Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United are set for an angry clash of cash row ahead of next month’s Carabao Cup clash. As reported by The Sun, the Hammers are fuming with the Lilywhites at being told that they may not earn a penny from the match.
This clash, which would be played at Tottenham’s temporary home, the Wembley Stadium, could attract a crowd of 50,000. This volatile London derby will most likely be classified as Category C – with a high risk of crowd trouble, considering the intense rivalry among both sets of supporters.
The Carabao Cup rules indicate that the teams involved in a game are entitled to a 45 percent share of the proceeds. The rest of the amount goes to the competition ‘pool’.
But, the Hammers believe that their clash with London rivals may not get them anything. As quoted by the Sun, a West Ham source said:
“They said we might get nothing from the gate as it costs £300,000 to open Wembley.”
West Ham are not the only side affected as it is being reported that Tottenham’s previous round opponent Barnsley, who played at the Wembley, will not get a penny from the 23,926 attendance at the national stadium for their fixture.
Responding to these reports, a Spurs spokesman said:
“As another club renting a stadium, West Ham are aware and understanding of the costs involved for cup games and the difficulty in any profit being made for such fixtures.”
Technically speaking, Spurs’ inability stems up from the fact that they are unable to use their own stadium, after having bid goodbye to the White Hart Lane, with the construction of their new stadium underway.
This is just a new chapter in the frosty relations between these two London rivals in recent times. Both went head-to-head with bids to take over the Old Olympic Stadium following the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, with things eventually going in favour of West Ham.
It was only last Saturday that they had a feisty encounter in the Premier League which ended 3-2 in Tottenham’s favour, thanks to a Harry Kane brace. The match that saw Serge Aurier receive a red card also saw an injury-time bust-up between the players from both sides. Both clubs have been fined for failing to control their players.
Let’s hope these sides dish out another classy encounter, sans these bust-ups, in the Carabao Cup clash.