Club objects to West Ham's Olympic Stadium move

A football club based near London's Olympic Stadium has written to British Prime Minister David Cameron urging him to block West Ham's planned move into the venue after the 2012 games.

West Ham has been named as the preferred bidder to take over the stadium, beating a rival bid from Tottenham. But before the east London club can sign the contracts, the Olympic Park Legacy Company decision must be ratified by the government and mayor of London.

Third-tier club Leyton Orient, which is based closer to the Olympic Stadium than West Ham, is concerned that having a Premier League club with a 60,000-seat venue in close vicinity would severly damage its ticket sales and fan base.

''I find it incredible they would even consider making that decision before undergoing due process in regard to the effects on the incumbent club,'' Orient chairman Barry Hearn said Wednesday. ''It has grave implications for us. Leyton Orient has been in existence for 130 years and to have a giant like West Ham on our doorstep offering discounted and free tickets would seriously bring into question the survival of Leyton Orient.''

Hearn is even threatening to resort to use legal means to halt the process.

''The advice I'm getting is that I have grounds against the Premier League and I have grounds for judicial review to have the process examined,'' he said. ''I think it rather ironic that the legacy of the Olympics could be the demise of a local community club. That's actually against the Olympic ethos.''