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West Ham's Olympic Stadium will be one 'of the greatest arenas' - Brady

West Ham United vice-chairman Karren Brady believes the club's new home at the Olympic Stadium will be "one of the greatest arenas in world football."

The Hammers move into the stadium which hosted the athletics events at the London 2012 games next summer ahead of the 2016-17 season, leaving behind their current Upton Park home.

The venue was most recently used for games in the Rugby Union World Cup and its transformation from an athletics venue to a ground capable of showcasing Premier League football is almost complete.

"There is an immense amount of work going on behind the scenes in preparation for our move in 2016," Brady said in her annual vice-chairman's review in announcing the club's financial results. "As plans take shape it becomes even more apparent that our new home will be one of the greatest arenas in world football and a platform to transform the future of our great club."

"Retention of our [Premier League] status in the 2015-16 season is an absolute necessity for the future well-being of the club, as we will be moving to our new home in the 2016-17 season and a new improved broadcast deal will be in place.

"The Olympic Stadium offers enormous commercial and brand opportunities and we have a strategy in place to deliver sell-out crowds and enter the stadium with a team that are befitting of such an amazing iconic venue."

The report revealed a profit after tax of just under £3 million for last season, with turnover up £5.9m to £120.7m, while wages were up £8.8m to £72.7m.

West Ham's move to the stadium in Stratford has been shrouded in controversy with most of the running costs being met by UK taxpayers, with facilities and services paid for by the publicly funded London Legacy Development Corporation (LDC).

The LDC will fund such things as undersoil heating and floodlighting, the ticket office and turnstiles, drug testing and medical facilities, clearance of snow and ice, changing rooms, security, cleaning, pest control, public address system, generators, CCTV surveillance system and monitors, pitch-side signage, scoreboards and jumbo video screens.