Legal D-Day approaches on Monday for Hammers
Last Thursday West Ham went to the court of appeal to force stadium owners E20 to reveal six crucial emails which they claim contain proof of an ‘off-radar’ discussion which sheds significant light on the Hammers case that they are entitled to increase to 60,000.
The leading appeal Judge explained: “It is claimed by West Ham that the agreement with E20 intends an obligation of good faith in relation increase in seating and what should be done to secure that and you wish to look at these documents as may shed some light on good faith ”
West Ham Vice-Chairman Karren Brady when speaking to the London Assembly Budget monitoring committee last month estimated that both sides had spent around £2m each so far adding that whoever loses would pay the other side’s legal costs. E20 have revealed that they have spent close to £6m in legal costs relating to the London Stadium since 2013. E20 has yet to win a legal case against West Ham, having lost every time they have gone up against them.
The court case will centre aro how the judge interprets the London Stadium concessionaire agreement signed by both West Ham and E20 Stadium LLP in 2013 as applied to capacity allowed.
The agreement which is in the public domain via The London Stadium Transparency website defines the minimum football capacity of 54,000 but is silent on the subject of a maximum capacity despite having over 66,000 seats available in the stadium.
The agreement appears to imply that West Ham has the full use of concessionaire areas on match days which the club are understood to have interpreted to include all the seats within the stadium.
The judge will decide who is right and who is wrong in a winner takes all dispute!