West Ham United shifted to the London Stadium a couple of years ago and since then the Hammers call it home.
This though should not be considered as ownership since the Premier League club actually do not own the stadium.
London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) are the rightful owners of the London Stadium and West Ham United currently pay £2.5m a year to use the stadium as part of a 99-year lease.
But right now the LLDC and West Ham are entangled in a legal battle over a change in the pitchside area.
Currently, the sides of the pitch are surrounded by a green material but the Hammers want it to be changed to Claret which is the main colour of the Hammers logo.
The good news is that West Ham have won the battle in court and the LLDC have been asked to cover the costs.
But recent reports are suggesting that the Premier League outfit do not mind paying the £380,000 cost that would be required to replace the green material with a claret one.
While £380k is the amount that the club are willing to pay for the revamp but some estimates suggest that the work can be done for half of the amount.
The LLDC said in a statement: “We are complying with all of the decisions made through the expert determination process, including supplying a pitch surround in contrasting colour and continue to discuss the solutions with West Ham United.
West Ham are willing to pay up to £380,000 to change the pitch surround at the London Stadium to claret.
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— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) August 16, 2018
“We have begun the procurement process for the new pitch surround, which will be in place within the next few weeks.
“We are not going to comment on private negotiations. However, we wish to protect our commercial rights, which involve securing the best deal for all our assets such as the sponsorship potential of the pitch surround.”
And the changing of the pitchside area was not the only agenda of the legal battle. There were a number of other verdicts that have gone in favour of West Ham United meaning there are separate issues that the LLDC need to resolve.
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- Work to replace the material around the pitch perimeter.
- The installation of pumps to allow the sale of draught beer at all bars
- Hospitality staff who work in the corporate boxes at the stadium
- Ensuring all televisions at the ground are allowed to show live sport – West Ham paid for the licence but the London Stadium had adverts on some screens
West Ham United are also interested to use the pitchside area as a sponsorship opportunity once the colours have been changed to claret.
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