Olympic Stadium D-Day

West Ham are favourites to be named the preferred tenants of the Olympic Stadium this morning.

 The future of the Olympic Stadium should become clearer today with the announcement of the preferred bidder.

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, is expected to award a lease to the Hammers, subject to conditions which are likely to include the installation of retractable seats over the running track.

West Ham were told they could not buy the stadium last year - the new occupants will be tenants.

One of the conditions of becoming tenants was keeping the athletics track, which ruled Tottenham out of the running as the North London club wanted to rip it up.

One sticking point at a meeting of the London Legacy Development Corporation this morning will be who funds an estimated £20m shortfall in the budget to convert the stadium to use for football.

If West Ham are granted the lease there could yet be legal issues, with Leyton Orient - who want to share the stadium - possibly mounting a challenge.

West Ham may also be required to hand over a share of profits to the public purse, because of the huge amount of taxpayers' money used to build the stadium.

There is unlikely to be any football at the stadium until 2015 at the earliest - and possibly not until the 2016-17 season.

A football business consortium and a consortium hoping to stage Formula One races there are also in the running.

But West Ham are favourites to win the bid because they are likely to have the least impact on the public purse in the years ahead.

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Top 5: Women with the best tattoos at the Olympics

This week the Top Female is devoted to sport tattoos of the Olympic Games.



TRACE Sports is a new TV channel in high definition offering programs exclusively dedicated to sports celebrities.

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2012 Olympic Games - Opening Ceremony

The Queen officially declared the 2012 Olympic Games open Friday in London, setting in motion a 4-hour, $42.2 million opening ceremony. The epic event featured over 10,000 athletes from 204 countries and lots and lots of music from Queen, David Bowie, and the Beatles. Plus, appearances by David Beckham, Lord Voldemort, Mr. Bean, Will & Kate, and more!

Check out photo highlights from the ceremonies below:

A performer in a giant ball is passed around during the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium on July 27, 2012 in London, England.

Basketball player Lauren Jackson of Australia carries her national flag into the stadium during the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium on July 27, 2012 in London, England.



Performers with a jetpack takes part in the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic

Games at the Olympic Stadium on July 27, 2012 in London, England. 

Tower Bridge is seen before the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games on July 27, 2012 in London, England. 

The Olympic Stadium is illuminated during the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympic Games on July 27, 2012 in London, England. Athletes, heads of state and dignitaries from around the world have gathered in the Olympic Stadium for the opening ceremony of the 30th Olympiad. London plays host to the 2012 Olympic Games which will see 26 sports contested by 10,500 athletes over 17 days of competition.




Queen Elizabeth II (R) and Jacques Rogge (L), President of the International Olympic Committee, attend the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium on July 27, 2012 in London, England.





(L-R) Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Samantha Cameron watch on during the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium on July 27, 2012 in London, England. 

Performers pay tribute to British music during the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium on July 27, 2012 in London, England.

The Olympic rings are assembled above the stadium in a scene depicting the Industrial Revolution during the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium on July 27, 2012 in London, England. 

David Beckham drives a speedboat carrying the Olympic flame to the London 2012 Olympics opening ceremony on July 27, 2012 in London, England. Athletes, heads of state and dignitaries from around the world have gathered in the Olympic Stadium for the opening ceremony of the 30th Olympiad. London plays host to the Olympic Games which will see 26 sports contested by 10,500 athletes over 17 days of competition.

The Olympic rings are assembled above the stadium in a scene depicting the Industrial Revolution during the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium on July 27, 2012 in London, England.



British actor Rowan Atkinson in his role as Mr Bean takes part in the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium on July 27, 2012 in London, England. 

Performers in the role of Mary Poppins float inside the stadium during the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium on July 27, 2012 in London, England.

 

 

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FA won't ask for Bale ban

Team GB coach Stuart Pearce and the English FA will not complain over Gareth Bale's participation for Tottenham in a friendly match, meaning he will not be banned from playing for his club by FIFA until August 12.



Bale scored as Spurs drew 1-1 with LA Galaxy during their American tour on Tuesday, but had previously been withdrawn from GB coach Stuart Pearce's squad for the Olympics because of injury.



That led FIFA president Sepp Blatter to claim that Bale could be banned for playing for Tottenham during the Olympic Games if the FA lodges a complaint.



The FA and British Olympic Association did not initially comment on his appearance for Andre Villas-Boas' side, but Blatter said: "The principle is that if a club does not release a player, then an association can come to FIFA and we will then ban this player during the Olympics.



"So far, nobody has come to FIFA [to complain about Bale] - but it is a possibility that we could ban these players if they are not at the disposal of the national team.



"They [a football association] complain and then we say: 'Let this player go or he cannot play for the club.' FIFA's position has never been so clear as it is now for the Olympics 2012 and 2016."



But Bale will escape a ban as an FA insider then told ESPN: "I don't believe we are going to lodge a compliant with FIFA, I would say the answer to that is no. The Olympic GB team met up many weeks ago, and it doesn't mean to say that the player was not unfit when we selected the squad in the first place."



The Welsh winger insisted he had recovered from his injury "well ahead of schedule" justifying, in Spurs' eyes, the initial decision to withdraw him from Pearce's GB squad and the subsequent decision to play him in Tuesday's friendly..



Bale played 74 minutes of the match against Galaxy, and Villas-Boas said: "Gareth is extremely young and physically a beast, so he was able to put on the effort.



"We extended [his time] because we want him to complete a certain amount of minutes before we start the season."



Speaking after the match, Bale told Tottenham's official website: "It was a good workout. It was one that I needed, and it was good to get a goal as well.



"My rehab's gone very well at the club - we are well ahead of schedule. It's important to get a pre-season under my belt for the forthcoming season, so I am delighted to be back now without any problems."

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Bale out for Olympics

Tottenham Hotspur star Gareth Bale has suffered an injury which will rule him out of this summer's London Olympics, according to reports.



The Wales winger was expected to be one of the main attractions in Stuart Pearce's Team GB squad when the Games get under way.



But Bale, who on Wednesday signed a new contract at Tottenham, is understood to have aggravated an old back and hip injury while on a personal training run to stay fit for the Olympics.



The setback will come as a major blow to Spurs as they prepare for the start of the Premier League season at Newcastle on 18th August.



And, more immediately, Bale's absence will come as greater setback to Pearce, who is expected to name his Team GB squad on Monday.



Team GB have been drawn in Group A for the Games and will begin their campaign against Senegal on 26th July before taking on United Arab Emirates and Uruguay.



Pearce has already caused huge debate by surprisingly deciding to omit Olympic ambassador and former England captain David Beckham from his squad.



Instead, Manchester United's Ryan Giggs, Liverpool's Craig Bellamy and Manchester City's Micah Richards are understood to have been preferred as the three overage players for the Under-23 tournament.



Beckham said on Thursday of his omission in a statement: "Everyone knows how much playing for my country has always meant to me.



"So I would have been honoured to have been part of this unique Team GB squad.



"Naturally I am very disappointed but there will be no bigger supporter of the team than me. And like everyone, I will be hoping they can win the gold."

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