EPL side West Ham has "responded swiftly" to a call by a Charlton Athletic supporters group for a review of the rental agreement on the Olympic Stadium in Stratford, London, saying that "their bid was the best option" both for London Legacy Development Corp. and that this was the best deal on the table for the taxpayer, according to Paul Nicholson of INSIDE WORLD FOOTBALL. Charlton Athletic Supporters Trust claimed that "the current agreement favours West Ham to the degree that it disadvantages Charlton Athletic commercially, hence affecting its ability to trade in a free market." West Ham responded with a spokesperson saying, "The club was selected as anchor concessionaire following a fair, transparent and robust process that was open to any group or organization in the country. Out of the four proposals submitted, West Ham's was selected as it delivered a sustainable and viable future for the Stadium and, crucially, provided the best return for the taxpayer." West Ham is contributing £15M ($23M) to the £296M ($454M) reconstruction of the stadium and paying an estimated £2M-£2.5M ($3M-$3.8M) in rent a year. But it is the potential for other revenue that a Premier League club can bring that "is particularly interesting for the LLDC which retains the naming rights to the stadium." Olympic Stadium "is one of the world's leading arenas and would command a premium," perhaps as much as £15-£20 ($23M-$30M) per annum in a long term deal. A West Ham spokesperson said, "The worldwide draw of hosting the most popular and watched football league in the world in such an iconic venue will add value to any sponsorship and commercial agreements related to the stadium, which the public purse stands to further benefit from. It is clear that the linking of the naming rights to West Ham United generates real cash value for the LLDC" (INSIDE WORLD FOOTBALL, 4/27).
