West Ham may sue over beer prices

WEST HAM are threatening to sue the owners of the London Stadium if there is no cut in beer prices before the next home game. The club are furious that the cheapest pint of beer for last Sunday’s opening match against Manchester City was £7.30 — up £2.11 from an equivalent purchase at neighbouring Tottenham. And they are willing to go to court to force a price change, citing the comparable clubs clause in their catering agreement with the London Stadium. Fans were angry at the prices being charged on the first day of the season — but West Ham do not set those prices and do not profit from catering at the stadium. To safeguard their fans from opportunist price hikes, however, they have an agreement that says catering prices at the ground should be a mean of the prices at Arsenal, Tottenham and Chelsea. That puts the cheapest beer at around £5.75 per pint, £1.55 cheaper than currently. West Ham have raised the issue with caterers Delaware North, who insist they cannot make price reductions without London Stadium permission. The club expect the change to be made in time for the visit of Viborg in the UEFA Conference League on Thursday — and have threatened legal action if their contract is not honoured. Manchester City, meanwhile, are planning to introduce DJs to perform for supporters in a revamp of the Etihad Stadium concourses. Pep Guardiola’s Premier League champions have redesigned areas inside the South Stand in a project they say will enhance fan experience at matches, starting against Bournemouth tomorrow. They include new self-service vending machines with a wider range of food, a DJ booth to play music pre-match and, at half-time, a new bar that includes selfservice beer taps.