In a surprising twist, London Mayor Sadiq Khan has called on residents to support West Ham United.
Yes, the same mayor who has had a long-standing feud with Karren Brady and appeared to frequently target the club over the years is now asking voters to rally behind the Hammers.
Why the change of heart?
If West Ham are relegated, taxpayers and the Greater London Authority (GLA) could lose up to £2.5 million annually.
Speaking yesterday, Khan said: “If West Ham go down, we as taxpayers and the GLA stand to lose £2.5 million a year. So I say to Londoners who don’t support Tottenham, you might want to get behind West Ham, because if they drop, the taxpayer loses.”
Typically, advising people against supporting Tottenham Hotspur is sound advice. To be fair, he isn’t telling Spurs fans to switch allegiances, but it’s safe to say that plenty in north London won’t take kindly to the suggestion.
Reports indicate that the GLA loses around £20 million each year on the London Stadium—even with West Ham paying Premier League-level rent.
However, the stadium agreement stipulates that if West Ham drop down to the Championship, the club’s rental payments drop significantly.
Clearly, the mayor’s office is unwilling to pump more taxpayer money into subsidizing West Ham, which explains this public appeal.
Personally, I doubt the mayor’s words will have much effect.
And I have a feeling we won’t be seeing TfL buses and Tube trains decked out in claret and blue anytime soon.
Still, after years of friction between City Hall and the Hammers, it’s at least a slight novelty to see the mayor on our side for once.
