Sir Keith is a non-executive director of Tottenham, who, along with their partners, entertainment giant AEG, are seeking a judicial review against the decision.

Their case has been strengthened after the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) were forced to launch an independent investigation into its "internal stadium procedures" following the suspension of its director of corporate services Dionne Knight.

Knight was suspended after it was reported by The Sunday Times that she had carried out consultancy work, in a potential conflict of interest, on behalf of West Ham.

The uncertainty is now seriously threatening to jeopardise yet another bid from London for the World Athletics Championships, one of the biggest events on the sports calendar.

The London 2012 bid team, which Sir Keith led as the high-profile chief executive, promised an athletics legacy if they were awarded the Olympics and Paralympics - a promise that will not be kept if Tottenahm are successful and eventually take over the Stadium as they plan to rip-up the track.

"I have deliberately kept right out of the issue," Sir Keith (pictured) told insidethegames.

"I obviously have an Olympic hat and a Tottenham hat so it is not really appropriate for me to say anything about this.

"Both hats mean very much to me.

"With regard to London 2012, I was appointed International President and chief executive of the bid team back in 2003 before I became deputy chairman after we won the bid while I have been a non-executive director at Tottenham since 2006.

"I think that makes it unfair for me to discuss the Olympic Stadium issue.

"The only thing I will say is that I hope this all gets resolved soon one way or another."

Should the dispute continue, it could prevent London bidding for the 2017 World Athletics Championships and therefore cause a fourth failure in ten years to secure the competition, something which would be hugely embarrassing to London 2012 chairman Seabstian Coe and could destory his chances of becoming the next President of the International Association of Athletics Fedearations (IAAF). 

London's bid for the 2001 World Championships had to be abandoned after initial plans for an athletics track to be included in the redevelopment of Wembley Stadium were scrapped.

London was then awarded the 2005 Championships by the IAAF after then Prime Minister Tony Blair had promised that Britain would build a new stadium at Picketts Lock in North London to host them.

But they were taken away from Britain after the Government went back on its promise and were given to Helsinki instead.

Then a bid for the 2015 World Championships had to be dropped at the last moment last year because the future of the Olympic Stadium had not been decided.

The IAAF is due to choose the host city for the 2017 Championships at a meeting in Monte Carlo in November, where London will face opposition from Budapest, Doha and an unnamed Spanish city, probably Barcelona.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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