gomessi
15th October 2008, 05:42 PM
The INSIDER believes the economic downturn and problems surrounding funding for the London Olympics could be key in Spurs moving to the new stadium.
Recent comments by London Mayor Boris Johnson have increased the likelihood of the new Olympic Stadium being handed over to a football club after the games and the lack of information coming from White Hart Lane suggests that Daniel Levy believes Spurs could be the club to take on the project.
The more the saga of Olympic funding rumbles on and the less development is seen from inside Tottenham on plans to either redevelop White Hart Lane or state their future ambitions points to one of Levy’s famous games of brinkmanship which have become synonymous with almost every transfer window in the past few seasons.
But instead of haggling over the price of a player before the transfer window time elapses on a deal, the signs are that, this time, the Spurs chairman is willing to risk the door being slammed in our faces in order to secure a spectacular deal on a new home for the club.
Talks of a football club moving into the Stratford stadium have been played down before because of the need to create an athletics legacy for the Games but the tone has changed recently. Yesterday Johnson, when pressed about the use of the stadium after the London Olympics, admitted: “The question is how can you satisfy the needs of Premiership football and frankly that is something we have not found a solution [to]."
This is the first time that the word ‘Premiership’ has been mentioned and in true Boris Johnson fashion this could well be more than a slip of the tongue. His words suggest that a Premiership club is interested and that a solution is still being discussed. With West Ham’s finances effectively frozen by the Icelandic bank crisis, this can surely only leave Tottenham as the Premiership possibility that Johnson is talking about.
The hopes of the Olympics coming in under the new £9.3bn budget are dwindling in the current economic crisis and organisers are already desperate not to raid the contingency fund that is part of that total at such an early stage. But with investment from outside the government or national lottery looking more unlikely, it seems a deal will have to be brokered somewhere down the line to avoid costs spiralling out of control – this is where Levy’s ears undoubtedly will prick up.
Spurs told fans at the start of the year that a major announcement on our stadium plans would be announced but we are still waiting for any definitive news. Expansion of White Hart Lane is an option, although it is not thought to be the preferred one because of the cost, poor transport links, and possible loss of revenue from having to groundshare elsewhere for up to two years.
It is also believed that Spurs have brought up a vast area of industrial estate right outside the ground where a new larger stadium could be built but again cost of investment, transport issues and lack of regeneration in the area go against the plan. The club did admit some time ago that they were considering two other sites in London but news has gone strangely quiet on these options.
That would suggest Spurs were siding with either of the first two possibilities but if that were the case why is it taking so long when there appears little else to be done to confirm a plan is in place in those instances? The answer can only be that Spurs are stalling because Levy thinks he can get a brand new stadium on the cheap by capitalising on the Olympic problems.
The financial panic could force Olympic authorities to accept a Spurs offer as they look to recoup costs and if Tottenham could strike a deal while the economic outlook is desperate then Levy will have pulled off one of his famous money-saving deals. By getting in on the act at such an early stage, Spurs could effectively have the new stadium designed to their requirements for after the Games thereby massively reducing the costs.
Add to that the fact that transport and infrastructure is being built around the Olympics and you can see why Levy would be desperate to keep any talks behind closed doors. If this is the path that the Tottenham chairman is taking then it is the most high-risk strategy of all his plans since taking charge at White Hart Lane.
Succeed and the sale value of the club will rocket with Spurs becoming the biggest prize in the game for takeover bidders. Fail and his inability to progress the ground issue coupled with Spurs slipping further behind the Premier League elite will surely see him placed in a position where he will be hounded out of the club by the fans. High stakes indeed.
At this moment the team is playing crap but I would gutted if we moved to stratford!
If the cost of building the stadium are too much in the current climate we could stay at whl at the moment. I hope fans know we have the 3rd or 4th highest average ticket price (we are making a huge amount for a 36000 stadium).
I know we have a long waiting list but surely it would be better to have success on the field first then just expand whl or move into the industrial estate- only 100 yards away.
Transport is a big problem though and the olympic stadium has EXCELLENT facilites (not that it benifits me it takes 7 minutes on the train for me to get to whl and would take 45 min to get to stratford). But arent you used to the journey and surely it is just all part of being a spurs fan, walking down the high road to seven sisters soaking in the rain after losing at home.
Surely us fans would love to stay at whl. Its our home.
My message to the board:
It would obviously make financial sense but fans have a sense of attachement you wouldnt understand. Moving to stratford means we are no longer tottenham. You might not like the shit transport, the kabab shops, tottenham in general but that is what we are.
We are tottenham super tottenham we are tottenham from the lane
Recent comments by London Mayor Boris Johnson have increased the likelihood of the new Olympic Stadium being handed over to a football club after the games and the lack of information coming from White Hart Lane suggests that Daniel Levy believes Spurs could be the club to take on the project.
The more the saga of Olympic funding rumbles on and the less development is seen from inside Tottenham on plans to either redevelop White Hart Lane or state their future ambitions points to one of Levy’s famous games of brinkmanship which have become synonymous with almost every transfer window in the past few seasons.
But instead of haggling over the price of a player before the transfer window time elapses on a deal, the signs are that, this time, the Spurs chairman is willing to risk the door being slammed in our faces in order to secure a spectacular deal on a new home for the club.
Talks of a football club moving into the Stratford stadium have been played down before because of the need to create an athletics legacy for the Games but the tone has changed recently. Yesterday Johnson, when pressed about the use of the stadium after the London Olympics, admitted: “The question is how can you satisfy the needs of Premiership football and frankly that is something we have not found a solution [to]."
This is the first time that the word ‘Premiership’ has been mentioned and in true Boris Johnson fashion this could well be more than a slip of the tongue. His words suggest that a Premiership club is interested and that a solution is still being discussed. With West Ham’s finances effectively frozen by the Icelandic bank crisis, this can surely only leave Tottenham as the Premiership possibility that Johnson is talking about.
The hopes of the Olympics coming in under the new £9.3bn budget are dwindling in the current economic crisis and organisers are already desperate not to raid the contingency fund that is part of that total at such an early stage. But with investment from outside the government or national lottery looking more unlikely, it seems a deal will have to be brokered somewhere down the line to avoid costs spiralling out of control – this is where Levy’s ears undoubtedly will prick up.
Spurs told fans at the start of the year that a major announcement on our stadium plans would be announced but we are still waiting for any definitive news. Expansion of White Hart Lane is an option, although it is not thought to be the preferred one because of the cost, poor transport links, and possible loss of revenue from having to groundshare elsewhere for up to two years.
It is also believed that Spurs have brought up a vast area of industrial estate right outside the ground where a new larger stadium could be built but again cost of investment, transport issues and lack of regeneration in the area go against the plan. The club did admit some time ago that they were considering two other sites in London but news has gone strangely quiet on these options.
That would suggest Spurs were siding with either of the first two possibilities but if that were the case why is it taking so long when there appears little else to be done to confirm a plan is in place in those instances? The answer can only be that Spurs are stalling because Levy thinks he can get a brand new stadium on the cheap by capitalising on the Olympic problems.
The financial panic could force Olympic authorities to accept a Spurs offer as they look to recoup costs and if Tottenham could strike a deal while the economic outlook is desperate then Levy will have pulled off one of his famous money-saving deals. By getting in on the act at such an early stage, Spurs could effectively have the new stadium designed to their requirements for after the Games thereby massively reducing the costs.
Add to that the fact that transport and infrastructure is being built around the Olympics and you can see why Levy would be desperate to keep any talks behind closed doors. If this is the path that the Tottenham chairman is taking then it is the most high-risk strategy of all his plans since taking charge at White Hart Lane.
Succeed and the sale value of the club will rocket with Spurs becoming the biggest prize in the game for takeover bidders. Fail and his inability to progress the ground issue coupled with Spurs slipping further behind the Premier League elite will surely see him placed in a position where he will be hounded out of the club by the fans. High stakes indeed.
At this moment the team is playing crap but I would gutted if we moved to stratford!
If the cost of building the stadium are too much in the current climate we could stay at whl at the moment. I hope fans know we have the 3rd or 4th highest average ticket price (we are making a huge amount for a 36000 stadium).
I know we have a long waiting list but surely it would be better to have success on the field first then just expand whl or move into the industrial estate- only 100 yards away.
Transport is a big problem though and the olympic stadium has EXCELLENT facilites (not that it benifits me it takes 7 minutes on the train for me to get to whl and would take 45 min to get to stratford). But arent you used to the journey and surely it is just all part of being a spurs fan, walking down the high road to seven sisters soaking in the rain after losing at home.
Surely us fans would love to stay at whl. Its our home.
My message to the board:
It would obviously make financial sense but fans have a sense of attachement you wouldnt understand. Moving to stratford means we are no longer tottenham. You might not like the shit transport, the kabab shops, tottenham in general but that is what we are.
We are tottenham super tottenham we are tottenham from the lane