Tottenham will be stepping into a new era when development works on their brand-new stadium completes in the next couple of years. Tottenham expect the new 61,000 seater stadium to be ready by the 2018-19 season. A club that has been going places in the last couple of years, Spurs will be spending more than £700 million on the project. A substantial chunk of the money is expected to be recouped through stadium sponsorship, while hospitality packages will also contribute a significant sum. The current White Hart Lane has a capacity of 35,000 and Tottenham have had long queues for season tickets.
One of the signatures of the existing stadium is the White Hart Lane station, which is adjacent to the ground. In order to bring about the same continuity, Tottenham are keen on naming the station as the ‘Tottenham Hotspur station’, according to Squawka. The club are currently seeking permission from Transport for London in order to support this new name. However, they have reportedly run into a stumbling block with Transport for London (TFL) asked for the club to come up with the associated fees.
Due to the high initial capacity, Tottenham are aware that only naming rights will not be sufficient to compensate for the costs. The club had reached an agreement with the NFL to host at least two games per season at the White Hart Lane, which is undergoing redevelopment.
The whole renaming procedure will result in substantial changes to the mapping and other entities. TFL have requested a fee of £12 million from Spurs just for the renaming procedure. Chairman Daniel Levy, who is always known as a hard negotiator, is unlikely to pay the fees straightaway. Since the club has already invested a lot of money in the redevelopment works surrounding the area, the club are likely to search for a new sponsor in order to finance this move. Renaming is also part of the bragging rights since neighbours Arsenal managed to bring about a similar change to the Gillespie Road underground station after moving to the Highbury in 1932.
Tottenham’s new stadium is being constructed very close by to the White Hart Lane. Featuring a seating capacity of more than 60,000, it will be one of the largest stadiums in England. It will be connected to the London Overground station through a walkaway, which then leads directly into the ground. The redevelopment work of the ground will also see the construction of a new 180-room hotel along with 579 homes. Spurs have claimed that the project has already provided a lot of economic support to the region and will continue to do so by providing several jobs for local residents.
