Sean Whetstone reports that West Ham and the London Legacy Development Corporation, the owners of the London Stadium, are embroiled in a legal battle over the terms of their contract that is still pending.
On January 15, the West Ham news source stated that the club has tried everything in talks without success because the Comparable Club clause in their contract with the LLDC has not been enforced.
This condition should prevent the Hammers from being “held hostage” over London Stadium food costs; nonetheless, the LLDC’s noncompliance with the terms has resulted in a legal conflict.
talks that don’t result in anything
According to the terms of the contract governing West Ham’s use of the London Stadium, catering costs will be set for each football season and will be competitive with those of clubs of similar caliber.
These comparable clubs are defined by the stadium’s capacity and location; in this instance, Arsenal, Tottenham, and Chelsea would be included because they all play regular Premier League football, have a postcode based in London, and each has a capacity of over 40,000.
Despite the details of the agreement made by Baroness Karren Brady, LLDC has not adhered to the contract on catering rates, and the club has expressed frustration over the prices on par with supporters.
The Hammers have made an effort to talk with LLDC about the contract infringement in an attempt to reach a resolution without going via the legal system, but those discussions don’t seem to have produced any results, and it’s becoming more and more probable that a court visit will be required.