Socccer Club Looks to Make Use of London Stadium After 2012 Olympics

The owners of West Ham football club are in talks with officials in London to try to make use of the 2012 Olympic Stadium after the games are over. Current plans have the stadium being reduced from 80,000 seat capacity to just 25,000 and being used for concerts and other events.

The east London club and council hope the arena, in Newham borough, will feature "both football and athletics".

Interested parties have an eight-week deadline to submit plans, with the OPLC set to make a decision on the stadium's future use by March 2011.

A joint statement from West Ham and Newham Council read: "The proposal would be to make the venue a vibrant centre of sport, culture and education, featuring both football and athletics."

West Ham and Newham Council eye bid for Olympic Stadium
BBC
March 23, 2010

Soccer in South Africa in Photos

This collection of photos from The Boston Globe's The Big Picture photo blog shows soccer in South Africa. Most shots are of kids playing, and some are a bit on the cheesy/rose-colored side, but they offer a nice visual display of the sport in the country.

Soccer in South Africa
The Boston Globe
June 24, 2009