By Duncan Mackay at the Olympic Stadium in London
September 9 – West Ham United’s plan to move here after London 2012 has been backed by Sir Geoff Hurst, one of the club’s most revered players.
A decision is expected from the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) shortly about whether the Premier League club will be awarded a 99-year lease to rent the Stadium, which would mean them leaving Upton Park, their home since 1904.
“Absolutely, [I’m] 1,000 per cent in favour, nobody’s got a greater feeling about West Ham United at Upton Park than I have,” said Sir Geoff, who scored a hat-trick in the final when England beat West Germany to win the World Cup final in 1966.
“I’ve rolled the pitch, I’ve painted the stands there and I have great attachments to the club, but we have to move on.”
West Ham are one of four bidders who have expressed an interest in taking over the Stadium following the completion of the Olympics and Paralympics here tonight.
The others are League One club Leyton Orient, Intelligent Transport Services in association with Formula One, and UCFB College of Football Business.
But West Ham are the clear favourites, having already been awarded the lease once only for it to be withdrawn following a legal challenge from Tottenham Hotspur.
“We want to move on, we want to be in a bigger stadium with more access, we want to be a top Premiership club,” Sir Geoff (pictured above) told BBC Radio 5 Live’s Sportsweek programme.
“With the support we get, which is fantastic, we should be mid-table and above in the Premier League, we don’t want to be yo-yoing up and down, as we’ve been doing.
“And I strongly feel, and I hope I can convince all the West Ham fans that I meet, that is where we’ve got to go.
“It’s still in our manor, to use an old East London expression, it’s up the road, it’s better access, it’s an absolutely magnificent stadium.
“I’m sure in the long term it is far far more beneficial for the club and I think the future of the club should be at the Olympic Park.
“I just feel so strongly that’s where we’ve got to go.”
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