Daniel Levy urges Spurs fans to support Olympic stadium bid

11 April 2012

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has urged fans to put aside their fears over Spurs' projected move to the Olympic Stadium and insisted it would help turn the club into a major force.

Many Spurs fans are uncomfortable with the club's bid to move eight miles east to take over the Olympic Stadium, with West Ham also battling to secure the venue as their permanent home.

Meanwhile more top athletes including Kelly Sotherton and Phillips Idowu have come out in favour of the Hammers' bid, which unlike the blueprint offered by Spurs would retain the running track round the pitch.

Levy said: "I understand [fans' concerns] because I have been a Spurs fan all my life. But our fans travel on average 40 miles to each game from all around London and the south east.

"If we have to move five miles down the road for the greater good of the club, then that's what we have to do.

"I believe the vast majority of fans support us if it means progressing and sometimes you have to make bold decisions. If you look across Europe we are the only major club to play in such a small stadium."

Levy went on to insist Spurs' plans would not constitute a waste of taxpayers' money, despite their plans involving tearing down the existing structure which has already had £500million of public money spent on it.

"That's a myth," Levysaid. "The £500million is the total investment for the total site and it was always intended for much of the structure to come down after the Games - at a cost of £80million.

"Under our proposal the vast majority of the stadium will be reutilised in the new stadium or at Crystal Palace. The notion that the whole thing is being knocked down and wasted is incorrect."

Spurs face a continued battle against the athletics establishment who insist a part of the London 2012 Olympic legacy must be the retention of the athletics track. The decision is due to be announced next month.

Olympic bronze medallist Kelly Sotherton was the latest to back the Hammers' bid today, insisting: "The track and the stadium must stay, definitely. The stadium must not be demolished.

"How can you knock down an Olympic Stadium? I think these comments have come from people who have never experienced an Olympic Games or been part of a team that has been to an Olympic Games."

Idowu, who grew up just four miles from the Olympic Stadium's home in Hackney and won silver at the Beijing Games, said competing in the stadium would provide a career high-point.

"It would mean a lot more to me to come back after the Olympics and compete in one of the Grand Prix in the Olympic Stadium," the 32-year-old said.

"The only London Grand Prix we have right now is at Crystal Palace. That's special. It's always nice to compete in front of a home crowd but performing at an Olympic venue is something else."

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