Tottenham is heading to court in an attempt to stop rival Premier League football club West Ham from moving into the Olympic Stadium after the 2012 London Games.
The north London club opened legal proceedings Wednesday challenging the decision by West Ham's local authority to provide a 40 million pound ($65 million) loan to fund the move.
The two clubs had bid against each other for the right to move into the stadium, and West Ham won the decision in February - in part because it fulfills organizers' promise to retain the running track after the Olympics. Tottenham had wanted to rebuild the stadium and remove the athletics facilities.
Tottenham, which had originally hoped to build a new stadium on its current White Hart Lane site but fell out with its own local authority, now wants a judge to look into the funding arrangement that made West Ham's bid possible.
''The club has today sought permission from the High Court to bring a claim against the London Borough of Newham for judicial review of Newham's process in providing a loan for the conversion of the Olympic Stadium after the 2012 Games,'' Tottenham said in a statement. ''The club wrote to Newham asking it to explain its reasons and justification for its decision, but Newham has declined to respond to this request for information.
''Due to the time limits which apply to claims for judicial review, the club has had no alternative but to issue these proceedings in order to protect its position.''
After being chosen by the Olympic Park Legacy Company, West Ham is now planning to leave Upton Park and move into the nearby Olympic Stadium in east London by August 2014.
West Ham also hopes to stage concerts, Twenty20 cricket and American football at the stadium.
