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Tottenham to ask Premier League if they can play opening games away

By Simon StoneBBC Sport

Last updated on .From the section Tottenhamcomments481

Tottenham Hotspur will move into their new stadium next year

Tottenham are "likely" to request that their opening few Premier League games next season are away fixtures while they complete the redevelopment of Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Chairman Daniel Levy told a meeting of club officials and members of the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters Trust that the £800m stadium remains on course to be completed this summer.

However, with season tickets going on sale soon, the club expect to enact a long-standing contingency plan to guard against any unforeseen hitches.

Tottenham are playing their home games at Wembley this season while the building work has been going on.

Speaking at the meetingexternal-link on 20 February, Levy said there have been no discussions about extending that agreement.

The Premier League has recently asked clubs to notify it of any dates that are potentially problematic because of transportation or policing issues, or a clash of events.

The deadline for those to be submitted is next month.

There have been three previous instances of the Premier League agreeing to clubs' requests to play opening games away from home, which involved Blackpool, Liverpool and West Ham.

The Spurs situation is complicated by the fact they are 'paired' with Arsenal to ensure the north London rivals are not given home games in the same round of fixtures.

Any move would also require the agreement of the club Spurs are scheduled to face.

In addition, the Premier League would not allow Spurs to play home matches at more than one venue in a season, so there is no option to use Wembley as a short-term measure.

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481 comments

  • Comment posted by Them, at 11:01 27 Feb 2018

    Having problems with the new 5m diving platform?

  • Comment posted by craig, at 11:17 27 Feb 2018

    Isn't it amazing how no matter what story has a hys people always find a way for negative hate filled rants .

  • Comment posted by Captain Armorica, at 11:27 27 Feb 2018

    They don't want to dive into anything to quickly

  • Comment posted by jez, at 10:57 27 Feb 2018

    It's due to open this year, not next year.

  • Comment posted by Redallover, at 11:00 27 Feb 2018

    Not sure why you had to stipulate "The Spurs situation is complicated by the fact they are 'paired' with Arsenal" when Liverpool had the same situation with Everton.

  • Comment posted by The Tottenham Lore, at 11:11 27 Feb 2018

    The full statement from the meeting last week said that Spurs had always intended to play away from home for the first 4/5 fixtures of the season, as the precedent had been set with Liverpool. This is not "seeking a delay" as the headline put it.

  • Comment posted by kenny_burns_kneecap, at 13:14 27 Feb 2018

    fair play to both norf london clubs; at least they pay for their own (bloomin' expensive) stadia. west ham, 2.5 mill a year, pay for no cops or stewards and have it for 99 years. now THAT is an unfair advantage. and so how come thay are so pants?

  • Comment posted by DanSpur, at 12:02 27 Feb 2018

    Why is there a HYS on this. Ridiculous. This is standard procedure. Liverpool requested the same whilst their new stand was completed. This is a complete non-story COYS.

  • Comment posted by Leaguefan, at 12:07 27 Feb 2018

    Why not play at the PUBLIC OWNED AND PAID FOR BY NATIONAL LOTTERY FUNDING London stadium?
    It's there for the benefit of ALL isn't it?

  • Comment posted by oldandintheway, at 11:55 27 Feb 2018

    I struggle to understand the bile on here.

    Levy, and other board members, are business people. During a huge project they've initiated a contingency. They'd have been negligent if they didn't.

    I think the snow has got in some people's brains ( and I use the term loosely).

  • Comment posted by Auntie Depressant, at 14:18 27 Feb 2018

    I'm honestly astounded at the number of negative comments on this thread from so-called football fans. Is it jealousy, I wonder? As an entirely neutral Newcastle fan I have to say that the stadium looks absolutely fabulous and it has to be great for not only football, but for sport (and London) as a whole. I, for one, wish Spurs all the very best as they embark on this exciting new chapter.

  • Comment posted by Glass Half Full, at 11:38 27 Feb 2018

    Many many bitter posters on here today. Very sad...
    Prudent move by Spurs and so please that toilet in Stratford was passed up.

  • Comment posted by lillywhite , at 11:02 27 Feb 2018

    Seems sensible....precedent already set so do not envisage any issues other than from jealous rival fans...COYS

  • Comment posted by Runcorn_Mac, at 13:40 27 Feb 2018

    Having been to Tottenham I can understand the desire to put off going back there as long as possible.

  • Comment posted by I Miss That Shed, at 13:11 27 Feb 2018

    BBC employee #1: Shall we open up a HYS on the Spurs stadium story?
    BBC employee #2: Errr... why? Its a hardly a big story is it?
    #1: I know but it will be funny watching all the muppets giving the Spuds a load of abuse.
    #2: Yeah, go on then, might as well - got nothing better to do!

  • Comment posted by Alex, at 11:34 27 Feb 2018

    HAM5TA seems a bit of a moron doesn't he?

  • Comment posted by ant no1, at 20:36 27 Feb 2018

    424. Dave

    Spurs' new stadium is primarily funded by the taxpayer, via Haringey Council's very generous donations of permission for some unrelated property developments in the area.

    14m grant to improve transport infrastructure out of 850m to 1billion project?
    Are you a chief dipstick or a treasury worker?

  • Comment posted by depotman, at 11:57 27 Feb 2018

    70. Posted by Algy on
    1 minute ago
    So Tottenham are asking for run of home games at the end of the season to give them an unfair advantage over rivals !!! The solution is simple If their home ground is not fit to play in Fine them and Deduct points
    ----
    Liverpool have done the same within the last two seasons and I didn't see you complaining about that! And they were only extending one stand.

  • Comment posted by SimplyTed, at 11:27 27 Feb 2018

    @28 emekone. Stratford is an Athletics Stadium with a camoflaged Track and is unfit to be used as a football ground. It is an abomination.😰

  • Comment posted by Jimmeh, at 11:46 27 Feb 2018

    @ 45. Posted by Think Tank

    (The name is ironic, by the way).

    I will help.

    If Tottenham request it, the Premier League will allow Tottenham Hotspurs to play its first few Premier League matches away from home, during the 2018/2019 season.
    That is to say, they would not play a home fixture for the first 3-5 fixtures in the forthcoming season.

    Does that help, or shall I draw a picture?

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