ORIENT chairman Barry Hearn has admitted an excitement at the possibility of the club moving to the Olympic Stadium following the 2012 Games - but has stressed that the O's priorities remain securing their League One Status and completing the redevelopment of Brisbane Road.

West Ham United were ruled out of the running for the Olympic Stadium last week after it was announced that the venue would be scaled down to a 25,000 capacity after the Games and Hearn believes that leaves Orient as the only football club in the running for the stadium.

He said: "There has been a lot of speculation and comment in the newspapers about a future ground for Leyton Orient and whether or not we would be interested in moving to the Olympic Stadium once the Games are over in 2012.

"Let's make one thing perfectly clear. As exciting as any proposal may be, we have our own agenda at this football club and anything we do must be in our long term best interests..

"Our primary agenda is to stay in League One, and our secondary agenda is to finish our ground as a four-sided development so we have Brisbane Road operational as a proper, functional football stadium.

"Nothing will take our eye of that ball, but clearly we must consider every option for the long term future of Leyton Orient Football Club and the chance of being involved with the Olympic Stadium, in one form or another, is worthy of our consideration and of further negotiation.

"There is a long way to go before 2012, but we as a football club embrace a lot of the ideals of the Olympics in terms of sport for everyone, and our involvement with the community would put us in prime position for us to be involved as part of the Olympic legacy."

Hearn also believes that a move to the Olympic Stadium, coupled with the regeneration of East London, could be the springboard that Orient need to become a major club.

He continued: "The regeneration of the East End is well overdue and very welcome, and we will discuss anything that is to the benefit of Leyton Orient.

"We should be honoured to be considered for an involvement in the Olympic development and if the criteria is of benefit to the club then we may well come to an arrangement with the Olympic committees.

"We have always been in the shadow of the big clubs, and it may well be that a move to the Olympic Stadium could be the kickstart that this club needs to become a major club.

"But Brisbane Road has been our home for 70 years and it is not a home we will move out of unless we are presented with an opportunity that is too good to turn down.

"With a 25,000 capacity we'd certainly have room to grow and moving to the Olympic Stadium would be a sign for a lot of people to start supporting Leyton Orient."

"I don't like athletics tracks at football grounds, but is it a price we are prepared to pay? I don't know because I don't know what the deal is and we will have to look at all the options and make the appropriate consultations before a decision is made.

"What I do know is that there will not be enough athletics meetings to not put something in the design formula that would make it acceptable to football fans as well.

"But these are details that we don't have enough information on to comment yet. We are aware of the potential problem and we will deal with it.

"However, I will repeat that this is a long way off and our total focus is on keeping this club in League One."