As the cranes and diggers continue to convert the Olympic Stadium into a new Barclays Premier League venue, I am not sure if any of us have quite cottoned on to the scale of our collective generosity and West Ham’s enormous good fortune.

Across London, Tottenham Hotspur are working out how to stay competitive while rebuilding White Hart Lane and only now Arsenal are emerging from the years of austerity paying for their £390 million home. Liverpool will have the financial pain of reconstructing Anfield.

Meanwhile, David Sullivan, the co-chairman, talks of “wonderful” times for West Ham and you can practically hear the champagne corks popping with his team flying high in the Premier League, a record £10.3 million profit last season and the move next year into a new gift-wrapped stadium.

There are many ways of measuring the bounteousness of our political leaders in the deal for West Ham, but the simplest is to consider that building and then converting the Olympic Stadium into a fitting home for football will eventually amount to more than £619 million (the figure is still rising) — and West Ham are contributing a paltry £15 million.

They are already guaranteed considerably more than that back for the sale of Upton Park to property developers. West Ham have declined to disclose the figure, but, whenever the amount emerges, it will only reinforce that they have won the jackpot.

It is not just any old stadium they are being handed on a 99-year lease, but an iconic site with fantastic accessibility; with newly installed undersoil heating, retractable seats so that the fans do not have to bear an unsightly running track, a vast extended roof (the largest single-span cantilever in the world) so they do not get wet and hospitality areas so that the owners can maximise matchday income.

There were questions regarding whether the arena would be suitable for football, but no one need have any fears now — certainly not West Ham. When the costs of converting an 80,000-seat Olympic stadium to a 54,000-capacity football ground leapt another £35.9 million last year to £189.9 million given the complexities of the roof, it was not the club’s problem. The stadium owners, the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC), had to dig into its contingency fund by flogging off more spare bits of the Olympic site.

The costs to the LLDC are still climbing, ramming home the epic foolishness of excluding football in the original plans.

It is a mistake that has been rectified by all of us, through the Treasury pot, the Mayor of London’s office and a £10 million loan from Newham Council, which gets to use the stadium for mass community events.

There will be a return to the taxpayer in the basic rent paid by West Ham, of between £2 million to £3 million a year — though that amount, too, has to be a bargain for the club given how easily it should be covered by a surge in matchday income.

Consider that West Ham will take all the revenue from ticketing and corporate hospitality. That includes 3,600 premium seats, with the highest cost for whoever wants to sit in Her Majesty’s old seat.

Oh, yes, and rent is automatically reduced in the event of relegation — so Newham Council’s income will diminish if Sam Allardyce messes up, which is probably not how it should work in one of the capital’s most deprived boroughs. West Ham must share income from catering kiosks and naming rights, but they would not have had a penny from the latter at Upton Park.

The club talk up job creation and the boost to the area that their arrival will bring.

And, yes, the more vibrant the Queen Elizabeth II Park becomes the better. The regeneration of a deprived area can be reality and not just political hogwash.

There will be new opportunities for the local community, but no one stands to gain quite like West Ham’s owners. Over many decades, the taxpayer can recoup some of its investment but the obvious, spectacular and immediate gains are all for the club.

Sullivan is already boasting of West Ham being worth £400 million at the new home. It was valued at £105 million when he and David Gold bought it in 2010.

The owners have had to agree to pay a one-off windfall back to LLDC in the event that they sell up in the next ten years, but there is nothing to stop them trying to offload 20 per cent to reduce their debts or cashing out down the line.

No wonder Barry Hearn, the owner of Leyton Orient at the time, was so enraged to lose out in the bidding, calling the deal given to West Ham “state sponsorship beyond my wildest dreams”.

He claims that the contract requires LLDC to pay for security, police, stewarding, ground maintenance and other ancillary costs that, in coming to more than £2 million a year, effectively gives West Ham the stadium rent-free.

In the circumstances, it is surprising that more Premier League rivals have not kicked up a fuss. Maybe it has not yet hit home that this is a deal that, especially given London construction costs, outdoes anything that Manchester City secured when they took over their new ground after the Commonwealth Games.

Maybe we are all just glad that the place is not a white elephant; relieved that there are no more political rows.

The stadium always did need football and perhaps we should just accept West Ham’s luck in being best-placed to capitalise — but what luck it is when their own website positively gushes about all the gains.

lots of good comebacks here

https://twitter.com/DickinsonTimes/stat ... 9801749504
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Re: deal suits West Ham down to the ground

Post by the pink palermo »

A lazy piece by the author of you ask me , few new facts aithough he does at least explain the distinction between a catering kiosk and the corporate mosh and who gets the cash from each .

It's his comments on state aid that ought to set alarm bells ringing .

What has he heard ?
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Re: deal suits West Ham down to the ground

Post by Pop Robson »

I thought the velodrome was £30 a go and £22 for kids
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Re: deal suits West Ham down to the ground

Post by cockney hammer »

Rasp wrote:Cant get the link to work CH.

working ok for me mate
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Re: deal suits West Ham down to the ground

Post by Rays Rock »

Blimey, that Matt Dickinson is quick off the mark !

This has only been bubbling away for about 4 years now.
If there are grounds to challenge for state aid, doesn't the complaint have to be filed within 3 months of the decision made by the public body so that a Judicial review can be set up. If so, didn't that ship sail quite some time ago ?

Anyhow, this article demonstrates what an outstanding deal the club thrashed out.
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Re: deal suits West Ham down to the ground

Post by arlhe »

Indeed. £2million pa in rent is less than we're spending on maintaining the Boleyn.
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Re: deal suits West Ham down to the ground

Post by HamburgHammer »

How can it technically be considered as state aid if we are merely renting the place ? Loads of other things will be happening in the OS not to do with West Ham.
The deal upfront sounds pretty decent for us, but we still don't know how exactly the naming rights income will be shared for instance or for how long.
Will we ever learn what the deal is in that respect or will this forever be protected by non disclosure agreements ?
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Re: deal suits West Ham down to the ground

Post by brownout »

HamburgHammer wrote:How can it technically be considered as state aid if we are merely renting the place ? Loads of other things will be happening in the OS not to do with West Ham.
?
It would be state aid if we are not paying a fair market rent.
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Re: deal suits West Ham down to the ground

Post by HamburgHammer »

So it's 2 million a year rent plus a share of naming rights/catering income. Estimates suggesting the annual rent could then amount to around 8 million or so a year. Would that count as market going rent ?
Or who determines how much would be a fair price ?
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Re: deal suits West Ham down to the ground

Post by Johnny Byrne's Boots »

It would be hard to argue what we're paying isn't a fair market rent, seeing as it was determined by open tender.
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Re: deal suits West Ham down to the ground

Post by Rays Rock »

brownout wrote:It would be state aid if we are not paying a fair market rent.
But I asked the question earlier, is it still able to be challenged so long after the agreement has been made. A challenge has to be made within 3 months of the decision to be considered for Judicial Review.
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Re: deal suits West Ham down to the ground

Post by spyinthesky »

This is fundamentally boring but here's the real state of affairs in a 10 point rebuttal of this pathetic FUD.
1) He conveniently forgets that the transformation costs will make the stadium suitable for a whole range of activities other than just West Ham who DON'T own the place. Their investment is consistent with a lessee.
2) He conveniently didn't note u like Man City that West Ham only have rights to the stadium for part of the year.
3) And on that point that despite massive aid for one of the richest clubs in the World Manchester City seem to have got away with practically no criticism at all, so perhaps the prejudice is against West Ham or maybe London rather than the process.
4) That the facilities in and around the Stadium will be a unique opportunity for local people for which Newham are getting a relative bargain considering the level of opportunity, inspiration and facilities involved.
5) West Ham spent years including at least 3 separate attempts to have the stadium built for football and offered considerable money for them to do so. This was rejected by the representatives of the taxpayer.
6) Tottenham 'knifing' for personal reasons, the original OS deal led to much of the extra cost to the taxpayer now that West Hams opportunity to actually own the stadium with its extra contribution was removed.
7) Any good or objective hack (how did he keep a straight face on this one) would know that Barry Hearn got away with an amazing deal of his own for personal and business gain with no discernible benefit for the community at all, when he manipulated Waltham Forest to give him for a £ the redevelopment opportunity of a life time on land at and around his ground, which now having exited Orient he will soon be able to bring to a beautifully rewarding climax while the club disappear into the sticks. Yet again not a word of criticism for this man of the 'people'. I do wonder why.
8) Arsenal got considerable help from the local council to clear the way for their move and development it was just hidden rather well and again the hacks were happy to sit on that story because they had no ulterior motive to do otherwise.
9) Tottenham equally are getting help from local councils and the GLC to smooth their path to redevelopment for 1 a transport improvement grant for developments that West Ham were going to have to actually pay for if they were to be allowed to develop Upton Park.
10) the potential (profit amongst it) for everyone using the OS will be amazing when it is complete because of the precise nature of the investment whereas otherwise there would have been considerable cost involved to turn it into a pile of rubble leaving no core asset to draw (already) massive new blue chip investment into the Park and the area generally. Sometimes lateral thinking helps but clearly hacks like MD have little interest or capacity to go in that direction when prejudice is by far the easy option when broadcasting to the short sighted
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Re: deal suits West Ham down to the ground

Post by gavrosh »

Sofa 1 Exercise 0: is that the great Olympic legacy Blair promised?

The finding by Sport England that fewer adults in England are doing even half an hour’s moderate sporting exercise a week, with a particular drop among the poor, has dealt another blow to the grand claims made for the 2012 London Olympics.

Tony Blair famously added the vote of the International Olympic Committee to other global triumphs when he promised a Games that would “see millions more young people in Britain and across the world participating in sport and improving their lives”. The organisers made “fostering a healthy and active nation” one of their promises as they set about spending the £9bn it cost to host 26 days of elite competition in that glorious and now half-remembered summer.

Blair’s ministers strained to make the pledge work. The Tory-Lib Dem government might wisely have disowned the notion that watching Mo Farah, Jessica Ennis-Hill and our rowers would inspire people to exercise more in real life. Yet the coalition adopted it.

Everyone who understands the impact of spectator sport knew it was never going to happen. Even a decade ago the evidence showed that people did not magically spring off their sofas after watching hours of the Manchester Commonwealth Games – and some are actually deterred from making their own modest efforts, feeling undermined by the spectacle of athletic perfection. The research had all been done – and assessed by Blair’s own office, in a paper called Game Plan.

The way to really get people exercising, as professionals well know, is hard work, straining against modern life’s inducements to be sedentary. We know too that everywhere in the west, poorer people participate in less sport than the wealthy. The coalition has reduced funding for school sport, taken billions off local authorities and left many people poorer – as a consequence 470,000 fewer poorer people are doing sport than a year ago, according to the Sport England figures. The total number of people taking part once a week has fallen to 36% of the 2012 figure.

Britain bid for the Olympics to buy a feelgood summer, and so politicians could bask in the afterglow. But persuading people to do more exercise requires commitment and stamina. There’s no sign that our rulers have either.

The Brady train

The real Olympic legacy winners, of course, are West Ham United, owned by David Sullivan and David Gold, who made their first fortunes in pornography. Next year the Premier League club will take charge of the Olympic stadium, built with £429m of public money, and for which the public is paying a further £160m to convert for West Ham. The club will pay rent, and stands to make a fortune from the 54,000-seat capacity – far more than than its current Upton Park home – and enhanced corporate feasting. Karren Brady, who has worked loyally for Sullivan all her career, negotiated this stadium deal of the century with London’s mayor, Boris Johnson, and has since been made a Conservative peer – Baroness Brady of Knightsbridge.

Going for gold
After the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, the stadium – built and converted with £127m public and lottery money – was handed over to Premier League Manchester City. The club’s local owners failed to make the most of their great fortune, and sold it to Thaksin Shinawatra, the former prime minister of Thailand. He cashed in after a year, making £90m profit by selling to Sheikh Mansour of Abu Dhabi. West Ham will surely become very saleable, in its brand new iconic stadium, built for the Games that were going to inspire a generation. There’s a pattern there somewhere.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... are_btn_tw
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Re: deal suits West Ham down to the ground

Post by gavrosh »

French operator VINCI appointed to run former Olympic Stadium
3 February 2015, by Sarah Cosgrove, Be the first to comment

Venue operator VINCI, whose portfolio includes the Stade de France in Paris, has won a 25-year contract to operate the Olympic Stadium

The work will start with this year’s Rugby World Cup 2015 and go on to "deliver top class events to this world class stadium" for the next quarter of a century.

The Olympic Stadium will host five matches of Rugby World Cup 2015 before fully re-opening in 2016 as a multi-use venue which will be the home of West Ham United and the national competition venue for UK Athletics.

VINCI Stadium, a subsidiary of VINCI Concessions, a French company with global reach, will be responsible for all aspects of running and managing the stadium on day to day basis as well as bringing in new events and activity.

The company will work with the E20 Stadium Partnership - a joint venture between the London Legacy Development Corporation and Newham Council - to ensure the stadium is ready to host West Ham United and UK Athletics in 2016, as well as Rugby World Cup 2015, and the IAAF 2017 World Athletics Championships and 2017 IPC Athletics World Championships.

VINCI will also manage the London Marathon Charitable Trust Community Track and events on the south park lawn, below the ArcelorMittal Orbit. The company will work with the E20 Stadium Partnership to promote sport and healthy living in the local area and deliver mass participation events such as the Great Newham London Run.

Chief executive of the London Legacy Development Corporation David Goldstone said: "This marks another step forward in the long-term future of the stadium. VINCI have a great track record and a wealth of experience in managing world-class venues. We are looking forward to working with them and delivering a multi-use stadium capable of hosting a range of different sports and events, including this autumn’s Rugby World Cup."

Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: "This is more good news in our goal to deliver a long-lasting legacy from London’s Olympic and Paralympic Games. VINCI is a world-class operator and set to be a key partner in the creation of a spectacular stadium offering a dynamic range of sport and attractions for Londoners to enjoy."

VINCI Stadium currently operates a network of stadia in France including the Stade de France in Paris, the Allianz Riviera in Nice, the New Bordeaux Stadium and the MMArena in Le Mans.

Chief operating officer Pierre Coppey said the contract win was a result of VINCI's expertise and the business model it has developed for the operation of multi-purpose arenas.

West Ham United vice-chairman Karren Brady said West Ham would pass on its "extensive experience and expertise".

The Stadium is owned by the E20 Stadium LLP, set up between the London Legacy Development Corporation and Newham Council, who have shared responsibility for the stadium’s future as an all-round multi-use venue, delivering a lasting sporting, cultural and commercial legacy.

http://www.hortweek.com/french-operator ... le/1332229
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Re: deal suits West Ham down to the ground

Post by gavrosh »

*duplicate post*
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Re: deal suits West Ham down to the ground

Post by hammers1954 »

The two articles above posted by Gavrosh just about sum up everything that is bad about journalism in this country.

The Legacy piece has all the usual snidey and inaccurate comments about West Ham and the refurbishment. Daves pornograhers and the myth that OS is being refurbed just for us. It will benefit other sports, i.e. rugby and athletics and for other events such as concerts. As for getting a good deal what were e supposed to do? Offer to pay more! The fact is we were the best option to ensure the OS was not a white elephant.

The article about Vinci, well what a great cut & paste job. I could have done it it.

Here is the Stade De France website, in English, which gives an idea of what we might expect from them, especially the other types of event at the OS.

http://accueil.stadefrance.com/en/homepage.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: deal suits West Ham down to the ground

Post by hammers1954 »

hammers1954 wrote:The two articles above posted by Gavrosh just about sum up everything that is bad about journalism in this country.

The Legacy piece has all the usual snidey and inaccurate comments about West Ham and the refurbishment. Daves pornograhers and the myth that OS is being refurbed just for us. It will benefit other sports, i.e. rugby and athletics and for other events such as concerts. The stadium is not owned by E20, but leased to them by LLDC and in turn sublet to us and UK Athletics. As for getting a good deal what were we supposed to do? Offer to pay more! The fact is we were the best option to ensure the OS was not a white elephant.

The article about Vinci, well what a great cut & paste job. I could have done it it.

Here is the Stade De France website, in English, which gives an idea of what we might expect from them, especially the other types of event at the OS.

http://accueil.stadefrance.com/en/homepage.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: deal suits West Ham down to the ground

Post by gavrosh »

I dont mind a bit of AC/DC at our home ground.
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