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.
oh deary deary me…what a sorry mess! I dont want the Olympic Stadium but boy is that an embarrassing tangle of sheets…;P Good on levy for making this whole sorry fiasco work out for Spurs in the long run…maybe he knew this would be the endgame all along, if so…what a champ!
maybe he knew this would be the endgame all along
I’m happy to play along with that if it means getting the NDP back on track.
Maybe Levy still has his sights on Stratford. :shocked2: :shocked2:
Mark my words this is only the start. DL wont have shown all his hand at once. Always thought there had to be something more to than a scorned DL. I am very much looking forward to the outcome of this… At last something to get excited about in the close seaon…. Go Levy!!!!
This is just business , adeal worth Over £200m will involve a few payoffs but just to show west ham are stupid is they paid direct to a bank account so they should be sued for being stupid.
If they refuse to sell any players well big deal as they were not good enough to stay in EPL.
This may pressure govt to start ball rolling on NDP.
We should all start putting presure on Boris as it was he and his office who encourage spurs to go for it.
I hate labour but will vote for ken to get rid of boris
When it mattered, prior to the OPLC announcement, the Levy/THFC’s strategy and actions were politically naive in the extreme. If the aim now is to somehow paint the WHU ‘bid’ as toxic, it is perhaps even more ill conceived – there is too much political weight and reputation behind the decision to award it to West Ham and they (OPLC, the Mayor, central government, etc) will simply want to ‘kill’ (quash) any outstanding debate and focus on the Olympics. It is no-one’s interest, other than Spurs (and Orients’) to prolong the saga, and that won’t be enough; Without political (or judicial, it seems) support Levy is going nowhere with this.
Furthermore, let’s hope this initial exposé (of OPLC / West Ham) is just a ‘taster’, otherwise in seeking to bring pressure to bear, Tottenham Hotspur’s actions (and the West Ham / Newham reactions) will conspire to make it more difficult, not more likely, for (the Mayor, or government) to do a deal in respect of funding and/or transport.
In summary, it is the implied threat (of exposure) that is required, not actually doing it.
I agree, if there isn’t more damaging info now that the story has already been leaked, those concerned won’t be too inclined to ‘buy our silence’ with handouts.
There is much more to come and i suspect DL holds all the Aces.
How come the first 2 payments from West Hams Bank of Scotland account to Dionne Knight of £566 & £1302 were made before they were granted preferred bidder status if they were to procure site clearance services after London 2012.
Further payments of £3400, £4600 and the latest in June have been made.
Why did it take Newham Borough Council 6 weeks to refuse the Mike Law request under FOI legislation due to the cost (£450) of obtaining and releasing such information, i would assume DL may be happy to underwrite this outlay.
The Information Commissioner must ensure that Newham Borough Council adhere to FOI act 2000 and release said facts without delay.