UK Athletics Fights to Stop Relocation Of Anniversary Games

UK Athletics (UKA) and the Diamond League have hit back at London Legacy Development Corporation’s (LLDC) announcement that it will seek to find a new home for this summer’s Anniversary Games, stating that London Stadium must respect the terms of the hosting contract.

This year’s edition of the Anniversary Games, which is part of the Diamond League series of athletic meets, is scheduled to take place on July 13th. However, LLDC, owner and operator of London Stadium, has argued that the cost of transforming the venue from football to athletics mode, and back again, cannot be justified for just one event.

Ordinarily, the summer series of events in the close season for Premier League football club West Ham United would include a number of concerts. However, COVID‑19 has eliminated music events for the summer of 2021 leaving a £3m adaptation cost solely for the Anniversary Games.

LLDC would normally be counting on the revenue generated by concerts to offset this cost, while it is also expecting to take a hit through the midweek calendar slot for this year’s Anniversary Games and the expected 20,000 crowd for the event.

A spokesperson for the LLDC recently told the press that like many venues, the COVID pandemic means London Stadium will not host the usual summer events in 2021. If the stadium were to host the athletics fixture, the stadium, and ultimately the taxpayer, would face costs of around £3m to cover adapting for just one evening of athletics.

LLDC are suggesting compromises to UK Athletics (UKA), such as discussing alternative options for this summer’s event, including an offer to cover the costs of moving the event to another venue believing this to be a sensible way forward for all concerned under the circumstances.

LLDC have said that the only viable locations for the Anniversary Games would be Manchester or Gateshead and this suggestion would mean the event could be held without disrupting Team GB’s Olympic preparations whilst delivering best value to the taxpayer.

The season launch on May 23rd was initially scheduled to be the Meeting International Mohammed VI in the Moroccan capital, an event which has now been cancelled due to ongoing COVID‑19 restrictions. The 2021 campaign will instead begin at the Gateshead International Stadium, which will host a Diamond League meeting for the first time since the series’ inaugural year in 2010.

Both UKA and the Diamond League have said they expect LLDC to ensure London Stadium remains the host for the Anniversary Games. A UKA spokesperson said recently that this would be an unacceptable breach of a longstanding agreement that forms an important part of the 2012 Olympic legacy plans.

UKA expect the contract to be honoured and the event to take place at the Olympic Stadium as do the athletes, broadcasters, sponsors, and most importantly the fans. They maintain that this is not only a key part of UKA’s Olympic and Paralympic athletes’ preparation for Tokyo but an opportunity for fans and young athletes from the local community to return to one of the most iconic athletic venues in world sport.

A spokesperson for the Diamond League have agreed with UKA in that they maintain that there is a contract in place between the stadium and UKA and are not expecting it to go elsewhere. They are still planning for a Wanda Diamond League meeting to take place in the London Stadium on July 13th.