Like every other West Ham supporter who attends matches, I have absolutely no desire to take up tenancy in the Olympic Stadium. It's an illuminating aside that the new owners make much of their desire to listen to the fans but ignore this overwhelming feeling. But 'twas ever thus with owners. That's what owning means.
And I've no doubt that their business model envisages selling the site of the Boleyn ground, usefully given planning permission for housing by Newham Council, their partners in the Olymnpic Bid, for a shed load of money and then occupying a bigger ground that they rent. First part Arsenal with Highbury, second part Man City with the Commonwealth Games stadium. And the larger ground assumes that there is a large West Ham hinterland of would be supporters in south Essex that could be attracted at cheaper prices and a full match-day shopping experience, incuding spending in the ground itself. Of course, it would help to have a team that was competitive in the Premiership or the Cups to watch, but perhaps the money to invest from turnover would be there in the new FIFA fair financial play strictures that will make it more difficult to spend beyond turnover.
But then there's the ground itself and the Olympic Legacy. In every other country that has held the Olympics the legacy has been fewer people active in sport, but presumably this isn't the legacy they're aiming for. Although removing Hackney Marshes football pitches that hosted hundreds of Saturday and Sunday teams to make car parking seems to be making a good start on sustaining the tradition. The legacy seems to revolve around keeping a running track inside a 60,000 stadium for two or three events a year that will never attract numbers anything like that. And, of course spectators at other events will be a full running track further away from the activities - be they concerts, cricket or football. And maybe cricket crowds and gig goers won't mind, but sure as hell football fans will.
Some of us trace West Ham's less than intimidating home form of recent years to the moving of the pitch away from the Chicken Run in the recent developments of the other three stands. Time was when the touchline was a mere two or three yards from the front row in the Chicken Run. Every opposition (and home) player could hear every pithy remark directed at them, and every nuance of a weekly informed critique of their performance. When Judas Ince returned he kept well away, confining himself to the centre circle. If Sir Trevor needed encouragement to get in the game, he wold have it forcefully provided. Even that close, I couldn't see how Alan Devonshire could consistently beat two players lined up to block him, but he did time after time.
But these days it's rarely possible to build such an intimidating atmosphere, and not only because we're sitting watching less than inspired performances most times.
So the prospect of being even further away in the Olympic Stadium is not welcome and fans' forums have made that very clear to the owners and Vice Chairman if she could remove herself from Lord Sugar's arse long enough to listen.
But last week an unlikely salvation appeared when Tottenham Hotspur made a bid themselves for the stadium. Of course, it made occupying the stadium by West Ham immediately more attractive. If they want it, fuck 'em, they can't have it, it's ours. We are East London, they can stay in the scabby North London borough where they belong. And they don't even want the running track! Which will completely rule them out of the legacy maintenance the Tory Lord Coe ( a Chelsea supporter, too) requires. The Pornographers' incensed comments about them coming into our Manor and dire warnings of civil unrest reinforced the general sense of outrage.
And at the same time Spurs were getting planning permission for a not altogether locally welcomed redevelopment of White Hart Lane. And the club leaving the borough would have dire consequences for the local economy. So the threat of leaving would concentrate the minds of local politicians and of London Trsnsport who might expect to charge the club for redevelopments to the tube line.
Just the suggestion makes West Ham fans want to go more and Haringey want to keep Spurs more. Only a cynic would think that intentional.
And that's this week's most surprising result.
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