West Ham’s attempts to secure a deal for the naming rights of the London Stadium have been out on hold until the end of the season, according to Football.Insider.
The Hammers have been seeking to sell the rights to their home ground with the London Legacy Development Corporation, the club’s landlords in east London, and had been hoping to secure something by Christmas.
But it is now understood that any deal will be delayed next May at the very earliest.
OPINION
This is disappointing news, truth be told. The ideal scenario would have been to have everything tied up as soon as possible, so as to have something in place for next season and ensure that the advertisement money was rolling in in time to use for recruitment. Certainly, any potential deal could be a great way for the Hammers to bring in some lucrative extra income. It is understood that the LLDC will take a decent cut of any sponsorship, but even after they have had their share, it could provide the Hammers with a regular earner to help them kick on and improve in the transfer market. The long term plan for the club is surely to become a regular European contender, and the more funds they have can get injected into that project, the better for everybody. A deal will no doubt still be struck, but the delay is still disappointing.
