Barry Hearn, the chairman of Leyton Orient, will ask for West Ham and the Premier League's assistance in helping his club build a 15,000-seater stadium in return for not disrupting the handover of the Olympic Stadium with legal challenges.
In an interview with the Guardian, Hearn said Orient's unexpected late equaliser against Arsenal in the FA Cup last Sunday has produced another twist in the long-running debate about the Stratford stadium and the likely outcome that West Ham will be granted the lease to move in after the 2012 Games. Hearn said Waltham Forest council has indicated it would now actively help him explore the potential building of the stadium at nearby Eton Manor as a way of ensuring that Orient do not leave the borough.
"For the first time I actually felt a glimmer of hope," Hearn said following his meeting on Wednesday with Chris Robbins, the leader of Waltham council. "It was totally their idea. They don't want to lose us. In a way the benefits of this FA Cup run have crystallised their thinking on what's important to their community. At the moment I'm keeping all my options open – and threatening to sue everybody."
Hearn said he may consider dropping his threatened legal action should all the parties meet with him to discuss Orient's concerns. A judicial review to challenge the government and the mayor of London's expected "rubber-stamping" of the decision in favour of West Ham has been mooted for some time by Hearn. He has appointed Mishcon de Reya, a leading London law firm specialising in judicial review cases, and they have written "warning letters" to the Olympic Park Legacy Company, the mayor, West Ham, the Premier League and the Football League.
Concerned that West Ham's post-Olympic move to Stratford could be endorsed "within the next seven days", Hearn said the council's reaction had given him fresh hope: "I hadn't heard from them until now even though they're my council. But Chris Robbins said: 'We don't want you to go.' I explained that if we stay here [and West Ham move into the Olympic Stadium] this is what's going to happen: 'Orient won't go under overnight but we'll slowly slip away with an ageing audience.' The council said: 'What about looking at Eton Manor because that doesn't have any use for it planned at this stage?'
"We talked about making some kind of presentation to the OPLC – saying there might be a deal to build a new stadium, the Olympic Community Stadium, where I would bring Orient and, also, I think, Saracens Rugby Club, because they're good friends of mine and they're very keen to move. There's also a Help the Heroes rehabilitation centre and Paralympic guys there."
Robbins confirmed to the Guardian that his meeting with Hearn had been "very constructive. We think it's vital for us to keep Orient in the borough and we'll bend over backwards to make that happen."
Saracens are committed to developing a new rugby ground at Copthall in Barnet but a source close to the club told the Guardian they would consider working with Hearn should their proposal be blocked by planning permission difficulties.
Hearn estimates the cost of a 15,000-seat stadium would be in the region of £35m and pledged to use all the proceeds from the sale of Brisbane Road, Orient's current home, to fund the development. "I own the ground and I've always said that whatever money I make on the ground I'd give the club half. You know what, if this came off I'd give the club all of it. I'd give them all the profit. I'm not interested in making a profit out of Leyton Orient."
He added that £35m was "a drop in the ocean in the wider scheme of things. But the one thing we've all got in common is that nobody's got any money. Newham council somehow found £45m to lend to West Ham. In an area that's cutting back on Meals on Wheels for old people, it's a staggering investment in West Ham season tickets. But I've got to be realistic and we want to fund the scheme in a way that doesn't involve drainage on the public purse. Let's have a planning meeting with everyone and say: 'Can this work? Let's make a proper business proposal.' I think the Premier League would help as well but everyone must sit down. And let's not do anything in haste. Otherwise, the legal process kicks in."
Hearn's determination to take the case to judicial review, should an alternative solution not be found to secure Orient's future, is evident. "They would be very wise to consider their position at this stage. If they rubber-stamp West Ham's move now we'll have a judicial review and the court will say: 'Show us the evidence where you've considered Leyton Orient because they have a legal right to be considered.' But there isn't any evidence because they haven't made one inquiry. So they are, seriously, up the swannee.
"What really annoyed me was the total lack of respect from everybody – the Premier League, the Football League, the mayor of London, the government, the Olympic Legacy people. Because there are problems with the Olympic legacy they think they've got a solution with West Ham – who are obviously going to take it at any price. They're rather be sweeping us under the carpet. But no one has made one enquiry as to how this is going to affect us. With 130 years of tradition and the award-winning community schemes we operate, we deserve more."