Football finance expert Kieran Maguire has recently discussed West Ham United’s deal which allows them to play at the London Stadium.
In December 2012, the Hammers were named by the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) as the preferred bidder to take over the Olympic Stadium (per BBC).
Then, in May 2016, the Irons played their final game at Upton Park before moving to the re-named London Stadium.
On that day, Slaven Bilic guided his side to a 3-2 victory against Louis van Gaal’s Manchester United, with Winston Reid bagging the winning goal.
During the latest episode of The Price of Football podcast, Maguire discussed the Hammers’ deal which allows them to play at the London Stadium. (47:20)
He said: “There’s an awful lot of things that West Ham don’t pay for in that deal. They don’t pay for the corner flags, for example.
“It’s a very well-negotiated deal on behalf of West Ham and I’m sure that yourself [Kevin Day] as a person who is living in London is absolutely delighted on their behalf…”
TIF Thoughts on what Kieran Maguire said about West Ham’s London Stadium deal…
As can be seen in what the finance expert had to say, he believes that it is a “very well-negotiated deal” for the Hammers to play at the London Stadium because there is “an awful lot of things” they do not pay for.
Where would you rather West Ham were currently playing?
Upton Park
London Stadium
While it may well be a good deal financially for the club, it has previously been claimed that West Ham’s move to the London Stadium was ‘problematic‘.
Furthermore, the design of the stadium has been ‘heavily criticised‘ by supporters due to the distance from the seats to the pitch.
So, although it is a good deal for the Irons financially, perhaps it was not really worth the Hammers leaving Upton Park back in 2016 in the first place.