Tottenham Hotspur have denied newspaper reports that the club would be put up for sale for £1bn. This followed the news that the club would have to relocate away from White Hart Lane for one season while the stadium was rebuilt.
Tottenham Hotspur have denied newspaper reports that the club would be put up for sale for £1bn. This followed the news that the club would have to relocate away from White Hart Lane for one season while the stadium was rebuilt.
The most likely ground for relocation during the 2017-18 season is Stadium MK. It is nearly 50 miles from White Hart Lane, but it has a capacity of 32,000, although this would represent a drop of 4,000 from White Hart Lane. Most Spurs fans could reach it relatively easily, but parking could be an issue.
Wembley would offer plenty of capacity, but using it for 20 club games would be unprecedented. The rental, policing and operational costs would be prohibitive. The Olympic Stadium would offer good capacity at a location close to White Hart Lane, but Spurs tried to claim it as their own ground and there is lingering bad blood with West Ham. Similarly, playing at the Emirates would not go down well with Spurs fans.
The Amex Stadium at Brighton is the wrong side of London for Spurs fans and Ipswich’s Portman Road would involve a long journey. The Valley is the wrong side of the river and would not offer enough capacity.
Another possibility is for Spurs to take their games ‘on the road’ and play at a number of different locations. However, this would require special permission from the Premier League and would be unsettling for fans and players.