Tottenham Hotspur have until March 31st to decide if the club will play at Wembley next season or stay at White Hart Lane for another season. The club are currently building a new 61,000-seat stadium at the cost of £800 million. However, the team’s decision could be given extra-time, and a final verdict may not be reached until April.
If a switch is confirmed, White Hart Lane could undergo demolition shortly after the end of the current Premier League season. The new Tottenham Hotspur stadium could be opened in time for or during the 2018-19 season.
New grounds
Tottenham is not the only team looking to move into a new or revamped stadium. Of course, north London rivals Arsenal and fellow Londoners West Ham have both moved into new stadiums over the last decade. Chelsea are also pursuing a redevelopment of Stamford Bridge, and like Spurs, would need to temporarily stage matches at the national stadium.
Everton are also looking to build a new ground. The Liverpool-based club have already agreed a deal to acquire the land their new stadium will be built on. The club have announced it would cost in the neighbourhood of £300m for the new build. Earlier this season, fellow Merseyside club Liverpool, opened their new main stand.
Meanwhile, Tottenham Hotspur have been given permission by Brent council to play 27 matches at Wembley in 2017-18. The club will also be able to fill the 90,000-seat capacity.
The need for modern stadiums
The move for more modern stadiums in England by its top clubs, shows the new reach and money filtering into the Premier League. The current television contract enjoyed by some Premier League teams is partly to thank for the new build stadiums or redevelop. At £8.3 billion, the deal is the largest of any football league in the world. With so many eyes on Premier League football, the league’s top teams need the stadiums to look a little more attractive.
Add in the influx of football tourists to the hardcore supporter fanbase, and the need for larger stadiums is important. An increase in matchday commerce is just one of the reasons new, larger stadiums are needed.
The addition of larger, more eye-catching grounds is also a nod to the ultra-modern German and American NFL facilities. Both the German Bundesliga and the NFL see large crowds attend game days in their respective leagues. Part of the reason is down to the environment that is created by those stadiums and the fan-friendly atmosphere. With the influx of tourists coming to England solely to watch a Premier League game, the league’s biggest teams are in desperate need of capitalising on the its popularity.
Tottenham Hotspur could massively benefit from the amount of money the club receive from more paying customers. The new stadium will be able to accommodate 24,000-plus more fans on matchday. Tottenham’s new ground will be the second largest in the Premier League once it is completed. Only Manchester United’s Old Trafford would be able to hold more fans.
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