Spurs eye extra-time on stadium
TOTTENHAM are in a race against the clock to complete their new stadium by the start of next season.
Chairman Daniel Levy and boss Mauricio Pochettino were updated on progress during a tour of the 61,559-capacity arena last week.
But the club are still unable to say if it will be ready to host the opening games of next season.
They have already spoken to the Premier League about rearranging some early fixtures, but have been told there is only limited scope for home matches to be pushed back.
Last season, when they were building their new main stand, Liverpool didn’t play a home game until September 10 – almost a month after the start of the season.
It was a similar story at West Ham this season when their first home game was pushed back to the second week in September while the London Stadium was reconfigured after the World Athletics Championships. There is no suggestion the new White Hart Lane will need more time than that, with a later start to the season following the World Cup buying Spurs some extra breathing space.
But chairman Daniel Levy has already told a fans’ group that the club have the chance to stay at Wembley for a second season in the event of any major hitches.
The Tottenham Supporters’ Trust reported: “As with any build of this size, there is a risk of not completing on time.
“DL [Levy] responded that contingency has been considered and there was the option to stay at Wembley for a second season, although it was hoped that wouldn’t be needed.”
Spurs are hoping for a mild winter so exterior building work can steam ahead.
But the developers are not expected to have a clear picture of the likely opening date until the end of this season.