(ATR) The new owner of football club West Ham United says he plans to revive talks with leaders of the London Olympics to move the east London team to the new Olympic Stadium after the Games.
The $161.3m takeover of the club by Icelandic FA president Eggert Magnusson was confirmed Tuesday.
In a statement, the club's new chairman-in-waiting said: "In terms of the club's location we are buying what we see, which is West Ham United at Upton Park.
"However, if there is an opportunity to discuss a long-term move to the Olympic Stadium I would like to explore that, recognising that there will also need to be an athletics legacy from the London 2012 Olympic Games," says Magnusson
West Ham's 35,000-seat Upton Park ground is not far from the site of the planned 80,000-seat Olympic Stadium.
London 2012 organizers recently held talks with club officials about West Ham's possible relocation to the venue but reiterated that an athletics legacy should remain. A London Olympics official tells Around the Rings that Magnusson's purchase of the team this week will not change that legacy requirement.
Soccer stadia with running tracks are not seen as desirable venues for the game in Europe as fans are too far removed from the action.
But Olympic Stadium designers could yet come up with a plan that would bring soccer spectators closer to the field. Retractable seating tiers and removable stands are possible solutions.
It's been estimated that the cost of converting the stadium to a football venue including use as an athletics arena would approach $200 million.
Design proposals for the 80,000-seat Olympic Sadium will be developed by the Team McAlpine consortium and unveiled in the early part of 2007.
U.S-based architects HOK Sport, the world's premier stadium designer and the company behind Sydney's Olympic Stadium, forms part of the group appointed by the Olympic Delivery Authority to deliver the stadium project, pending completion of negotiations for the appointment, expected in the New Year.
Reported from the U.K. by Mark Bisson
Your best source of news about the 2012 Olympics is www.aroundtherings.com, for subscribers only.
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