SPURS ARE GOING TO WEMBLEY
Their knees have gone all trembly
TOTTENHAM have confirmed they will take up an option to play at Wembley Stadium next season. The decision means only two games remain at the original White Hart Lane, starting with what promises to be an emotional north London derby against Arsenal tomorrow afternoon. With their record at the national stadium so poor — two wins in 10 — maybe their knees will go all trembly, to paraphrase the club’s famous 1981 FA Cup final song by fans Chas & Dave. Chairman Daniel Levy said: ‘Wembley will be our home for a season and then we shall return to what will be one of the best stadiums of its kind and unique in the world. Both on and off the pitch, this is an incredibly exciting time in the history of our club.’ Tottenham had lined up a temporary move to Wembley and successfully applied to have the limit removed on the number of full-capacity events at the stadium. But rumours had swirled that they might stay at White Hart Lane for one more year owing to concerns about whether construction work was
running to schedule, while Tottenham’s record at Wembley this season has been poor. The 4-2 defeat by Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-final last weekend meant Spurs have won only one of their last nine matches under the Wembley arch. But Spurs have decided to hire the venue for a year while they demolish the existing ground and complete a new £750million, 61,000-capacity stadium at White Hart Lane. A farewell ceremony will follow Spurs’ final home match of the season against Manchester United on May 14. Levy added: ‘The Lane means a huge amount to each and every one of us and we needed to gain greater certainty on the delivery of the new stadium before we made the final decision to commence with the decommissioning of our iconic, historic home for some 118 years.’ SpursS h have excelledll d thi this t term at t Whit White Hart Lane, where they are unbeaten. Manager Mauricio Pochettino said: ‘We feel every time that we play, it is the last game. Our fans are so excited, and our players, too. I think that feeling, that energy, that our fans translate to the team, is amazing.’