Manchester United fans join campaign for inquiry into West Ham's Olympic Stadium move as petition gets more than 22,000 signatures

Inquiry: Some fan groups want West Ham's move to the Olympic Stadium to be investigated
Handout/Getty Images
Sam Long26 August 2015

Manchester United Supporters' Trust has joined the petition to hold a full public inquiry into the agreement made between West Ham and London Legacy Development Committee for the rental of the Olympic Stadium.

The east London club will play their home fixtures at the ground, which has a capacity of 54,000, from the start of next season but rival supporters have voiced their concern following claims made in a BBC documentary that the majority of the stadium's running costs will not be met by the club.

Nine sides from the capital have added their weight to the campaign after AFC Wimbledon's Dons Trust joined the cause, which also includes representatives from Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham, Leyton Orient and Charlton Athletic, earlier today.

The Red Devils fans' backing highlights how supported has also been gained from elsewhere across the nation with supporters of Aston Villa, Everton, Leicester City and Norwich City also deciding to back the call for an inquiry.

A campaign spokesperson is adamant that fans' are not motivated by football rivalry and the scale of clubs that have chosen to get involved suggests that the issue is of public interest.

"We have no objection to West Ham United using the stadium. What we do object to is any club being handed an unfair advantage, and especially if that is at taxpayer expense.

“It’s being suggested that this campaign is fuelled by ‘envy, jealousy and rivalry’. Nothing could be further from the truth.

"The speed at which the petition is being signed, and the sheer range of clubs from all divisions and all across the country that support the call for an inquiry shows that there is a serious issue to be considered.

"It’s also being suggested that the deal in place is good for the taxpayer. If that is the case, there should be no objection to letting the taxpayer see this for themselves.”

Over 22,000 people have signed the petition so far, which is enough to command a response from the government on the matter. A total of 100,000 signatures will require the petition to be considered for debate in Parliament.

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