Mowlem facing £1.8m shortfall on Baggies’ new stand

Mowlem is battling to claim an extra £1.8m from Premiership newcomers West Bromwich Albion after the cost of building the club's new East Stand escalated dramatically.

The stand, which Mowlem completed last autumn, had originally been estimated at £5.25m, though this was revised upwards to £6m in August 2001. Since then, Albion have paid up £6.3m - but the contractor is claiming an additional £1.8m.

A club statement this week said that "disputed claims… for approximately a further £1.8m have been outstanding for a number of months and currently remain unresolved".

It is thought the claims have only just come to light because of a period of boardroom infighting at The Hawthorns, with Jeremy Peace replacing Paul Thompson as chairman in June.

A spokesman for Mowlem said: "John Mowlem is in negation with the management of West Bromwich Albion Football Club and does not wish to comment before the matter is settled with the client."