EPL side West Ham cannot "completely prevent" Tottenham from "ground-sharing the Olympic Stadium with them -- but they can throw a huge spanner in the works," according to Jason Burt of the London TELEGRAPH. Tottenham is working through a "number of options should they need to spend a season away from White Hart Lane because of legal wrangles while it is being redeveloped." The Olympic Stadium, which Spurs "vied with West Ham to occupy, is high on the shortlist." But "there is a problem." West Ham has the power of veto -- "not indefinitely but for the first season in which they move into their new home after being awarded a 99-year lease to become the anchor tenant." West Ham will move in time to kick off the '16-17 season, so Spurs "cannot share the 54,000-seater ground for that campaign." The "season after?" That would, "in theory, be possible." Another option was to "take up residency in West Ham's present stadium Upton Park -- but there is a problem with that also." West Ham "intend to sell the ground and its contents." So Spurs would have to "refit the whole stadium, at the cost of many millions, to use it." At present it "all points to Spurs using stadium:mk, the home of League One club MK Dons, even if its location nearly 50 miles from north London and its limited 32,000 capacity would also suggest that some bigger matches may be played elsewhere" (TELEGRAPH, 9/13).
