Sadiq Khan delivers West Ham ownership message and addresses future of London Stadium

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Sir Sadiq Khan has suggested he wouldn't object to West Ham United leaving the London Stadium if potential new owners proposed a move. The atmosphere at the venue, which hosted the London 2012 Olympic Games , has become increasingly hostile this season.

Lingering resentment from the contentious move from Upton Park to Stratford in 2016 has led to regular protests both inside and outside the stadium . A large number of fans have been voicing their opposition against majority shareholder David Sullivan , demanding he sell the club.

However, with the ownership confirming a 99-year lease on the stadium in 2013 , a deal Khan described as "onerous" in 2017 , any plans for a new stadium, whether from the current ownership or interested buyers, are yet to be considered. West Ham is unable to make significant changes to the structure of the London Stadium without owning it and there is no deal in sight to take full control of the venue.

Fans have been left feeling jealous of clubs like Everton and rivals Tottenham Hotspur, who have recently built football-friendly stadiums.

Khan, who announced at Wembley Stadium his Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) has partnered with London United – the community foundations of all 17 of London's professional football clubs – in a major initiative to tackle violence and exploitation, told football.london he would discuss the future of the stadium if a serious proposal from new buyers was presented.

He said: "The London Stadium is a fantastic asset to our great city, in terms of not just the football that takes place there, but the things that take place in other periods, whether it's athletics, whether it's concerts, whether it's baseball and so forth.

"I've been hearing about new owners of West Ham for the last nine years since I've been mayor, let's wait and see if it materialises. But I know from speaking to friends who are West Ham fans, they've had a great experience at the London Stadium.

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"So, if there is a new owner at West Ham, we'd be more than happy to talk. We talk really well, we get on really well with the current owners and staff, but I'm more than happy to always speak to people who run sporting events. London, in my view, is the sporting capital of the world .

"These stadiums are fantastic ways for fans getting to watch the team they love. Some stadiums, frankly speaking, the fans, whether it's the poor form of the team or the way the stadium's been built, not all fans love. But we'll speak to the new owners, if there are new owners, if and when that occurs."

When questioned about whether there's a contingency plan for the London Stadium should prospective new owners wish to depart and construct a new ground elsewhere, he added: "Well, at the moment, listen, we're in a contract with West Ham, but if there are new owners for West Ham, we'd be happy to talk to them and the current owners as well.

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"We're always more than happy to speak to people who want to organise events at London. The London Stadium is a gorgeous stadium, and so, hypothetically speaking, if in the future West Ham wanted to vacate that stadium, I'm sure we'd have lots of other uses for it."

The Hammers currently sit 19th in the Premier League table, having managed just four points from a possible 27. Tensions reached boiling point during their recent 2-0 home defeat to Brentford, with supporters booing the team, jeering the owners and streaming out in droves before the final whistle.

Fans are planning another demonstration following Sunday's clash with Newcastle United , with a sit-in protest organised inside the stadium.

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