Spurs work 24 hours a day to finish new ground

TOTTENHAM are working through the night to ensure their new White Hart Lane stadium is ready for next season. Construction work remains on schedule. With over a thousand workers labouring seven days a week, the main bowl is complete and the stands taking shape. Spurs expect the roof to be on by spring which should see the £800million development accelerate to completion. Corporate-box showrooms are open and work has started on the internal facilities. Any slight delays and the club will seek help from the fixture schedulers at the Premier League to play the first two or three games of the 2018-19 season away from home. Liverpool switched one fixture to play their first three games away from home last season as they completed work on the new Kenny Dalglish Stand at Anfield. West Ham switched two in order to play their first three games away this season as the London Stadium was reconfigured after the World Athletics Championships. However, the Premier League will not allow home games to be played at different grounds. More significant delays, although not expected, may see manager Mauricio Pochettino (above) and his team play another year at Wembley. Spurs would again need permission from Brent Council but there would be no objection from Wembley, where the club’s residency has proved a success. No English clubs will be involved in Champions League qualifiers next season after UEFA’s restructuring of the competition but if Spurs face Europa League qualifiers they will hire a venue. UEFA say clubs must play all their matches at the same ground but, in practice, many have used different stadiums in qualifying.