Tottenham Hotspur’s hopes of building a new ground near their existing White Hart Lane home were boosted yesterday thanks to a £27 million funding agreement with London Mayor Boris Johnson and Haringey Council.
Premier League highflyers Tottenham have abandoned their controversial challenge to rival London football club West Ham United’s bid to become the post Olympic Games tenants of the 2012 Olympic Stadium in the east of the British capital and have instead reverted to their original Northumberland Development Project plan.
That envisages the club remaining in its original north London home and building a new ground adjacent to White Hart Lane but one with a capacity of 56,000 as opposed to the Lane’s relatively modest 36,000.
Johnson has committed £18 million to the regeneration of north Tottenham, an area badly damaged by rioting in disturbances that spread across London and to other major English cities last year, while local authority Haringey has pledged £9 million to new public spaces close to the new stadium.
The financial backing comes with Spurs an impressive third in the Premier League and bidding for their first English title in more than 50 years.