West Ham are involved in yet another dispute with their landlords at the London Stadium.
Vice-chairman Karren Brady on Wednesday gave E20, the company set up to run the stadium, two weeks to accept the club’s offer to pay for a new pitch surround in West Ham’s claret colours, a dispute which has been rumbling almost since they moved in two years ago.
A day later another row has emerged, with West Ham “frustrated and angry” that their honours list has been removed from the stadium, and Brady threatening legal action.
West Ham say the list, which for the last two seasons has been positioned around the middle tier of the west stand, was removed by E20 while the stadium staged a number of non-football events in the summer.
They claim E20 demanded fees from West Ham for maintenance of the stadium’s big screen which is not in their tenancy agreement, and that E20 then said they would not restore the list unless those fees were paid.
Brady said: “For the second year running E20 have attempted to hold us to ransom and force us to pay a fee we are not liable for. The club simply cannot continue to yield to paying invented invoices year after year.
“We are frustrated and angry that our landlords should act in this underhand way and we will not hesitate to take a legal route to confirm our rights under the tenancy agreement.”
E20 is comprised of London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) and Stratford East London Holdings Limited.
LLDC told the Times: “We are more than willing to rent advertising space to West Ham for the display of the club’s honours.
“However, there are some unpaid bills which need to be settled before we will enter into a new deal for the 2018/19 season.
“The club already has a very good deal to use the London Stadium and it is only right and fair that it should pay to use additional assets in the venue.”