“We really feel privileged to be going into this stadium. We realise how important it is for east London and the community.
“We’ve had 13 sell-out games in a row at Upton Park and we desperately need a bigger stadium to make football affordable for all and we will be continuing our policies of ‘Kids for a Quid’ and half-price games for adults. We want football to be affordable for the ordinary working-class man and not just the corporate people and that’s why we want a bigger stadium.
“With the retractable seats on the running track, it really will feel the part. The sight-lines are better than Wembley so it will be a smashing stadium in the end.
“I would just like to thank Boris because he and his people fought us very hard over everything but I think it’s ended up being a great deal for everyone. I know it’s a cliché, but I think this is a win-win situation for London, for the legacy and for West Ham United Football Club.
“Hopefully, in five or six years’ time, when we’ve got the increased revenue from this stadium, we can be a force to be reckoned with. It’s the only way forward for the club and it’s fantastic for everybody.
“I would like to thank Karren, who has done 98 per cent of the work on this. I’ve just come in at the end and had a ‘Thank you’ from Boris but really it has been Karren’s work!”