Premier League Statements

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Premier League statement

The Premier League Board has released a statement regarding a decision on the Olympic Stadium and Leyton Orient.

 

At the request of Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United the Premier League Board considered whether a prospective move to the Olympic Stadium, should either club be granted use of the site by the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC), would be compliant with Premier League Rules.

 
In reaching its decision the Board took into account the relevant factors set out in Rule I.6.


The Board came to the decision that on balance it would be unreasonable to prevent either Tottenham Hotspur or West Ham United from moving to the Olympic Site as long as they satisfied all of the relevant criteria stipulated by appropriate Olympic and statutory authorities.

due consideration


With particular reference to Leyton Orient, full consideration was given to a letter written by its Chairman, Barry Hearn, to the Premier League prior to the Board meeting at which the decision was taken. In the letter Mr. Hearn accepted that either Tottenham Hotspur or West Ham United would inevitably move into the Olympic Stadium while outlining his preference for Tottenham Hotspur. Mr. Hearn enclosed a copy of a separate letter written to the Tottenham Hotspur Chairman in which he wished him 'all success for the prospective move.'

After the Board had met and reached its decision the Premier League General Secretary wrote to Mr. Hearn informing him of its decision, the reasoning behind it and thanking him for his correspondence.

It is regrettable that Mr. Hearn is now claiming that Leyton Orient had no input into the Board's decision making process when their views, as expressed in writing at the time by Mr. Hearn, were given due consideration. Clearly the position currently being articulated by Mr. Hearn in the media is at odds with his original submission.

The League has no view on the comparative merits of Tottenham Hotspur or West Ham United's bids. It was ultimately the responsibility of the OPLC to decide how the site would be used following the 2012 Olympic Games.

With all this in mind there is absolutely no question of the Board's decision being reviewed.


_{Courtesy of:   premierleague.com}

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Premier League oppose standing
The Premier League will oppose moves to reintroduce standing areas at top-flight matches.

The Football Supporters' Federation (FSF) are to launch an online petition calling for the return of standing areas in the top two divisions of English football.

Terraces were banned following the Hillsborough disaster in 1989 but the Premier League insist that all-seater stadia are safe and better for fans.

Premier League chief spokesman Dan Johnson said: "Our view is that the benefits of all-seater stadia far outweigh the return of standing areas.

"They have led to more women and more children attending the games and no matter how safe standing can be made, seating is always safer.

"We will not be encouraging the Government to change the law."

The issue of allowing some standing areas has been revisited a number of times since all-seater stadiums became compulsory in 1994. Kate Hoey tried to back a scheme when she was sports minister in 2001 but the-then Government blocked it.

increased diversity

The FSF held a meeting on Monday with representatives from the police, Government and football authorities.

FSF chairman Malcolm Clarke argued that many fans already stand all match despite having seats which is viewed as a safety risk.

Sports minister Hugh Robertson said he would examine the evidence for safe standing but played down any likelihood of a change to the law.

The first time that a significant accident or crowd trouble took place on a terrace would have major repercussions. Robertson told the meeting: "The minister's head would be on a spike on Tower Bridge before he could draft a resignation letter."

The Government say no compelling case to bring back standing areas has been made.

A Department for Culture, Media and Sport spokesman said: "Football grounds are safer and more comfortable than they were 20 years ago.

"All-seater stadia are the best means to ensure the safety and security of fans and have been a contributing factor to the increased diversity of those attending matches in recent years.

"The Government appreciates that there are some supporters who would like to see the return of standing areas at football stadia, but do not believe that a compelling case has been made to change the policy."

 
_{Courtesy of:  premierleague.com}