Daily Mail

STAY AT WEMBLEY

Spurs could be made to play there all season

- By MATT LAWTON Chief Sports Reporter

TOTTENHAM could be ordered by the Premier League to play their entire season’s home games at Wembley amid growing concerns that their new stadium may not be ready until after Christmas.

Sportsmail understand­s that the London club have taken up an option with the FA to extend their stay at the national stadium, with sources suggesting yesterday that the agreement runs until their Premier League match against Burnley on December 15. Their next home fixture after that is against Bournemout­h on Boxing Day.

Behind the scenes, officials are said to have warned Spurs chairman Daniel Levy that there could come a point when the club have to commit to playing at Wembley for the remainder of the campaign.

The Premier League are sympatheti­c that delays have occurred during the

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constructi­on of the new 62,000seat stadium. But the lack of clarity is becoming an increasing concern and a situation that key stakeholde­rs believe is becoming unfair for supporters, opposition teams and broadcaste­rs.

Levy was forced to apologise earlier this week after confirming that the game against Manchester City would be played at Wembley, a day later than scheduled.

The Spurs chairman stills hopes Mauricio Pochettino’s side will be playing at the new ground before December 15 and the extension of the club’s agreement with the FA — at a cost running into hundreds of thousands of pounds — is said to have been agreed purely as a safety net.

But confidence that the stadium will be ready this side of the new year is diminishin­g and if there are such delays it is possible there could be an interventi­on by the Premier League board.

There is likely to come a point where they insist that the venue for Tottenham’s home games is confirmed for the remainder of the season.

Spurs have already been told by UEFA they must play their home games in the Champions League group stage at Wembley, and the club are expected to discover today if they have permission to host their Carabao Cup tie with Watford at MK Dons this month.

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