Spurs fans plan protest over stadium bid

Spurs fans plan protest over stadium bid

Reuters - 3 hours ago


LONDON - Tottenham Hotspur fans areplanning a mass protest against a possible move by the club fromtheir White Hart Lane home of 111 years to the London OlympicStadium after the 2012 Games. Spurs, bidding with entertainment giants AEG, have beenshort-listed along with a rival West Ham United consortium aspreferred tenants for the 516 million poundvenue in east London. Tim Framp, who has gathered more than 2,100 signatoriesincluding local parliamentarian David Lammy to an onlinepetition "Say No to 'Stratford Hotspur'", told Reuters onWednesday his 'We are N17' group were determined to keep thePremier League club at the north London post code. He said they aimed to hand out 20,000 flyers before Sunday'shome match against Liverpool and organise a march down TottenhamHigh Road ahead of the game with champions Chelsea on December 12. "We don't want to go anywhere else, it's all about stayingin Tottenham," said Framp, whose group have also preparedposters and a website. The 80,000 seater Olympic stadium was designed to bestripped down to a 25,000-capacity athletics venue after theGames. However, there are fears that it would becomeunsustainable without a high-profile tenant. ATHLETICS LEGACY West Ham, partnered by the local Newham Council, havepledged to leave a running track and are supported by UKAthletics but Tottenham have been less enthusiastic aboutretaining one and could instead pay for a facility elsewhere. "West Ham's proposals are to leave the running track inplace and if it stacks up economically I am sure the OPLC willaward it to them," Keith Mills, deputy chairman of London 2012and a Tottenham director, told the Evening Standard on Tuesday. "If it doesn't stack up they have an alternative inTottenham with an athletics legacy elsewhere. "We promised in our bid to leave an athletics legacy. TheIOC president (Jacques Rogge) has made it clear that it is moreimportant not to leave a white elephant in London than whetherthat legacy is in the stadium or elsewhere in London," he added. Tottenham, founded in 1882, currently have a capacity of36,000. They are planning to develop White Hart Lane into a new56,000 seater stadium but have said the Olympic bid keeps theiroptions open. Framp, a 26-year-old who has supported Tottenham since hewas six, feared it could become the preferred option and saidthe focus had to be on staying at White Hart Lane. "Spurs is really embedded in the community. Tottenham isquite a deprived area and by pulling out the long-term outlookfor that area is relatively bleak. It's quite bleak anyway," hesaid. "If the club stays, it encourages people into the area. It'sabout keeping the club where it belongs really. Football clubsrepresent the area where they were formed. "By moving you disconnect the club from the history that ithas built up until now."

thats good im going sunday, so i will pick up one of their flyers and see whats gonna happen.

The whole thrust of the campaign is that the club has a choice of whether to move to Stratford and take thr ready made Olympic stadium option or redevelop the Lane. From what I read the cost of the 'new' Lane is in the £350-£400 million bracket.

It was massively difficult for Arsenal to put together the finance to build the Emirates and that was at a time in the economic cycle when banks were hosing money up the wall.What eventually swung the deal was the attached property development options in leafy Islington.

In the pit of recession I would be most interested to know what, if any, progress Levy has made to get the finance on board to redevelop the Lane.

So sign your petition, march, kick up a fuss, good luck to you as I have no enthusiasm for old grounds to be lot - particularly one on which I have so many happy memories. But bear in mind it is a matter of £ s d not sentiment !

The difficulty for any fan or outside observer is that only snippets of information trickle out Baz. What I am sure about regarding the Stratford stadium is that the government are desperate to get it off the books as soon as possible post Olympics and , just like the Millenium Dome, there will be legacy funding available to those happy to take it off their hands.

Joe Lewis did not get rich by looking a gift horse in the mouth and sorting the ground redevelopment/move out finally would make a sale much more straightforward ( and potentially profitable)

although i'd rather stay in N17 you have got admitt thats a nice size stadium 80'000 seats would make us the biggest prem ground in the country second only to wembley, i doubt we will get it anyway

Breaking News on SSN: Tottenhams plans to redevelop White Hart Lane have been approved by the Mayor of London.

no probs mate, very good news indeed!

BazSpur wrote:The Spams are still the favourites and I was reading this morning that if their financial package is good then it will be offered to them. Lets hope eh lobs.

could be the biggest ground in the championship then lol

have they got 80'000 fans