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Mayor takes charge of Olympic Stadium

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has taken charge of the Olympic Stadium after a report found that it was losing more than £20m a year. Sadiq Khan criticised his predecessor, Boris Johnson, claiming that he had 'panicked' and allowed the taxpayer to foot the £300m bill to convert the venue into a football stadium for West Ham United. The conversion has cost £113m more than estimated and the stadium is forecast to lose £24m in 2017-18.

Under the deal struck by Mr Johnson when he was mayor West Ham pays £2.5m a year as part of a 99-year lease, which is reduced to £1.25m if they are relegated from the Premier League. The costs of converting the stadium were largely borne by the taxpayer with the club contributing £15m. Stewarding and policing costs, along with such items as cleaners, turnstile operators, goalposts and corner flags are picked up by the publicly owned operator E20. The review commissioned by the mayor found that since that deal was signed, policing and stewarding costs have 'increased notably'.

The London Borough of Newham has withdrawn from the E20 partnership. Mr Khan would like to renegotiate the deal with West Ham, but the club insists that it is 'legally watertight.'

A thorough West Ham fan perspective on developments can be found here. It takes the view that West Ham will have to pay more to use the stadium: A dreadful mess

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  1. Unknown2 December 2017 at 17:45

    Cant have it both ways either coe wanted to keep athletics and being used maybe twice a year and costing a fortune or let west ham buy the stadium and have it for football only which should have been the answer but coe wanted it both ways so were left with this mess through coe boris and nobody looking ahead after the olympics. Not hammers fault as much as i dont like the board you cant blame them for getting the cheapest option they are after all just businessmen and woman.

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