West Ham Deal is 'Biggest Mistake of Olympics' Says Richard Caborn: The Daily EPL

Today’s news that West Ham United have signed a deal with the City of London to move into the Olympic Stadium in 2016 on a 99-year lease is a mammoth day in the history of the Premier League. The last time a current Premier League side switched stadium was in 2006 when Arsenal moved from Arsenal Stadium to Emirates Stadium.

Former British sports minister Richard Caborn, however, is not so pleased with the decision. “This is the biggest mistake of the Olympics and lessons should be learned from this. West Ham are basically getting a stadium costing more than £600m for just £15m and a small amount in annual rent [£2m].”

“Time and again mistakes are made with Olympic stadiums and the lessons should be learned for any future similar projects,” he added.

Caborn’s opinions aside, this is a huge step up for West Ham United who will be moving from the Boleyn Ground (known more familiarly as Upton Park) — their home since 1904, with a capacity of 35,000 — a few miles down the road to the London Olympic Stadium, which will have a capacity of approximately 54,000.

It’s a sad day for football traditionalists and for Leyton Orient. The latter will have a new football club on its doorstep — just 750 yards down the road. And it may mean that Orient will move to Essex after being in East London since 1881.

Here are today’s Premier League news headlines:

• West Ham deal is ‘biggest mistake of Olympics’ says Richard Caborn — The Guardian
• West Ham United confirm the Olympic Stadium will be their home from 2016 — West Ham
• Reading’s manager search set to continue after Gus Poyet ‘rejects job’ — The Guardian
• Roberto Mancini vote of confidence from Manchester City chief executive Ferran Soriano — The Mail
• Being: Liverpool gets Sports Emmy Award nomination for outstanding editing — Liverpool FC
• Goalie Brad Guzan the No.1 seller in mammoth Aston Villa shirt surge — Aston Villa
• Rickie Lambert signs new deal at Southampton until 2016 — Premier League
• New FA chairman Greg Dyke must stand up to EPL clubs – especially Man United — Telegraph
• Tom Cleverley’s constant presence offers England a variety of options — The Guardian
• Rio Ferdinand could be left to rue his decision to put chances of reaching Brazil in jeopardy — Telegraph
• How on earth did Rio Ferdinand not realise this trip to Qatar was a terrible idea? — The Independent
• ‘Trouser-dropping’ Newcastle fans blasted for disturbing amateur match — The Guardian
• Roy Hodgson consigns Rio Ferdinand’s international career to history — The Telegraph
• Five former players spearhead campaign to tackle depression — The Mail
• Wales quarantine Gareth Bale ahead of tonight’s ‘Battle of Britain’ — Wales Online

The Daily EPL is your morning guide to the latest Premier League news headlines, so you don’t have to spend an hour or more scanning the Internet. We do all the work for you. Read The Daily EPL on EPL Talk every morning to stay on top of all the news that matters.