He has also tried to contact former London 2012 chairman and current British Olympic Association chief Sebastian Coe to discuss the "Olympic legacy issue".

"It would appear that plans are at a pretty advanced stage, and designs have already been drafted with a view to replacing the athletics facilities at the Palace with a new primary school," Powell said.

"I understand there is a display going up as of Monday (October 13) in the sports centre indicating what the plans are, with two public consultation events later in the week.

"That is all very well, but we shouldn't have got anywhere near this stage without proper consultation with the people who work from here, and a check on the reality of how much use the stadium and indoor track actually receives.

"I have spoken to a number of people since this news hit my radar earlier in the week.

"John Regis MBE is still the British 200 metres record holder, and he both trained and competed at Crystal Palace.

"He was oblivious to the proposals, and was outraged - horrified - when I told him what the plans are.

"The GLA (Greater London Authority) apparently say they have consulted widely on this already.

"Well I'm President and chairman of Belgrave Harriers and we have heard nothing.

"And speaking to a representative of the South of England Athletic Association whose offices at the Palace stand to be demolished - the news came as a complete shock to them."

Crystal Palace Stadium hosted some of Britain’s most important athletics meetings from the 1970s until 2011 ©Getty Images


Powell has insisted he will play a prominent role in an action group currently being formed and is hoping to contribute to efforts that can be made to reverse what he has called "one of the greatest threats to the progress of sport in London and the UK in modern times".

He has also questioned the argument that Crystal Palace is underused and claimed that, rather than using the reception, people access the track in other ways "because of the ridiculous mission you have to undergo to travel from main reception to the stadium".

"On occasions I have had to allow an additional half an hour for repeat trips to my car to take equipment to the track such is the distance between the facility and external access," he added.

Powell did, however, say that he sympathises with the management team over what he has claimed has been a lack of financial support.

"I do sympathise with local management to a degree though - I am sure if they had been given the financial backing to invest in and market the athletics side of their business there they probably would have done," he siad.

"Instead the place has been left to rot."

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