Good evening.
Difficult to remember when the phrase, ‘You couldn’t make it up’ was more apt. The Sunday Times have pulled a rather grubby looking rabbit out of a hat here. A table creaking feast of story in today’s issue.
Here then are the facts as presented. Corporate investigators hired by Levy & Co believe they have discovered payments the most recent of which was £4,800 made in June into the back account of a woman called Dionne Knight. The payments came from an account operated by Naughty Knickers Of Newham Ltd T/A West Ham United Football Club.
Dionne Knight is the Director of Corporate Services at OPLC or Olympic Park Legacy Company.
Dionne is in a relationship with a man called Ian Tompkins. Ian is a Director of West Ham Football Club.
Doorstepped by The Sunday Times, Dionne claimed that the monies – which she did not dispute – were paid for ‘some consultancy work’ she had done for the Porn Barons.
Dionne also disclosed that Karren Brady #facelikeakickedinfridge was fully aware of her ‘consultancy work’ , but that Dionne had not made the OPLC aware of it.
The timeline for this work was that it began two months before the decision to award the Stadium to West Ham. The Sunday Times believes that the corporate detectives were engaged by Tottenham two days before the decision was announced. Readers with keen memories will recall that West Ham began celebrating their ‘win’ at least a day before the decision was formally announced.
On Friday both Ian Tompkins and Dionne Knight were suspended from their positions. Yesterday, a solicitor acting for Dionne revealed that her consultancy work was, ‘a procurement contract in relation to the Olympic Stadium.’ So just to clarify, the Bid Director of West Ham Football Club was sleeping with the Olympic Park Legacy Company’s Director of Corporate Services.
Now this next bit is good. Dionne didn’t tell the OPLC that she was receiving money from the Porn Barons, but she did tell them that she was receiving in a relationship with Ian. So the OPLC in their own words said, ‘ measures were taken to ensure she had no access to sensitive information.’
So there you have it. A sordid little tale that stinks to high heaven. The Barons, Tubby Baron & Taller Baron will have to think on their feet here. The OPLC’s Corporate Director, Dionne Knight was not only in a relationship with the Bidding Director of West Ham, but she was also employed by West Ham on a consultative basis.
I am no expert, but I would imagine that the sourcing of this information was absolutely in the public interest. Proof of this if you ever needed it – was that it was hushed up.
p.s. #facelikeakickedinfridge makes me laugh every time I read it.
Haha – join the club! “Wants to be played by Phil mitchell” tickled me as well..
these shenanigans just go to show that we (as fans) are well and truly on the outside looking in.
there is much more to any club than what people realize, nevermind one with as many transitional/pivotal decisions being made as ours.
Just goes to show that whatever you feel about Levy, he aint going to be pushed about by players, the fa or another club.
thanks for all you are doing for my club daniel – now go and roast the dirty little pair of feckers.
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Meanwhile,in a stench-packing factory in Upton Park…
There is still a few missing pieces. It sounds like payments can be shown by WHam to Knight, and the relationship between Ian Tompkins and Dionne Knight is admitted. But did Knight have access to inside information on the bid process, and, if so, was this information passed to Fridgeface?
It seems to me like that is the crucial bit. Otherwise the vested interests will brush this aside as a minor lapse in judgment by two employees on the fringes of the bid process.
West Ham get to keep the Olympic stadium, we get a bung, sorry, government grant to redevelop WHL to keep this from this sordid tale being retold in the high courts. Then we all laugh as West Ham miss out on promotion and go skint.
Perfick.
winner.