Why is it that football always kicks logic into touch?

If there was any logic left in the incessantly intransigent game, the 2022 World Cup would not be held in stinking hot but ominously stinking rich Qatar. Not only does it not make sense logically but geo-politically, morally and climatically too.

Logically Sepp Blatter, that slippery septuagenarian, should not be attempting to cling on to power for a fifth term as President of despotic international ruling body FIFA, but handing over gracefully to Parisian Jérôme Champagne, a seemingly logical successor.

Logically, English football should be restricting the import of many mediocre foreign players and nurturing young home-grown talent for the future of the international game, about which the Premier League appears to care not one jot.

Logically too, it should, not be paying grossly obscene wages to these tyros, nor to adolescent members of Premier League  squads, some trousering upwards of £40,000 ($64,800/€51,400) a week which tempts them into the sort of errant behaviour lapped up by the red top tabloids.

Logically, both the Premier and Football Leagues should be questioning far more seriously the credentials of certain dodgy, unscrupulous foreign magnates before blithely rubber-stamping their ownership of clubs here.

Logically, Alan Pardew should not still be the manager of joint-bottom Newcastle United.

Logically, Harry Redknapp should have become the manager of England as surely he would have been a better motivational force in the World Cup than dear old Uncle Roy.

It would have been logical if the Olympic Stadium, pictured here in a CGI image showing what it will look like in 2016 when West Ham move in, had been fitted with retractable seating from the outset ©West Ham



And perhaps most logically of all as far as English football is concerned the Olympic Stadium, at the point of conception, should have been constructed with retractable seating, a la Stade de France, to avoid the expensive conversion costs when it was decided, inevitably, that its future lies with football and not solely athletics.

Which brings us to another situation that should be logical, but isn't. That incoming West Ham should be sharing the venue.

Tottenham Hotspur need a ground for one season while White Hart Lane is being redeveloped and the Olympic Stadium, where West Ham will assume occupancy in time for the 2016-17 season, is an obvious solution. But apparently far too obvious for football.

It was understood West Ham would be able to veto a potential move, even if Tottenham, or any other club, agreed a deal with the London Legacy Development Corporation.

West Ham's vice-chair, the freshly-ermined Baroness Brady of Knightsbridge (aka Karren Brady, high priestess of Upton Park), has confirmed she is firmly against sharing the venue.

"In reality they probably could - but only with our permission," she said when asked if another club could move in.

"No-one has asked us for our permission and if they did we would probably say no, depending on who it is - if you get my drift."

Indeed we do, m'lady.

So do Spurs, which is probably why they have not made an approach.

Tottenham Hotspur will need a temporary new home when White Hart Lane is redeveloped ©Getty Images



But if they did, surely the Legacy Board and Tory Brady's political buddy, London Mayor Boris Johnson, should have a quiet word in the baroness' shell-like, pointing out that sharing even for a season, would not only be a gracious gesture in view of West Ham being given such a remarkably beneficial 99-year lease deal - some of it at the taxpayers' expense - but provide welcome injection of cash.

It makes sense economically - but when did football ever care about that?

During the summer the Hammers fought off an over-ambitious ground-sharing attempt by League One side Leyton Orient, though then owner Barry Hearn at least made a few bob out of it before selling on the club to an Italian billionaire.

West Ham may have the power of veto - not indefinitely but for the first season in which they move into their new home.

They will move in time to kick off the season after next, so Spurs could not share the 54,000-seater ground for that campaign. But the following season is theoretically possible.

Spurs could move into the Olympic Stadium, pictured showing what it will look like after it is renovated, for the 2017-18 season ©West Ham



Tottenham have denied that they are in takeover discussions but are seeking financial assistance for their proposed new 56,250-capacity stadium, which is to be built on the land adjacent to White Hart Lane. The project has been beset by complications and delays, and the club's latest estimate is that the team will not be installed until the 2018-19 season, at the earliest.

Among other options mentioned as a possible temporary home for Spurs are Stadium mk at Milton Keyness and Brighton, both 50 miles or more from White Hart Lane, and the national stadium at Wembley.

Wembley could well provide a partial solution even if there is a limit to the number of events that can take place there.

Wembley, with its 90,000 capacity, might be oversized for Tottenham's needs but it could suit Spurs' fans for the occasional major fixture.

Yet one ground share that would be even more logical is with fellow north Londoners Arsenal. Somehow, that appears unthinkable such is the bitter rivalry between the two clubs.

Yet Spurs have shared with Arsenal in the past. During the First World War, White Hart Lane was requisitioned by the War Office as a munitions factory so Tottenham played their home matches for four seasons at Arsenal Stadium, later to be called Highbury, plus a few at Clapton Orient. Then, during the Second World War, Highbury was used as an Air Raid Precaution station and a First Aid Post so Arsenal played their matches at White Hart Lane.

The fact is that while ground sharing in Europe and elsewhere is acceptable, in Britain it is regarded as an anathema, as the cities of London, Birmingham  Manchester, Sheffield, Bristol, Bradford  and  Glasgow will testify.

Why? Surely it is, er, logical.

Alas, in football, Logic is only recognisable as the name of a cheap centre-back from central Europe.

Alan Hubbard is an award-winning sports columnist for The Independent on Sunday and a former sports editor of The Observer. He has covered a total of 16 Summer and Winter Games, 10 Commonwealth Games, several football World Cups and world title fights from Atlanta to Zaire.