Lawyers for the League One side argued in the High Court that the process by which the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) awarded the tenancy to West Ham was "entirely flawed" and called for a review as they were "never properly considered as a co-tenant with Premier League side West Ham".

However, the LLDC claimed that Orient's notions were "wholly illogical" and that their case was "devoid of merit".

Ultimately, Mr Justice Lewis refused the application for a judicial review.

West Ham welcomed the ruling on its website.

"West Ham United welcome the decision to not grant permission for a judicial review into the LLDC's process that awarded the Club the opportunity to make the Olympic Stadium its home in 2016," read a statement.

"Although the application for a judicial review would not have had any impact on West Ham United's move to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, the Club have always believed the process was robust, fair and transparent.

"The Club and other key stakeholders in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park can now focus fully on progressing their groundbreaking plans to create a stunning venue of which the whole country can be proud, alongside a long-lasting and tangible Olympic legacy with a real community club at its core."

West Ham said it had always believed the process to award it the tenancy was "robust,
fair and transparent"


That sentiment was echoed by the LLDC, which said: "We welcome today's ruling and are pleased that Mr Justice Lewis agrees that we ran a fair, open and transparent competition to appoint concessionaires for the Stadium.

"We believe the agreement we have with West Ham United Football Club and UK Athletics will deliver a fantastic sporting and community legacy in east London and represents the best deal for the taxpayer.

"Work is now underway to transform the stadium into a year round multi-use venue for sports, cultural and community events that will generate hundreds of new jobs, attract many thousands of visitors and act as a catalyst for further economic investment and growth in the area."

Leyton Orient and West Ham were among four parties bidding for tenancy of the venue, along with UCFB College of Football Business and a consortium linked to Formula 1.

West Ham were named as the preferred bidder in December last year in what was the second attempt to resolve the Olympic Stadium's future use.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


Related stories
March 2013: I will walk away from Olympic Stadium fight if I lose judicial review, promises Leyton Orient chairman
March 2013: Hearn to mount new legal challenge against Olympic Stadium future
June 2012: West Ham refuse to discuss sharing Olympic Stadium with Leyton Orient
May 2012: Leyton Orient want to share Olympic Stadium with West Ham