West Ham have been priced out of a move to London's 2012 Olympic Stadium after it was revealed the plan could cost as much as £400million.

The club had hoped that they could move to the Stratford-based stadium after the Games but they have been told that it would cost far too much for that to become reality.

The initial idea was brought to the fore by former chairman Eggert Magnusson two years ago, but the financial complications have not been disclosed until now.

The difficulties arise because part of the deal of taking the Games to London was that any Olympic stadium must retain the running track, so as to host athletics events.

It was proposed that the Hammers could install retractable seats, enabling the structure to double up as an athletics and football venue.

But after being told by the London Development Agency that this would set them back a mouth-watering £400million, such a deal seems unlikely to go ahead.

“It will be far too an expensive option to be realistic and this has been discussed with them,” an LDA source told our sister paper the Basildon Echo.

“On that basis we are really looking at athletics as the core use for the stadium.”

A more realistic alternative for the club could be to re-locate to a site next door to West Ham tube station, which used to be a Parcelforce depot.

It is thought that West Ham could buy the site for £15million, with a 50,000 capacity stadium costing a further £200million.

However, that route may yet be blocked by the LDA, as the agency have plans in the pipeline to erect a regional bus station there instead.

Another spanner was thrown into the works when club chief executive Scott Duxbury revealed that a number of gas holders situated on the site could force the Irons to abandon building plans there altogether.

The one remaining option – and possibly the most feasible – is to expand the Boleyn Ground from its current 35,000 capacity to a 50,000 seat stadium.

Although problems seem to greet the club at every turn, West Ham still maintained that all three options are being considered.

A club spokesman said: “We are continuing discussions with the LDA over all available options.”

[Guardian-Series]

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