West Ham-London Stadium row escalates as club alleges landlords demand double fees to host WSL matches
West Ham says women’s team has not played at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park since 2019 as a contractual dispute over fixture allocation and venue costs remains unresolved
West Ham United said the dispute with their London Stadium landlords intensified after the club was asked to pay what it described as double the costs of staging a men’s fixture in order to host Women’s Super League matches at the ground.
The club heads into the opening round of WSL fixtures this weekend having not played a competitive fixture at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park since 2019. West Ham Women were based at Victoria Road, the home of Dagenham & Redbridge, for the 2024-25 campaign and were the only side among last season’s top-flight clubs not to stage a single game at the larger grounds used by their men’s teams.
In a long-running dispute that dates back to the club’s controversial move to the stadium in 2016, West Ham points to the terms of the pre-move agreement which it says allowed a designated number of "competitive fixtures" at the venue each season. Daily Mail Sport reported that the existing agreement permits up to 25 games per campaign at the London Stadium, a figure the club cites in arguing that the women’s team should have access to the venue.
The club has described recent demands over venue costs as a significant escalation. According to West Ham, stadium landlords have sought a fee for hosting WSL fixtures that equates to twice the cost of staging a comparable men’s match, a position the club says is untenable and has prevented a return to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
Supporters and board members have expressed anger and unease at the situation, which has persisted through multiple seasons. The lack of women's fixtures at the larger London Stadium has been a recurring source of frustration for fans who want to attend matches in a higher-capacity, central venue, as well as for club officials concerned about the commercial and profile benefits of staging WSL games at their principal ground.
The dispute has wider implications for the visibility and revenue of the women’s side. Playing at larger stadiums used by men’s teams has become common among top-flight clubs, and West Ham’s absence from the London Stadium during recent seasons has marked a divergence from that trend.
The move to the London Stadium in 2016 was itself contentious and included contractual provisions governing fixture allocation; that agreement now sits at the centre of the disagreement over how many matches the club may stage there and under what financial terms. West Ham has repeatedly referenced those terms in public accounts of the dispute.
With the WSL season starting this weekend, the club faces immediate pressure to resolve where its women’s side will play high-profile home fixtures. The dispute between West Ham and the London Stadium landlords remains unresolved, and both supporters and the club will be watching for a settlement that allows West Ham Women greater access to the stadium in future campaigns.