Court rules in Tottenham favor's on Olympic venue

Posted Thursday, August 25, 2011 by YAHOO Sport

LONDON (AP)—Tottenham was given fresh hope Wednesday in its attempt to move into London’s Olympic Stadium after the 2012 Games, given approval to mount a legal challenge against West Ham’s winning bid.

The bitter dispute could jeopardize London’s bid to host the 2017 track and field world championships at the venue, since only West Ham planned to maintain the running track in the $800 million stadium.

The Olympic Park Legacy Company selected West Ham in February as the east London stadium’s preferred long-term tenant after the games.

But London’s High Court ruled at an initial hearing that Tottenham had an “arguable” case to challenge the decision by West Ham’s local authority to provide a loan to fund the second-tier club’s move into the stadium.

A full hearing is due to start Oct. 18.

“We are disappointed that permission for a judicial review has been granted on some limited points but we are confident in our case,” OPLC chairman Margaret Ford said.

Tottenham’s attorney, Dinah Rose, said Newham Council’s loan had given West Ham an unfair economic advantage and amounted to unfair “state aid.”