West Ham United made a cash donation of ?12,500 to the Conservative & Unionist Party in January.

The payment - which appears to have come from club coffers, and was not offered as a personal gift by any or all of the directors - was revealed by the Electoral Commission, the watchdog charged with regulating political party finance, on their website earlier this week News of the donation - to the political party who vice-chair Karren Brady represents in the House of Lords and whose Government (and Mayor) were responsible for rubber-stamping the deal granting West Ham tenancy of the Olympic Stadium - comes at a particularly bad time for the club.Prior to the revelation, much of the media and other opponents of West Ham United's 99-year tenancy were already openly questioning the (favourable) deal that will result in the club leaving the Boleyn Ground for Stratford this summer.And this latest news - which represents an unusual, though not entirely unprecedented act by a professional football club - will do little to dispel those concerns, whilst disquiet amongst fans not supportive of the current Government is also likely to cause the Board further headaches.One supporter, posting on the KUMB Forum tonight referred to the revelation as an "absolute disgrace". "This is a total embarrassment," wrote Forum member Dodger. "It also leaves us open to accusations of State Aid again."And fellow member Sweeney Bod agreed with the sentiment, adding: "It's amazingly stupid [at a time] when other clubs and the media are throwing out accusations of State Aid in regards to the Olympic Stadium."Poplar and Limehouse MP Jim Fitzpatrick also criticised the club for using the club's own money to fund the donation."Clearly the club's owners and senior staff members are very close to the Conservative Party - it's no surprise they would want to donate to it individually," he told the Independent's Political Editor Nigel Morris."However, donating money from the club, which is from fans and sponsors with a variety of political affiliations is a bit of a surprise."A club spokesman was also quoted by Morris, stating: "West Ham United is a private company. As such we make donations to whatever causes we see fit."* KUMB.com have reached out to the club for further comment.