What an LLDC mess as they get it all so wrong again
She listed four main issues why the London Stadium is losing money
1. Cost of the move of the seats (nothing to do with West Ham)
2. Inefficient operator in London Stadium 185 (nothing to do with West Ham)
3. No naming rights partner (nothing to do with West Ham) despite offering to help sell them.
4. Low rent from UK Athletics (who pay £32,000 per year) and low rent from West Ham who pay nearly £3m in rent and contribute another £1m in catering profit. It should be noted that the West Ham deal is what her predecessors agreed and on which West Ham made their own internal business case. The low rent is a problem of their own making when they signed the deal.
They have failed to land a naming rights partner for five years so I don’t see that resolving itself anytime soon so the argument is of no relevance maybe and plain silly!
Garner says there is nothing to prevent her from selling the “colour” of the pitch surround but actually, the West Ham agreement says that the stadium must always have the look and feel of the home ground of West Ham so this could become another future legal argument.
Garner says the pitch surround is unique and gives West Ham exposure so therefore wants them to pay £300,000 per year for the honour!
But she misses the point that West Ham are the ones who are providing the exposure in the first place through their involvement in the Premier League and worldwide TV audiences.
If I was in the position to do so I’d tell them to stick their counter offer of renting a track cover as they should be paying for it anyway.
Who honestly gives a single damn care what the colour is anyway!