2018 bid may have to drop Olympic Stadium
London’s 2012 Olympic stadium may not be able to be used even if England’s bid team wins the rights to the 2018 World Cup.
A review by Senior Olympic officials will determine whether or not the £530 million 2012 stadium should be significantly reduced in capacity after the games have been completed. If this is the case, the arena will have to be dropped as a World Cup venue.
London United, the organisation deciding the capital’s stadiums in the bid, has included the Olympic Stadium alongside the Emirates, Wembley and Tottenham’s new proposed ground in their bid package.
However the review, which is due to be completed in the new year, will dictate whether or not the ground remains at full 80,000 capacity or is dropped to a more sustainable 25,000 meaning that it will be used instead as a training venue in the World Cup bid.
Several high profile figures, including Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell, are against keeping the arena at full capacity due to the high costs of maintaining a full sized stadium.
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Although this will be a magnificent stadium when complete. I do believe that any world cup bid for England should incorporate as much of the country as possible. With Wembley, The Emirates and Tottenham’s new ground, London has enough facilities to cope with its share of the matches without the new Olympic Stadium.
Even thhough im an Arsenal fan… I think Upton Park should have been included. Passionate fans, Great history, west ham’s involvement in that 1966 world cup win plus the statue they have outside of England holding the world cup.