West Ham fans denied chance to watch Europa Conference League final at London Stadium… thanks to BASEBALL

WEST HAM’S plans to screen the Europa Conference League final at the London Stadium have been scuppered by Major League Baseball.

The Hammers will feature in their first major Euro final for 47 years when they take on Fiorentina in Prague on June 7.

It is customary for clubs to put on a mass showing of a final at their home ground for those not able to make the trip.

However, this will now not be possible with the London Stadium being transformed ahead of an MLB double-header between the Chicago Cubs and St Louis Cardinals.

As an alternative, West Ham have staff on the ground in the Czech Republic this week in an attempt to organise a fan park for ticketless supporters.

The Irons' allocation in the 19,370-capacity Eden Arena is just 5,780 – with over double that number expected to fly out to Prague.

East London has played host to baseball since 2019. The last few years have seen fixtures cancelled due to Covid-19, but the sport will continue to feature in the UK until at least 2026.

West Ham’s power over these events is complicated owing to the fact they do not own the London Stadium outright, instead paying an annual rental fee to the London Legacy Development Corporation since their switch from Upton Park in 2016.

Meanwhile, over 10,000 police officers from all over the Czech Republic are being recruited to monitor the final – with 25,000 ticketless fans expected to descend on Prague.

Uefa have called an emergency meeting in the host city this Friday involving Britain’s National Police Chief’s Council, Scotland Yard, Italian and Prague Police.

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This comes after AZ Alkmaar yobs attacked West Ham supporters in the stands in Holland just after the final whistle of their semi-final second leg.

Players got involved in the bust-up with the ultras to defend their families sitting in the area that was targeted.