It was fascinating to see the 2012 Olympic Stadium battle between West Ham and Tottenham ending up at Prime Minister's Questions today (see the clip at BBC Democracy Live.)
Tottenham MP David Lammy asked for support for the petition against the Spurs bid. He's not alone in his opposition since most Tottenham fans I've talked to are against a move to Stratford in east London.
David Cameron played the question with a straight bat, keen not get involved in supporting either of the bids.
But I understand that Tottenham officials have been impressing the Olympic Park Legacy Company with their joint bid with entertainment group AEG, the owners of the 02 Arena (formerly the Dome).
It looks like Spurs really are serious about this and it's not just a bargaining tool to make sure the redevelopment of White Hart Lane goes ahead. Funny how the club kept denying their interest to me, though, when I broke this story in July ). And funny how all those Spurs fans told me I had got the story completely wrong! They were just praying it wasn't true. I knew the club had been expressing their interest.
Nevertheless, I'm still putting my money on West Ham getting the stadium when the decision is announced by the OPLC in the New Year, even if the club looks doomed to relegation.
They have the advantage of Newham Council behind them who can get special deals on loans for the cash needed to rebuild the arena for football.
West Ham are keen to point out that they could still get the money if they are relegated. This is important because it's looking more "when" rather "if" at the moment.
Only three clubs - Everton, West Brom and my beloved Coventry City have avoided relegation after spending Christmas at the bottom of the table.
It also helps West Ham that the athletics community is fully behind their bid because it guarantees the stadium also being used for track and field after the Games.
A letter signed by key Olympians such as Kelly Holmes, Roger Black and David Moorcroft was published yesterday, backing that stance. The Spurs bid, of course, doesn't guarantee this.
In the end this will come down to money - not letters from Olympians - and to who can guarantee that any financial deal will last long term. West Ham still need to convince the OPLC of this but I reckon they will.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/adrianwarner/2010/12/my_money_is_still_on_hammers_m.html
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