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Tottenham Hotspur are the 14th richest football club in the world, a £113 million-a-year business, whose most valuable players each cost the same as a Francis Bacon painting, or a middle-sized cultural centre, or a block or two of affordable housing, or a few schools.
Yet its ground stands in the most deprived ward in London.
Tottenham High Road is a thoroughfare that goes back to Roman times, somewhat battered now but still lined with ornate fragments of Victoriana and handsome Georgian houses from the days when this was a prosperous rural satellite of London.
Modern football stadia, by contrast, are vast relentless machines for processing tens of thousands of people, objects at an utterly different scale from an ordinary high street.
So when Tottenham Hotspur propose a new 58,000-seat stadium, rising to 42 metres high, as well as 450 flats, a hotel and a supermarket to help pay for it, worlds collide.
Power meets poverty, and the silvery disc of the arena descends like a UFO, whooshing pubs and shops and the odd listed building into oblivion. It is as pure a symbol of the relative might of club and borough as you could wish for.
Except Spurs are not having it all their own way. The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) has pronounced itself “disappointed” with the project and “does not support it”.
It finds it “incoherent” and “awkward”. English Heritage, while still finalising its position, says that the plan threatens “a serious and significant level of harm to the historic environment”.
Objections like these can prompt a public planning inquiry, or derail the whole project, whose cost will be £400 million. And, as things stand, it's hard to disagree with CABE.
It's not that the stadium shouldn't be there. Spurs considered other options from Milton Keynes to Wembley to taking on the Olympic site and opted to stay where they are now, relocating just to the north of their current ground.
It wouldn't do Haringey any good if this local icon, major employer and earner of revenue went somewhere else. Spurs, like other self-respecting modern football clubs, also make much of their outreach to the local community.
The new development would remove the current stadium, no thing of beauty, and would brighten up its dingy surroundings.
It would greatly enhance the space outside a neighbouring school that currently resembles the death zone along the Berlin Wall.
A supermarket, hotel, conference centre, and housing — affordable and otherwise — are all good things for Tottenham.
The club have hired the famous American landscape architect Martha Schwartz to create a “vibrant” and “exceptional” public square and an ice rink is promised in winter.
The ground itself, designed by the stadium specialist KSS, aims to create a rare intimacy between fans and players, even as it increases the current capacity of 35,000 by two-thirds.
At one end, a vast bank of spectators, uninterrupted by corporate boxes, is proposed, with the intention of creating an array of passionate humanity unlike any other English football ground.
It is meant to be the opposite of the chilly cathedral, the Emirates Stadium, that Arsenal have built for themselves.
Externally, the proposed stadium is a silvery, swooping thing, none too subtle and a bit blingy.
There are awkward crunches where the right-angled geometry of its floors and columns meets the curving arch shapes the architects have applied to the exterior.
It is not, in other words, a sophisticated work of architecture, although it is sleeker than most British football grounds and has a certain oomph to it.
But the real issue is how all these elements add up. In the present plans the stadium looks as though it were designed to sit in an open plain, with little recognition of the bits of street and town around it.
At one end the supermarket is a standard blind box; at the other the hotel and housing, designed by Make Architecture, are noisy, jagged objects with juddering rhythms, rising up to 20 storeys above three-storey surroundings. Taken together, it makes for an inchoate whole.
What's needed is architecture that can walk and chew gum at the same time. The stadium should be splendid — and there's no point trying to disguise the fact that it's enormous — but it should also respond to the fact that it's shaping a public place in everyday use on the 340 days a year when there's not a match on.
The hotel and housing present an opportunity to create a transition between the scale of the existing streets and that of the stadium, but instead aim to be expressive icons in their own right.
It's not an easy task but it's possible, and achieving difficult things should be the reason why architects are paid their fees. More than that, it's dramatic encounters like this that make architecture interesting — think, for example, of the way medieval cathedrals rise from narrow streets. Done well, this slab of Tottenham could become an astonishing part of London.
I write this as a supporter of Tottenham Hotspur. Having been born in Hastings to a largely football-hating family, I can't claim to be a dyed-in-the-wool fan, but I was drawn to the club by its tradition of finding the most stylish players.
Now, going to matches with my daughter, we have a well-worn joke as the blue struts of the existing stadium come into view. “That's the most beautiful building in London,” we say. It isn't, of course.
The point is that, once inside, the look of a stadium becomes almost irrelevant compared with what's happening on the pitch.
Most football fans would watch their team in stadia built out of plastic drain sections and reused scrap metal, which is what, indeed, many of them look like.
But, given the chance to create a wholly new stadium development, why wouldn't you want it to be as classy and skilful as the best players?
Reader views (56)
As a local business owner + a resident for 20 years I believe spurs are even late for such investment. Yes they do have people waiting for tickets and they need this space to generate on lost revenue till this day.
I am 22years old and run two family businesses just near the corner to whl, along the high rd. I've been going through the plans ever since. Tottenham haven't been given the support by other government bodies to speed up the process of the build and a chump £17m is poor because tottenham is so deprived. Every fan just wants to walk away from n17 after the final whistle. And £17m should realistically be around £50m.
Spurs have spent near £85m so far on buying land and demolishing it to nothing. In December new works for infrastructure on train lines which surround the stadium is to start to increase their service and support approx 70,000 people coming into the area on matchdays.
Spurs have managed to buy out the whole of n17 studios and have demolished it down leaving a plain high road. Business for me has dropped at the restaurant by 60% but we hope it all happens before the poor people of tottenham hit the streets again.
As for the riots, I'm happy although my restaurant was damaged (nothing major) because I said to myself it's about time people cared about this gutter. 90% on benefits !!!! How are people like myself meant to survive in a broken community?
I hope it will all begin before January so we can have a happy new year for once.
- Talip guzel, Tottenham, 31/10/2011 02:30
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Cant wait for this, it will brighten up the area and keep Spurs in the borough where they belong. Genuine North London (only Us and Orient by the way for you historians). Love the comment about the Emerates souless bowl - atmosphere is an alien concept to the south London gypsies. Should have stayed over the river and merged with Fulham!
- Bulent Ali, Palmers Green - London, 10/08/2010 00:38
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Your `virtual` stadium, being right on the High Road dominates and overpowers the surrounding area, while the Emirates cannot even be seen from the Holloway road, although that`s more by luck than judgement. I loved the remark about Arsenal`s debt, coming from a supporter of a club about to fail once again to break into the top four. I suppose that will mean another £40m for Harry to spend this summer - oh sorry, I almost forgot, you might have a stadium to pay for!
- Mike, Shepperton UK, 14/02/2010 22:13
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It's the typical thing for professional sports franchises to do. Build a stadium, in 20 years, that looks so unasthetically pleasing they will want to build another one. We have the same issues with American Football. The Dallas Cowboys just built a billion dollar stadium that looks like an oversized alien spaceship. The one area of American Sports that does get it right are baseball stadiums. Most of the new venues being built are throwbacks to the way stadiums were built in the 1920s. It looks great and you can come back in 50 years and it will still look great. I am a proponent of building stadiums and other commercial projects that, asthetically, will last the test of time.
- Jason Mccullars, Ft Worth, TX, 13/02/2010 13:38
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So the typical objections coming from people who don't want to move on!
I only go into Tottenham when I go and watch my team play. The whole surrounding area is a huge dump!
Why can't these people see that by building this stadium, and all of the added extras it'll massively improve a dire part of the Capital.
Stop living in the past, people are always against making things more modern.
- Luke, West London, 09/02/2010 15:27
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The plans are not perfect - but they are good.
CABE, like all such public/campaign bodies, like the publicity of picking holes in big projects since that justifies their existence.
But English Heritage are just wrong. For "historic environment" read "falling down boarded up buildings with a handful of pubs and fast food outlets between them" - all of which are largely dependent on matchday revenues to keep them going.
This project is a godsend to Tottenham High road. As one who has the misfortune to sometimes be ther on non-matchdays - if petty nit-picking stops this project it will be the death of the high road as Spurs will just have to leave.
Perhaps it could be better - all big projects could - but this is such a enhancement and so clearly a last chance to revitalise the most neglected part of London's most neglected borough that frankly anything but relief at it going ahead would be misplaced.
- Danymackay, London, 08/02/2010 15:47
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It's a shame CABE, EH et al didn't get off the fence where Spurs are doing the real environmental damage on Forty Hall Farm off Whitewebbs Lane in Enfield. The massive training academy being built there is tearing a swathe through open countryside, unique in its history and its environmental benefits to London. The re-development of the stadium and the training academy must make for a massive property development programme - and what will happen in the future?
- Fh, North London, 06/02/2010 13:13
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20,000 on the waiting list is just a marketing con, every leaflet and email was incouraging spurs fans to go on a waiting list in order to beef up the numbers to encourage the banks to loan the money. Look we have 34,000 every week and 20,000 want to come every week.
Still i like the style of the new stadium just design the rest to suit the new ground
- Matt, london, 05/02/2010 10:16
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All of what the Gooners say on this issue is irrelevant -it simply does not concern them, so we move on.
In considering their position, Spurs canvassed possible moves away from the borough. Had they elected to do so, it would have had a cataclismic effect on local people and businesses. Think about how much income local businesses derive from match days - 30,000+ fans buying this and that. Think harder about not having that income.
If bodies such as English Heritage try to pull these plans apart and on appeal against any refusal, the club is st denied, then it seeems quite possible the club will re-visit moving away. Jobs are a significantly important part of a planning application. What would happen if Spurs went out of the borough? Jobs would go, income would be lost and almost certainly the ground would be sold, probably to a residential developer who would get permission as a result of the Government's desire for 600,000 new houses.
Anyone who knows Tottenham understands it is crying out for new investment. Take the new stadium/club away and it will suffer even more deprivation. Grant planning and the income will increase as will the desire of businesses to develop other modern premises in that locality.
- Martin Luther Pre-Conversion., London, 04/02/2010 11:59
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Mes - Remember Tottenham were Middlesex and not North London until the 50's
As for Spurs selling out all the time, even I can get a ticket for Saturday v Villa as it's been on General Sale for 2 weeks and still is !
I actually think if the stadium looked more white than Silver it'd stop it looking like a space ship
- Livers, Bermondsey, 04/02/2010 09:34
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What a well written article. There are parts of the design that look fantastic but I for one won't be shedding any tears if they redesign the proposed hotel.
- Luca, Basingstoke, 04/02/2010 06:51
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I would visit WHL more often than I do if I could only get hold of a ticket. The stadium needs to be much bigger to meet the needs of the Spurs fans around the country and abroad. I can't imagine the local community protesting at the development plans as the area appears to be crying out for a regeneration plan. The football club is an integral part of the community and I'd like to think they appreciate the club's desire to stay close to its physical and spiritual home.
- Northern Spur, Sheffield, UK, 04/02/2010 00:57
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Can all the Arsenal fans remember that this is a debate about the Tottenham area and nothing to do with them, as after all, it is about North London... You should be more interested in what's happening around Woolwich & the Thames Barrier.
Secondly & seriously, I hope the CABE listen to the local residents who all recognise the need for a major capital project in the area to bring in investment. Tottenham doesn't have the trendy cafe society of Islington, so is not likely to fill crumbling Victorian buildings with Bistro's & wine bars. They should not then be regarded as scarosanct.
Yes, tweak the design if you have something positive to bring to the table, but don't get in the way because of dogma. Tottenham is an area needing a new start and that means fresh ideas.
- Mes, London, 03/02/2010 23:04
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for your information rob cochrane from st nobbs the apartments at highbury are 95% sold so get your facts right and if i could make a minor tweek to the plans perhaps you should turn the main stand around to face the high road your see more action on that ice skating ring outside.
- Nick Gooner, bishops stortford, 03/02/2010 22:27
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looks nice in the pics, shame thats all it will ever be, a nice pic, dream on spuds
- Bobby Wilson, antrim, n.ireland, 03/02/2010 21:17
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Every Premiership club is in debt; who is going to pay for this new stadium?
- Tom Feely, London, England, 03/02/2010 19:44
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This is all so ludicrous and dettached from reality that nothing fits - in the image portraying the interior of the stadium, the scene in the jumbo screen is not to be seen anywhere in the pitch... sad.
- Claudio Crow Brazilian Gooner, São Paulo - BRASIL, 03/02/2010 19:04
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What ticketsb on general sale? All game are sell outs hich are available. I am aso 14,036 on the waiting list at the moment and constantl struggle to get tickets.
- Epochery, Camberley, 03/02/2010 18:54
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It's a shame that Arsenal fan John Mathias uses this article as an opportunity to have a go at Spurs, when all the article wishes to do is highlight the need for stadium architects to be more sympathetic to the development's surroundings.
The majority of spurs fans know that breaking into the top four is a very tough challenge, but one that is worth undertaking. We know that a new stadium is an important part of this process. I am excited about the new stadium plans, and confident that it won't cripple the club financially. However, I agree that the plans could be more sympathetic to the surroundings.
Perhaps people-power will make the architects think again, just as people-power helped convince them it was worth removing some of the corporate boxes in favour of a single-tier stand.
- Hendrikus, Southgate, 03/02/2010 17:53
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dear john from muswell hill
if you actually went and spent some money on players you would probably be sitting at the top of the premiership.
secondly you are the most boring and passionless fans in the premiership its a fact arsenal fans moan when people are singing.
spurs sell out weeks in advance of every game it is impossible to get away tickets unless you are a season ticket holder again away allocation sells out.
we have fan clubs all over the world.
we have not achieved enough for a club of our size and fan base but stll we keep going and support our club with passion.
you have achieved nothing for a number of years now.
your board of directors are onl;y interested in how much money they are making
the tottenham will rise and the arsenal will fall.
- Colin, poplar, 03/02/2010 17:45
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"in 9 years all the Stadium debt will have gone and they will be totally self succient with NO outstanding debts"
What a pretentious comment by John Mathias, muswell hill. Sixteen lines of demented rant and this guru asks us to beleive he is a financial seer. Surely before commenting on a club that sticksd to it's roots and doesn't desert outh of the river saysa it all. John exhibits all the characteristics of his hero's the Cuckoos. Get ba life and try to find something interesting about the "Borrowers" majority owned by Americans and Russians. Surely he should be a tad concerned abouit the future of his own club in an uncertain financial environment. smacks a bit of the little boy whistling in the dark to show he's not afraid.
- Genuine North Londoner, North London and not an immigrant from Woolwich, 03/02/2010 17:30
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Maybe some of these people from English Heritage (as great an institution that it is) should look at the needs of the area rather than pontificating over a couple of Edwardian building being pulled down. In any other instance i would be looking to protect all old achitecture but my family are from Tottenham originally and the area has had the heart ripped out of it anyway, years ago and i have seen it change... The loss of the working class communities in the 60's and 70's and the expansion of the suburbs and new towns left a vacum. This was filled by even poorer immigrant communities and it still is a first stop for many new arrivals. This means there has been very little chance for the area to become more affluent and mixed, and for the less well off to benefit from the improved infrastructure that would bring. Also both the militant elements within the council and the under funding from central government during the 80's and beyond has made it unattractive to investors. English Heritage really need to look at the wider issues surrounding the area and get real. Spurs have to stay, so please help them do that rather than hinder them. Otherwise they'll be letting the whole area down...
- Lillywhite London, London, England, 03/02/2010 17:29
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Have you been down Tottenham High Road recently? The only way it could look any worse is if the Nazi's suddenly decide to blitz it again.
This stadium will be a triumph and will clear out a fair few derelict hellholes at the same time.
- Iggle Piggle, London, 03/02/2010 17:17
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Whats all this with you Spuds banging on about being the 14th Richest Club in the World , Arsenal are the 6th and in 9 years all the Stadium debt will have gone and they will be totally self succient with NO outstanding debts, the cluib is run on a viable financial model albeit with limited transfer funds compared to Spurs , but with Spurs track records on signings maybe thats a good thing, Build you new ground and you'll probably for the first two seasons you might be able to fill it (if just for the curisotity value) but once thats over and your still trying to cling to Arsenals shirttails whatch the attendences plummitt , and don't forget that if sugar daddy Joe Louis loses any more money your stadium dreams may well turn out to be just that, It takes a long time to finish the stadium from getting all the relevant permissions and with your track record you'll be your usual mid table saying "This is going to be our year , were going to break the top 4 " Same statement for the last 15 years
- John Mathias, muswell hill england, 03/02/2010 16:52
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C.A.B.E. also raised objections to the Emirates stadium as its their job to oversea new developments. But it didn't stop the stadium being built.
There is nothing to worry about this will not stop the stadium being built. But i do feel the article could have included this fact.
At the end of the day, it means not a jot to us as fans, as the design of the stadium is considered fine, and it is only the setting that is being discussed. Even that is not a show-stopper, because, as CABE itself says, their pronouncements are simply advisory and not statutorily binding.
- Phil, bexleyheath, 03/02/2010 16:41
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Harry, i think that is a slight exaggeration "it can take three hours to go six miles up the line". To be honest the infrastructre issue is a bit of a myth, on a match day you have about eight trains an hour taking between 15-25mins that is'nt too bad, unlike at the emirates where they shut the stations after the game!
- Tony, London, 03/02/2010 15:35
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The stadium looks terrific and architectural so-called experts, whose views on what is good design change every decade or so, can take a hike and mind their own business.
As well as some form of fast mass transit to the stadium we also need some multi storey car parks as I'd like to drive in and park somewhere secure. If seats were available and access better thousands more of us would attend games- Spurs could easily sell 60,000 plus seats.
- Alan Franklin, Fleet, Hampshire, 03/02/2010 15:34
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Sod the new stadium I like the one we have now.It's never going to happen anyway because we are Spurs and anything we are told is nonsense i.e 20,000 on the waiting list do me a favour how come tickets go on general sale.
- Lennie, jacraig321@aol.com, 03/02/2010 14:33
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Spurs, forget about making Tottenham better place, its all about rengeration, maybe we should be like Arsenal, build a stadium and let the local council fund the costs for doing up the area....Shame why do people knock it when spurs are doing Haringey a favour... Build a stadium and thats it
- Adrian, London, 03/02/2010 14:10
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Livers from Bermondsey - 20,000 on the waiting list are for season tickets. This means they are added to the current 22,000 or so season ticket holders we have now. Add on members, general admission and away fans and we will easily fill it. Do the maths.
Paul from Ealing - games generally sell out the moment they go on sale. get your facts right.
To all you gooners out there, you just can't stand the fact we'll have a stadium that'll eclipse your already out of date sterile stadium.
- Brad Matthews, ealing, 03/02/2010 13:48
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Paul from Ealing, try buying a ticket when they go on general sale. I think you'll find they're all gone. Our fans are a bit better than the person updating the website. I think the objections are surmountable. How much would it cost to move brick by brick the buildings that these people want to save and incorporate in to the develpoment somewhere? More worrying is the rubbish public transport that we have to put up with every game. We have two railway stations within five minutes walk of the ground yet it can take up to three hours to get six miles up the line. The railway company has no regard for the paying customer, cancels trains every game and gives no consideration to the thousands of extra passengers that attend. The Victoria line is closed for every weekend game that we play. This needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency regardless of new ground or not.
- Harryid, Cheshunt, UK, 03/02/2010 13:40
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"20,000 on the spurs waiting list! Can someone explain then why all of Spurs home games go on general sale
- Paul, Ealing"
Yes Paul I can explain. It's imperative that you leave some seats available for the general public and not have marchday only for members/season ticket holders. Hence, why al home games go on General Sale.
- Sarah Singh, Surrey Quays, 03/02/2010 13:32
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The redevelopment of the Spurs ground means, decent architecture, jobs, housing, economic benefits, perhaps CABE can explain to a community, trapped in poverty, their strategic plan for area. But then again they can't , they are a bunch of overpaid useless architects that are too precious for their own good. The sooner the government gets rid of them the better off tax payers will be. As for English Heritgage, how did all of the grand buildings end up boarded up ! and some used for housing the young homeless? do they think that looking at crumbling listed buildings provide jobs? and make people happy? buildings left to rot cause more damage in the community 'broken window' syndrome. Thank god for Hale Village, that is blessed with pro-active thinkers. CABE could team up with the bullies who want to prevent Wards Corner (seven sisters complete regeneration). Finally give us a tube a Northumberland Park and this will ease the transport issues. Failure to deliver this project will result in Tottenham being kept as the dustbin of North London.
- Sparkle Anderson, London, 03/02/2010 13:23
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20,000 on the spurs waiting list! Can someone explain then why all of Spurs home games go on general sale
- Paul, Ealing
Because Spurs like to leave tickets for the ordinary man/woman on the street who can't afford a season ticket but would sometimes like to go to a match! I'm 13,600th on the season ticket waiting list and at the moment to make sure I get tickets together for my husband, son and me I have to book the minute tickets are released for members - even then the allocation is only 1000 tickets as the remainder go on general sale to make sure everyone has a chance of getting a ticket.
- Hat, North London, 03/02/2010 13:18
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The stadium design looks good, futuristic like the City of Arts & Sciences in Valencia. The bit that looks dodgy is the surrounding hotels, housing, shops etc. Looks like they quickly stuck them on the design at the last minute and whats with that dodgy yellow colouring? Maybe if they redo this part it might get through.
- Paxton Pat, London, 03/02/2010 13:08
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Pete M - Spurs cannot push to have the stadium capacity increased as they wouldn't sell. There's no point having 61,000 with only 40,000 there, it'd look emptier.
Spurs currently only sell out a day before most matches with only 2/3 of the capacity. The waiting list is 20,000 but they are 20,000 fans that currently go now not new fans.
- Livers, Bermondsey, 03/02/2010 13:03
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I am very disappointed that the editor of the Evening Standard gives column inches to such rubbish.
Having grown up in the area and now living in Highbury there is a vast difference between the two. There is nothing in Tottenham worth preserving and this development will give a much needed boost to one of the poorest areas of London. It is the community who live there that matter not what a load of self appointed busy body architects and conservationists, who doubtless live miles away think think. Haringey council should press ahead with the permission and look after their electorate and not be diverted by interfering outsiders.
- Ian Mckenna, London, 03/02/2010 12:56
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'At one end, a vast bank of spectators, uninterrupted by corporate boxes, is proposed, with the intention of creating an array of passionate humanity unlike any other English football ground.'....Er...rewind... passionate humanity? You just could'nt make this blurb up. lol You mean the most fickle fans in English football?
- Sensible Opinion, Cork, Ireland, 03/02/2010 12:53
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i think it looks fantastic. I have only 2 issues. why do they not increase the capacity so that it would be slightly larger than the toilet down the road, and with the new single tiered stand why not investigate and push for it to have safe standing.
- Pete M, Camberley, 03/02/2010 12:49
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The plans and new stadium look quite frankly ridiculous and I fear we could be going down the financial swanee. The infrastructure just is'nt there. Pathetic.
- Shlomo, N17, 03/02/2010 12:45
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20,000 on the spurs waiting list! Can someone explain then why all of Spurs home games go on general sale
- Paul, Ealing, 03/02/2010 12:40
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The proposals are a huge benefit to the area and will help rejuvenate the region, these types of objections are petty and a waste of public time and money.
The commission of Architecture should be ashamed of them selves for their findings, especially with their track record. There is no doubt this is a wonderful project.
- Campion, St Albans, 03/02/2010 12:12
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As a season ticket holder and regular visitor to WHL i have to say the existing area is an eyesore and should be levelled. This is unlikely to happen. I see a new stadium as an opportunity to develop the area on the High Road which badly needs developing.
i always laugh when i hear people complain about getting to WHL - i fly to LHR or Stansted - get the train to WHL, Northumberland Park, T Hale or Seven Sisters and after the game its either Liverpool Street and on to LHR (7 quid for the day)or Stansted Express. I'm home either at 9pm or 1130pm.
The moaners should go to this week-end's rugby international in Croke Park in Dublin - the only nearby station is Connolly and is at least a 20 minutes walk - nothing else - nadda except a taxi.
COYS!!!
- Apm, Cork, Ireland, 03/02/2010 12:00
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As someone who grew up a stone's throw away from the ground and whose mum still lives there we need this stadium badly, the area is dying on its backside.
- Claire Henderson, London, 03/02/2010 11:52
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Are they serious! It’s like a giant UFO has crash landed.
This area deserves better & once again architects haven’t truly looked at the surrounding area with public eyes, they just tried to squeeze a club profits dream into space that needs to be respected.
Spurs are trying to aspire to other level, but are acting like chavs – This UFO design should go back to the drawing board.
- Jack, London, 03/02/2010 11:38
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Doing a Leeds? Which Noprth London club has huge debts?? Difficult!!
- Sick Of Morons, London, 03/02/2010 11:14
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Typical Gooner comment above, we need a bigger ground as we have 20,000 people on the waiting list for season tickets.
- Mark Davies, Poplar, London, 03/02/2010 11:10
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Mr Wilkins - you are a dreamer and afraid. When this is built you will have no Wenger or Fabregas and it will be you who are will be doing a Leeds as nobody will buy this appartments at Highbury. Your club is hated because your manager never tells the truth. Good Article and COYS
- Rob Cochrane, St.Neots, 03/02/2010 11:08
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Mark Wilkins you are a grade 1 muppet. Just because it is better than the library. We are the 14th richest club or did that pass you by, like we will ever do a Leeds. After all did you not move into our territory all those decades ago? It is a blip and it would regenerate the area and may encourage other businesses into the area.
- Mark Murphy, Bristol, england, 03/02/2010 11:05
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That artist's impression makes the new stadium look like a toilet seat.
- James, London, UK, 03/02/2010 11:04
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Essentially, apart from a few esoteric and pretentious comments about geometry, your criticism amounts to the development being inconsistent with its surroundings. But since its surroundings are also crying out to be redeveloped, then this gives an opportunity for this to be done consistently with the development under discussion. It is laughable that an organization called "English Heritage" should want to retain amy part of the eyesore that is Tottenham High Road.
The development has received a massive thumbs up from the vast majority of the local community, and indeed the Local Authority, but CABE and English Heritage think they know better than the community as a whole. They are an interfering menace.
One wonders what their opinion would have been of the Edmonton Green development a mile or so up the road, or the hotch-potch of badly-designed unkempt buildings all the way north to Enfield and beyond, and south to Stamford Hill and beyond. But, hey!, they're there now, so they must be conserved, mustn't they, to retain the local atmosphere?! (Let's face it, it's not an atmosphere that cries out for retention.) Let's not do anything to improve the area!
Forget the scale of the existing streets. The whole area is a mess and ripe for re-development which the Northumberland Development can be a catalyst for. Look beyond the end of your nose.
- John White, Bromley UK, 03/02/2010 11:03
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Give it up lads it looks magnificent and i could see Samsung silver dome or Arena or stadium or Silver Nike arena or Soney silver dome.I no you fell out with Levey but this is the best thing for a run down area i live in widnes and our stadium is great and Warringtons next doors is also great it would make a better spectical than old buildings costing fortunes to upkeep anyway its either a smart stadium or more Mosks and sky scrapers back the Super Spurs Silver Sony Stadium.( Out of this world.UFO)
- Davspurs, widnes England, 03/02/2010 11:02
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It'll be like having a spaceship in the poorest borough in London. It's an eyesore and doesn't fit in with the surroundings.
Arsenal's ground was kept to 60,000 until the transport links improve and their transport links are a hell of a lot better than Tottenhams so not sure how Spurs can move on
- Livers, Bermondsey, 03/02/2010 10:56
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London is a wonderful place full of magnificent historical buildings. However when you look at the monsterous office blocks that have sprung up to change the skyline forever, one wonders what real objections can be put forward to these proposals. After all Tottenham is a derelict and slum like area of the city neglected for decades by the authorities who should accept these proposals with open arms, not silly objections. These are after all the same people who did not object to the dome or new wembley or the gerkin or dozens of other buildings that stand out from their surroundings.
- 4everaspur, folkestone uk, 03/02/2010 10:52
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Like most of Spurs' fans, not a clue. Why to Spurs even need a new ground, personally I am hoping they build one and then do a Leeds. Now that is something to wish for!! Up the Arsenal!!
- Mark Wilkins, Maidenhead, England, 03/02/2010 10:46
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Fantastic article, would be a great shame if the Club can't get this little glitch sorted out and end up moving out of north london! Although what improvements are being made for public transport?
- Aden Clarkson, Herts, 03/02/2010 10:31
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