London Soccer Team Owner Blasts London 2012 Stadium Downsize Plan

Plans to reduce capacity at the London Olympic Stadium from 80,000 down to 25,000 after the 2012 event are being blasted by a local soccer team's co-owner as a waste of public money. He says the stadium should be sized down only to about 60,000, allowing his team, West Ham, to lease it from the city.

"To build an 80,000-seat stadium and reduce it to 25,000 for athletics makes no sense at all," said Sullivan.

"The whole concept was misconceived. I can't get my head around it.

"Let's be honest, that stadium should not have cost £537m. It's a temporary stadium with limited facilities - that's public money appallingly badly spent. The Emirates [Arsenal's ground] was built for half the price."

West Ham owner attacks athletics plan for 2012 stadium
BBC
March 18, 2010