The Board of the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters' Trust is understandably concerned to hear the latest announcement from the Club regarding delays to the building of a new stadium.
While we cannot, for obvious reasons, comment on the details of the legal process around the High Court appeal, we find it surprising that negotiations between the Club and one business have continued for seven years without resolution.
While we cannot, for obvious reasons, comment on the details of the legal process around the High Court appeal, we find it surprising that negotiations between the Club and one business have continued for seven years without resolution.
And we are at a loss to understand why the legal process is taking so much longer on this matter than other comparable projects. We would hope that, in the interests of all parties, there is a swift resolution to this appeal.
We note yesterday’s statement from Tottenham Hotspur that the Club will move away from White Hart Lane stadium “for a period of one season" only.
In a recent survey of Tottenham Hotspur supporters, 60% of those who responded said they would be in favour of watching games away from White Hart Lane if that enabled the new ground to be built quicker. Some 85% of respondents were in favour of Wembley being that venue. We urge the Club to take note of our findings and hope there will be full supporter input into discussions around the relocation before this is presented as a done deal.
While the Trust are pragmatic about the need to move from White Hart Lane for one season, the prospect of moving from North London raises a number of issues for supporters, the local community, and the Club’s identity.
• For the supporters, there are serious issues over the logistics and expense of travel to home games
• For the local community, which is depending upon the stadium project as a catalyst for regeneration, there are serious economic implications. We believe the cost of such a move to the local economy needs to be seriously considered
• And moving away from the area threatens serious damage to the identity of a Club which has always played in North London
We would like greater transparency as to why the option of playing at White Hart Lane, the option which would benefit N17 the most, is apparently now no longer available.
Our greatest concern is that, once the Club moves for one season, it is but a short step towards moving for two seasons, or more. When the Club’s current board tried to move us to Stratford, Tottenham Hotspur supporters showed their fierce opposition and we would urge the Club to learn the lessons from that episode.
A football club divorces itself from its community and identity at its peril.
THST Board
11 September 2014
We note yesterday’s statement from Tottenham Hotspur that the Club will move away from White Hart Lane stadium “for a period of one season" only.
In a recent survey of Tottenham Hotspur supporters, 60% of those who responded said they would be in favour of watching games away from White Hart Lane if that enabled the new ground to be built quicker. Some 85% of respondents were in favour of Wembley being that venue. We urge the Club to take note of our findings and hope there will be full supporter input into discussions around the relocation before this is presented as a done deal.
While the Trust are pragmatic about the need to move from White Hart Lane for one season, the prospect of moving from North London raises a number of issues for supporters, the local community, and the Club’s identity.
• For the supporters, there are serious issues over the logistics and expense of travel to home games
• For the local community, which is depending upon the stadium project as a catalyst for regeneration, there are serious economic implications. We believe the cost of such a move to the local economy needs to be seriously considered
• And moving away from the area threatens serious damage to the identity of a Club which has always played in North London
We would like greater transparency as to why the option of playing at White Hart Lane, the option which would benefit N17 the most, is apparently now no longer available.
Our greatest concern is that, once the Club moves for one season, it is but a short step towards moving for two seasons, or more. When the Club’s current board tried to move us to Stratford, Tottenham Hotspur supporters showed their fierce opposition and we would urge the Club to learn the lessons from that episode.
A football club divorces itself from its community and identity at its peril.
THST Board
11 September 2014
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