Orient weighs up Olympic Park move 28/02/2011 |
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Leyton Orient chairman Barry Hearn is considering moving the club to a new home on the 2012 Olympic Park.
Hearn has opposed the decision to name West Ham as the preferred bidder for the Olympic Stadium, and has written to the likes of Prime Minister David Cameron and Mayor of London Boris Johnson to express his objections.
He has also been looking for answers from the Premier League, which would have to ratify West Ham's plans to move grounds.
Orient is the club closest to the Olympic Stadium site, and Hearn believes its existence would be threatened by the arrival of West Ham.
He has threatened to take legal action if Orient is allowed to suffer from the presence of a Premier League club on its doorstep.
But Hearn said a meeting with Waltham Forest Council leader Chris Robbins has given him encouragement, after learning the club can count on its support.
"For the first time, I actually felt a glimmer of hope," Hearn told The Guardian.
"It was totally their idea. They don't want to lose us. In a way, the benefits of our FA Cup run have crystallised their thinking on what's important to their community. At the moment, I'm keeping all my options open – and threatening to sue everybody."
Hearn said the council had proposed Orient looking at land for a new home on the Eton Manor site, which has been redeveloped for the Olympics.
"We talked about making some kind of presentation to the OPLC [Olympic Park Legacy Company] – saying there might be a deal to build a new stadium, the Olympic Community Stadium, where I would bring Orient and, also, I think, Saracens Rugby Club, because they're good friends of mine and they're very keen to move," Hearn said.
Under such a plan, Orient would sell its Brisbane Road home, owned by sports promoter Hearn, and invest profits from that deal into building the new stadium.
Hearn insisted the additional funds required for the stadium would have to be found without relying on the taxpayer.
He added: "Let's have a planning meeting with everyone and say: 'Can this work? Let's make a proper business proposal.' I think the Premier League would help as well but everyone must sit down. And let's not do anything in haste. Otherwise, the legal process kicks in."
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