Boris Johnson pledges his support for Tottenham stadium move

Boris Johnson pledges his support for Tottenham stadium move

Boris Johnson will continue to help Tottenham move to a new ground despite their potential legal challenge to his endorsement of West Ham as preferred bidder for the Olympic Stadium, the London mayor said on Wednesday.

London mare: Tottenham are struggling to find a new home after their plans to take over the Olympic stadium were scuppered by West Ham Photo: AP

By Paul Kelso, Chief Sports Reporter 3:55PM BST 20 Apr 2011

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Johnson said he was confident the decision would withstand legal challenge and that the choice of West Ham, made on the recommendation of the Olympic Park Legacy Company, was “the right one for London”, adding that he was committed to helping Tottenham find an alternative.

Spurs are considering judicial review of Johnson’s decision after losing out to West Ham, and have commenced proceedings against Newham Council, which is to borrow £40m to fund the Olympic Stadium conversion.

They are also examining how to reduce the cost of their original stadium plan at Northumberland Park, and considering a new site at Tottenham Hale. Neither of these schemes is likely to be financially viable for the club without tax-breaks or other financial support however, and chairman Daniel Levy is pressuring Johnson to help.

There are concerns that any significant delay to the stadium plan as a result of legal challenges from Spurs or Leyton Orient, who have launched their own actions, could jeopardise London’s bid for the 2017 World Athletics Championship.

At a Champions League final event at the Guildhall yesterday, Johnson highlighted the regeneration benefits that Wembley, the Emirates and the Olympic Park have brought to the areas around those stadiums. He made no mention of the potential Spurs redevelopment, but speaking afterwards told the Daily Telegraph that he was committed to helping the club find a solution in Haringey that would help regenerate the area.

"We will see what happens with their appeal but I am confident that decision was taken fairly and it was the right oen for London, but that’s irrelevant. The most important thing is to make sure that we have a fantastic future for Spurs in that part of London.

“We want to work with Spurs to get the best possible solution but the option of Spurs going to the Olympic Park has significantly receded. We will see what happens with their appeal but I am pretty confident that the right decision was taken and that it was properly taken.

“I don’t think there is any doubt about the way the whole thing was conducted by the OPLC, but we will go forward with Spurs and Haringey Council in that area. There are some fantastic opportunities to use football to drive regeneration in that area.”
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