Daniel Levy says that this may not be Tottenham’s final season at White Hart Lane, as previously thought. Tottenham are in the process of constructing a brand-new 60,000 seater stadium, which will cost the club in excess of £700 million. Even though most of the funds are coming from the sponsorship deals, it is still a sizeable investment from the club. This investment will help them move to the next level and compete with the top clubs on all fronts. It was in preparation for the club’s anticipated move to the new stadium in the beginning of the 2018-19 season.
However, Daniel Levy recently claimed that the club’s prospect of moving away from the 118-year-old stadium at the end of the season is not yet confirmed. Spurs still have the option of making Wembley as their temporary home, but it needs to be confirmed before the end of this month. Chelsea have also entered into competition for the new Wembley, as a result of the development work at Stamford Bridge which is set to begin soon. The minutes record Levy’s response thus (via Evening Standard)
“DL insisted all planning is towards playing fixtures at Wembley next season but there is a need to plan for all eventualities should any major issues arise, which would mean another year at White Hart Lane before moving to Wembley for the 2018/19 season. THFC will not move away for two years so all conditions must be right before they make the call to move this summer.”
Tottenham have already started playing the European games at the new Wembley. However, it has been quite disastrous since the club has struggled to cope with the expansive nature of the pitch compared with the claustrophobic atmosphere at White Hart Lane. A number of factors are preventing the possibility of a move to the Wembley stadium. It is believed that Tottenham will have to spend at least one season at an underground in order to have a chance of competing for the new ground before the start of the 2018-19 season. Having the home games at total capacity is something that Tottenham are seeking from the English FA when they move into the Wembley next season. However, the decision will be revealed only on March 23.
“DL explained there are a number of factors associated with the move, adding that once the Board takes the final decision to move away for one season everything ‘must be right’.
That decision will mean the demolition of White Hart Lane, so there is no margin for error.”
Tottenham are expecting a significant jump in revenue – especially match day revenue – when they move to the new stadium. Just like the Emirates stadium of Arsenal, this will be receiving a huge sum of money as sponsorship through naming rights. This will go a long way towards meeting the extravagant cost for the stadium, which will be the most expensive in English football – surpassing the £700 million spent on Wembley several years ago. It will move Spurs level with Arsenal in terms of stadium capacity, with Chelsea set to catch up soon.
