New Tottenham stadium progress: When will it be ready? Where will Champions League fixtures be played?

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Dan Kilpatrick @Dan_KP14 August 2018

The Evening Standard’s Tottenham correspondent, Dan Kilpatrick, explains the situation surrounding the club's new stadium

Why has the opening of the stadium been delayed?

Spurs have said “recent testing and commissioning has now shown issues with the [stadium’s] critical safety systems” – which is some cases can mean fire and evacuation alarms. The problems leave the ground unfit to stage the necessary test events on 27 August and 1 September, which Spurs must complete successfully in order to gain a safety certificate from the FA.

Spurs were said to have been told about the issues by contractor Mace yesterday, before hastily arranging a board meeting.

What are the Premier League rules?

Photo: PA
PA

The club has already been granted permission from the three-person Premier League board of executive chairman Richard Scudamore and non-executive directors Kevin Beeston and Claudia Arney to play in two different home stadiums in one season. Daniel Levy, the Spurs chairman, has publicly thanked Scudamore for considering the the club’s ‘exceptional circumstances’.

What happens to European and EFL fixtures?

Spurs’ said last night that the club would confirm the venue for Champions League and EFL Cup games following discussions with the relevant organising bodies. The FA has confirmed that Spurs’ Wembley option includes Champions League home games and, unlike the Premier League, Uefa has no hard and fast rules about playing every home game in the same stadium. Spurs could therefore play one, and possibly all, of their Champions League group games at the national stadium, before moving to their new home.

Photo: Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images
Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images

Uefa will not allow Spurs to start the Champions League with a run of away games or reverse a fixture, so Spurs must inform the governing body of their plans before the group stage draw on 30 August. Spurs are due to enter the League Cup third-round in the week starting Monday 24 September and the EFL will allow Spurs to reverse the fixture if they are drawn at home.

What on their options on October 28?

The club has left the venue for the home match against Manchester City as ‘TBC’ but, ideally, they will host the champions in their new stadium following an opening ceremony. If they have still not been able to hold the necessary test events, however, then they have a problem because Wembley hosts an NFL game between Philadelphia Eagles and the Jacksonville Jaguars that afternoon, which is sold out.

Photo: Getty Images
Getty Images

With Manchester United hosting Everton at Old Trafford the day before, the most likely scenario is reversing the fixture to the City of Manchester Stadium, with the Premier League unwilling to allow Spurs to play in a third stadium and a postponement or date change considered a last resort.

What happens to fans?

The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters Trust (THST) will speak to the club’s board today to demand a full refund – in cash – for supporters with tickets to the Liverpool and Cardiff games. The THST will also ask for the club to add a little extra money as a gesture of goodwill.

Photo: Warren Little/Getty Images
Warren Little/Getty Images

The club offered refunds for this Saturday’s Fulham match, which was moved to Wembley, in club credit only.

What do other Premier League clubs think?

Liverpool were unwilling to discuss the situation but they are unlikely to be thrilled by the news. The chance to spoil Spurs’ party at the new stadium was surely more appealing to the Anfield club than another trip to Wembley, where they were hammered 4-1 by Spurs at the same stage of last season.

In Pictures | Tottenham vs Liverpool | 22/10/2017

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The rest of the Premier League has had no say in allowing Spurs to remain at Wembley and it may be perceived that are being given special treatment by Scudamore and the board

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