UK Athletics have announced the date of next years Muller Anniversary Games on 27th and 28th July 2018 just three days before the stadium must be contractually handed back to West Ham in full football mode.
The UK Athletics Diamond meeting is usually held much earlier in July but with a current Athletics to football mode turn around of 9 days there is the serious concern the announced date is not viable.
Unlike 2017 when the IAAF World Athletics Championship were hosted in August West Ham must be handed back the stadium by 1st August 2018. The legally binding contract specifies the Athletics window including transformation back to football mode as the third Friday in June to either 31st July or 1st August if the final day falls on a weekend.
If E20 Stadium were not to return the stadium to football mode by August they would face a significant legal challenge and financial penalties for breaching their contract with West Ham.
Yesterday it was announced Britain’s best athletes will take on their US counterparts in a new two-hour competition at the London Stadium next year. ‘The Meet’ will be held on 21 July 2018 which will involve running, jumping, hurdles and relay events.
This season Premier league started on Friday 13 August 2017 but in 2015/2016 season it started on Saturday 8th August.
There is a 50/50 chance West Ham could be drawn away but there is also a chance we could be involved in the early round of UEFA Europa league which this year started on 29 June.
Over to you Lady Brady…
No one can be surprised by this – the whole business is a shambles.
I read yesterday (I think from Sean) that it takes 32,000 manhours to convert between modes and I bet that’s being extremely optimistic, it doesn’t make the slightest sense. Why don’t the ‘Powers that be’ invest in the Birmingham Athletics Stadium to bring it up to spec – a once only investment and cut out all this swapping between ‘modes’ at extortionate cost?
I thought the stadium operators were going to buy out the Athletics contract so they could upgrade another track at the moment it is costing a ridiculous amount of money just to move v the seating & If it does not change the operators s will never make a profit
We’re tenants in an athletics stadium… but more to the point, next year is a world cup year so EPL season starts much later.
I mean what’s the point? For a two hour athletics meeting? The cost of transforming it back and forth must mean the event will lose money? Who’s in charge of this shambles? I wish we could buy this place.
Sean, I suggest you read the Concession Agreement a bit more – it actually states that they have until 3 days before the start of the football season in which to return the stadium into football mode and not 1st August. Without having to convert the East Stand in future years there should be no problem in meeting their contractual commitments!