Hammers are on the move

21 March 2007

MOVING STORY: Hammers' chairman has pledged to move from Upton Park.

WEST HAM chairman Eggert Magnusson has vowed to have the club in a new stadium before the Olympics comes round in 2012, writes DAVE EVANS.

The Hammers supremo had been interested in taking over the yet-to-be-built Olympic Stadium in Stratford following the games in five years' time, but when that fell through, he turned his interest closer to home.

"My vision is to build a new stadium and to build a successful team slowly but surely," confirmed the Icelandic businessman, who bought the club in a £105million deal last year.

"I hope to have a new stadium for West Ham before the Olympics. It will be close to here, that is all I can say, and it will have a capacity of 60,000 plus because we have the fan base for that sort of figure."

West Ham had been linked with the vacant site close to West Ham Underground Station, which was formally owned by Parcelforce, but the chairman refused to be drawn on the exact preferred site, though it seems it may be one closer to the club's current Upton Park home.

Despite West Ham struggling to avoid relegation this season, Magnusson is still determined to press forward with his ambitious plans for the club.

"Relegation will slow us down for at least that one year, but the target is still the same, there is no question about that," he told the Recorder.

"It won't happen next year or the year after, it will take time, but the team will challenge for the highest honours in English football as well as getting into Europe in the UEFA Cup and then hopefully the Champions League.

"It will take at least five years, but I think West Ham have the foundations to get there."

Magnusson also has plans to develop the Academy as well as upgrading the training ground either at Chadwell Heath or somewhere bigger, as slowly but surely his vision becomes a reality.

*Don't miss our Eggert Magnusson special in next weeks super Recorder.