Statement from Orient re: Olympic Stadium

[Lincoln Imp]

It is to my great discredit that I hadn't really thought through the implications of this, other than be irritated by the PL-obsessed media (the Times leader on Friday said that "West Ham isn't just AN East End club, it is THE East End club"). All Albion fans should stand behind Orient on this. To say that "they have a point" is a huge understatement.

 

[Nigella's Cream Pie]

Maybe Orient will poach Hammers fans who don't want to attend a 'desolate graveyard - as Harry Redknapp puts it, although he has an ulterior motive:
http://itn.co.uk/4fa370b933256c58241208505500bbcc.html

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

It is to my great discredit that I hadn't really thought through the implications of this, other than be irritated by the PL-obsessed media (the Times leader on Friday said that "West Ham isn't just AN East End club, it is THE East End club"). All Albion fans should stand behind Orient on this. To say that "they have a point" is a huge understatement.

The problem is, whilst I fully endorse that, and would join them in making a statement, the fact is they aint doing anything to help themselves which is a rather sad indictment of the Club.

 

[Barry Izbak]

Leyton have more than a point, they have a very good point.
Unfortunately for them though, the F.A. are only interested in the great God Money and if the F.A. Premier League and/or Skysports ask them to shove Leyton Orient up their own rectum, they will only ask How Far?

 

[sams dad]

I've no great love for Orient, but I am outraged that the F.A. are willing to put the survival of a long established League club at risk.
This is just further proof that clubs outside the P.L. really don't register on the F.A.'s radar.

 

[beorhthelm]

at first i would agree with those that have sympathy and think they have a good point.

but i dont. as far as i can see they've made no effort to campaign either bid or sumbit their own. they didnt even to try hard, just take the "back up plan" the legacy committe have, 25k capacity mixed use stadium, and put themselves in the mixed use. i recal they did suggest this back when the issue of who would use it after the olympics was first ventured. i really dont know why they didnt follow it up. maybe they've assumed they would get it by default, but even then they've made no protest in the past few weeks as the others steped up their campaigns. even Palace has had more to say on the matter ffs.

 

[beorhthelm]

Unfortunately for them though, the F.A. are only interested in the great God Money and if the F.A.

I've no great love for Orient, but I am outraged that the F.A. are willing to put the survival of a long established League club at risk.
This is just further proof that clubs outside the P.L. really don't register on the F.A.'s radar.

what are the FA supposed to do? invent a rule, because their surely isnt one right now. Everton and Liverpool are closer, Fulham/chelsea, Notts forest/Notts County too.

 

[sams dad]

5. Each Club shall register its ground with the Secretary and no Club shall remove to another
ground without first obtaining the written consent of the Board, such consent not to be
unreasonably withheld.
6. In considering whether to give any such consent, the Board shall have regard to all the
circumstances of the case and shall not consent unless reasonably satisfied that such consent:

6.1 would be consistent with the objects of the Company as set out in the Memorandum;
6.2 would be appropriate having in mind the relationship (if any) between the locality with
which by its name or otherwise the applicant Club is traditionally associated and that
in which such Club proposes to establish its ground;
6.3 would not adversely affect such Club’s Officials, Players, supporters, shareholders,
sponsors and others having an interest in its activities;
6.4 would not have an adverse effect on Visiting Clubs;
6.5 would not adversely affect Clubs (or Football League clubs) having their registered
grounds in the immediate vicinity of the proposed location; and
6.6 would enhance the reputation of the League and promote the game of association
football generally.

what are the FA supposed to do? invent a rule, because their surely isnt one right now. Everton and Liverpool are closer, Fulham/chelsea, Notts forest/Notts County too.

Doesn't rule 6.5 cover this ?

 

[jonny.rainbow]

Two things.

1. Brisbane Road/Matchbox Stadium is over 1 mile from the Olympic Stadium.

2. West Ham United have played at the Boleyn Ground in Upton Park (around 2 and a half miles for the Olympic Stadium) since 1904. Leyton Orient have played at Brisbane Road since 1937 and before that played in a succession of other grounds in Clapton ALL more than 3 miles from the Olympic Stadium.

In short f^ck off Orient, f^ck off Hearn.

 

[clapham_gull]

I'm not criticising, but have they been campaigning publically about this at all? They must have had plenty of time to bring this to a wider forum, however all that statement says is that they've written to the Premier and Football Leagues and been ignored.

They've been expressing their concerns for a long time. The fact that the premier league obsessed media (and it's premier league obsessed audience)chooses to ignore them is another matter.

 

[beorhthelm]

Doesn't rule 6.5 cover this ?

looks like it might. is it FA or Premier Leauge rules? eitherway, its a bit wooly and leaves lots of wiggle room. it could easily be argued the Leyton support has survived the years of being a couple of miles from Westham and Spurs, will survive one moving closer.

They've been expressing their concerns for a long time. The fact that the premier league obsessed media (and it's premier league obsessed audience)chooses to ignore them is another matter.

i cant recall a single mention of it in the Standard. for all the talk on the issue for the last two weeks, i dont think they written so much as a line about Orient's position. they do tend to cover the non-Premier League London clubs too, if theres a story. seems Orient haven't given them one.

i should say, i think Orient have good reason to be pissed and could have made a good bid. but they just dont seem to have done so.

 

[mcshane in the 79th]

Expressing concerns and serious campaigning are completely different. Yes it's harder to get coverage being in L1, but Hearn is well in with Sky through darts etc. He could easily have got something going or at least registered it.

Perhaps he thinks he can make more money by suing the authorities, if the rules copied above are correct and can be applied?

 

[Rich Suvner]

i cant recall a single mention of it in the Standard. for all the talk on the issue for the last two weeks, i dont think they written so much as a line about Orient's position. they do tend to cover the non-Premier League London clubs too, if theres a story. seems Orient haven't given them one.

i should say, i think Orient have good reason to be pissed and could have made a good bid. but they just dont seem to have done so.

This - I'm pretty sure that Orient could have generated some noise - to have only released a statement the week a decision was going to be made shows they're a little late to this party - poor management, and possible lack of action on behalf of supporters

 

[clapham_gull]

I cant recall a single mention of it in the Standard.

I can.

 

[beorhthelm]

I can.

really? the past two weeks? maybe drown out by spurs, westham and palace. palace have been on about it several times, i'd have expected the same from orient since it effects them more directly. no doubt its been mentioned by them before in the past few years, but in the recent coverage saw nothing.

 

[clapham_gull]

Not quite sure what you meant by the above, I haven't read the standard for a few weeks but am aware of the threat to Orient. I would have read that in the Standard.

Other newspapers/media started covering the threat to Orient last year.

West Ham in Olympic Stadium will be 'death knell' for Leyton Orient | Football | guardian.co.uk

BBC Sport - Football - Tottenham allay fears over Olympic Stadium switch

Leyton Orient chairman Barry Hearn fears West Ham's proposed move to the Olympic Stadium will drive his club out of business. - News - MirrorFootball.co.uk

Express.co.uk - Home of the Daily and Sunday Express | Sport | Football

However, has to be remembered that Orient were rumoured to be moving in themselves a couple of year ago:

Leyton Orient close to Olympic Stadium deal - Times Online

 

[Superseagull]

Shame both Orient and West Ham can't both benefit from the Olympic stadium by sharing it. The worst thing for both of them would be if Spurs went there as you would then have 3 teams playing within about 3 miles of each other.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

Two things.

1. Brisbane Road/Matchbox Stadium is over 1 mile from the Olympic Stadium.

2. West Ham United have played at the Boleyn Ground in Upton Park (around 2 and a half miles for the Olympic Stadium) since 1904. Leyton Orient have played at Brisbane Road since 1937 and before that played in a succession of other grounds in Clapton ALL more than 3 miles from the Olympic Stadium.

In short f^ck off Orient, f^ck off Hearn.

That does change things, if Orient move in on West Ham's patch ages ago.

At the end of the day its both their patch, silly argument.

 

[beorhthelm]

Other newspapers/media started covering the threat to Orient last year.

sort of demostrates the point, a single press release early October generated some coverage, but nothing recent. would have thought he'd have been more vocal against them in the run in to the submissions.

 

[Martlet]

As per Google - a drive from Brisbane Road to Upton Park is 4.2 miles and would take 15 minutes.

A drive from Brisbane Road to the Olympic site is 3.6 miles and would take 12 minutes.

I can understand Orient's fears of competing for fans against a West Ham playing in the Championship with a half empty shiny new stadium. That seems pretty reasonable to me - but it wouldn't be any worse if West Ham got permission to rebuild the Bolyn Ground.