The 'New White Hart Lane' - Looking good on paper

The club have released more progress updates on the re-development plans for the new stadium. So far there is little to be critical of. Yeah, yeah....you heard me right. I guess this is as close as a pat on the back (that's just a single pat of hand to back) I will get to giving our esteemed chairman. Please do not take this as a form of weakness from myself. I'll still be greeting him with a water balloon, as per usual every Monday morning as he drives into work. No reason in either of us getting slack.

Snazzy

There's perhaps one or two minor design quirks (what's with the wavy upper tier?) and no apparent news of whether the Cockerel on the ball will re-appear on the new east stand but all otherwise looks good (isn't this also a good time to think about a statue for Sir Bill Nicholson?).

The general re-generation potential for the local vicinity will also go down a storm. Upmarket Tottenham, eh?

Here's a quick look through some of the updates below:

• 58,237 capacity - Wonderful. And with a possible 45k+ being made up of season ticket holders (meaning less of the corporate ilk), the new stadium will have no excuse to ever be on the quiet side.

• Fans being kept together to retain the 'camaraderie which has built up over the years' - This is a simplistic master-stroke. One of the most important ingredients and vital to retain the current atmosphere WHL is capable of. Have to say, of all the things announced by the club, this one makes me smile the most. Evidence that the club actually listens to the fans.
  

• Stadium 'bowl' tightened to maximise atmosphere (8.2m from the pitch) - Compared to Arsenal, City and Wembley we'll be far closer than the three of them to the pitch. Not as close as we are now, but close enough. Which is a nice touch.
  

• Re-location of the away fans - Interesting this, as the away supporters will be moved from the South-West corner where they preside now to the North-East corner of the new stadium which means the new North stand (or new Paxton if you want) will be, in-effect, the new Park Lane - as long as they move the Park Lane residents to the new North stand. That would make the new South stand a family designated area (as having them sat next to the away fans would not make sense). You dig?
  

• New public square on Tottenham High Road - Nice touch. Can imagine a sing-a-long or two occurring here.

• New supermarket with parking - Guess the locals will like this one, and might even mean an improved pre-match diet for me personally.

• Only concerns are the travel aspects where several 'hoped' improvements are subject to 'discussions'.

Check this for more info:

PDF Guide from Tottenhamhotspur.com

Or just visit the official site.

Northumberland dev

If you email the club about the development of the new ground, and ask them to consider atmosphere as a priority you'll likely to get this response back:

Dear Mr XXXXXX,

Thank you for your recent comments on the Northumberland Development Project. We have had a tremendous response to the initial consultation and we really appreciate you taking the time to let us have your views.

You asked a specific question about the atmosphere in the new Stadium. I wanted to re-assure you that the number one brief to our stadium architects is exactly this – to retain the fantastic atmosphere at Spurs. This means ensuring seats are close to the pitch, with quite high banking and un-restricted views for every spectator.

We have looked at and learned lessons from stadia around the world and will provide more details specifically about the stadium design at our next exhibition early next year.

With regards,

The Northumberland Development Project team

So, the official line from the club is:

This means ensuring seats are close to the pitch, with quite high banking and un-restricted views for every spectator.

That's a quote. Let's wait to see if the promise is fulfilled. Having a ground akin to some of the intense high capacity German stadiums is the only option. As majestic as some people would like to tell you the Emirates is or Eastlands, they are not a patch re: noise on White Hart Lane, even with our smaller capacity.

Next question that needs an answer: "Will you keep the Park Lane season ticket holders together, behind one of the goals?"

Let the Park Lane and Shelf live on forever

If you look down this thread over at Glory Glory you'll see something that I've always been a firm believer of. I'll quote:


Existing season ticket holders, and seat prices/stand names, to be transferred as closely as possible from WHL. So in the new stadium, everyone who's got a season ticket for the Park Lane gets a season ticket behind the goal at the Northumberland end for the same price (or the same price ratio in comparison with a ticket in the new West Upper), everyone who's in the Shelf corner gets moved to the corner next to that end, and so on, and on matchdays the cheapest tickets in the new stadium are in the bits which are cheapest now, and - well, actually this bit is architectural, put all the executive boxes and corporate crap in the mid-level and upper tier of the new "West" (i.e. actually now East) Stand.

- edam_anchorman


This is something I've always failed to understand when other clubs don't attempt to retain some form of structure when migrating us fans across to a new ground. Personally think this is vital for us. And Levy best listen to the voices of thousands because if he is genuine with his promises on atmosphere then this is simply the only way to achieve it.

More quotage (this time belonging to Danish White):

The key criteria apart from the obvious stuff like view, safety, catering, access etc should well be:

Acoustics: You really, really do some freaking research in the sound patterns of the pitch, simulated with "soft" background of the stands filled with fans in clothing and all. How hard can it be, seriously. Be an an avante garde for bloody once and be the club who creates a fans ground created for atmosphere !

Proximity: Spare space from touchlines and sidelines should be the absolute minimum allowed for excess pitch feet, space for warmups, add boards and stewards. No a single inch more, not a single.

Denseness of internal build: Upper tiers need to be as advanced to the pitch as possible and wherever possibly by any means should the design aim to allow for more seats upwards on the stand by tilting the stands as steeply vertically rather than horizontally to create space upwards above the pitch rather than outwards towards the streets. Anybody disagreeing with this part can impossibly have been to Bernabeu and felt the thrill in the upper ranks.


If Spurs get this right, then we'll have the best ground in the country, apart from maybe Old Trafford which retains its tradition by being an old stadium built new and expanded. If we get it wrong, you might just find yourself sitting next to Billy Glory-Hunter more interested in the half-time ribs than the action out on the field.

Our enemy will not be Levy, but more so the architects who have this mis-conception that the most vital thing regarding the football experience is comfort, plenty of leg-room and having the best view possible. No thanks. Give me White Hart Lane any day of the week. Compact, busy and loud.

White Hart Ashburton

Another Levy bombshell. Good or bad depending on whether you wish to get excited at this desperately early stage. How can a new ground possibly be bad I hear you ask? Make it into a replica of every new type of English stadium, soulless and detached. From the illustrations, its looking like a dome. Spurs are hosting some exhibitions as part of the consultation period. So locals and fans will be able to have a say. Although I doubt we could get them to change the design of the ground to something more practical, like this:




Now that's a proper football ground. But then the Germans know how to do football efficiently (booze, cheap season tickets, cracking atmospheres).

Click here for a press release (via the Hornsey Journal) that covers off the current plans for re-development.

And here's the first look at the prospective design and how we plan to shift away from White Hart Lane forever, and into the Virgin Media Dome, or whatever the fuck we plan to call it:



For the full technocolor pdf click on this link: http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/uploads/assets/docstore/Booklet_Web.pdf


Groovy.

National 'Levy-whoring-himself-to-the-media' Week

Whilst everyone is buzzing from the DVD release (available on pre-order, free Opus not included with purchase) of the North London derby score draw, Daniel Levy decided to ride the wave of open bus parade success by releasing news of the planned 60,000 all-seater to be built just off White Hart Lane. With obvious re-development of the surrounding area, I'm sure things will look spiffy when complete. As long as have a brand new spanking tube station built to help ease the traffic nightmare that will no doubt engulf N17.

So, a new home? Many traditionalists will be happy (who would want to use the stadium in Stratford?). Although we can all say goodbye to the 'Park Lane' and 'White Hart Lane' - selling our souls to whatever company pay top dollar to associate their brand with the new grounds name. Maybe we can name the tube station, WHL? Not pleased with the renaming of the stadium. Lacks class. But once again, football is a business. Sadly.

I haven't checked it, and will do so later but according to something I read, Daniel Levy has agreed to answer questions posted in the COYS forum. That's the forum that has closed membership and bans anyone for thinking outside the constraints of the admins. The COYS forum is like run by George Orwellesque admins, patrolling the threads and removing you if you dare insult one of the informed club insiders who shares ITK info about our latest transfer target. In fact, any deviance from the popular mainstream opinions is deemed unacceptable. Unsurprisingly, I'm not a member.

Unless I dreamed the above, I'll see if I can track down the questions and answers. It's possible its already done the rounds (and made the papers). I'm still playing catch-up.

Levy has apparently stated that there may not be money available in January. Which is a little cheeky. Are we now broke because of the stadium announcement? Considering we make almost us much money on selling our players than we do on new acquisitions, I'll be surprised if Levy has allowed the credit crunch to take a seat in the board room.

And to try and detract you away from that, he's now blaming Ramos (who wrote a rather sweet piece on his official website, wishing us all well - bless) for the Berbatov to Utd deal. Yes, Ramos wanted him out so Levy approved the transfer to Man Utd.

Considering the awareness - in and outside the club - concerning Berbatov and Utd from the time Jol was here, then I personally think Levy needs to take a step back with this positivity drive he is currently on and not be too forward with information, especially if some of it has been heavily dipped in bullshit. Everyone, from manager to DoF to chairman need to share the responsibility and the blame.

Going back over the Berbatov saga is a cheap shot.

His comments on Ramos losing the changing room are fairly common knowledge also. Its obvious, all you need to do is watch the Spurs games prior to the Bolton match to know the Spaniard was without a clue.

If all this isn't enough, he has also referred us all back to the alleged fact that Martin Jol spoke to Newcastle United whilst still a Spurs manager.

There's more deflection than a Frank Lampard 'Best Goals' dvd. Time we moved on perhaps?

Jellied eels? No thanks

More speculation, this time about the potential re-building of White Hart Lane and who Spurs may have to ground share with. BBC run a news item on 'Inside Sport' last night, and the Mihir Bose 'understands' this with another insightful article on the Beebs football pages.

Firstly, nothing new. Spurs will either move away from WHL for a couple of years while it's rebuilt and ground share or Spurs will remain at the Lane while a brand new stadium is built from scratch. We all knew this, it's obvious that Spurs will either re-develop their current home or move on. What is new in the way of information is that we have apparently we have Tony Winterbottom (who played a role in the development of Arsenal's ground) on board who is looking at how WHL can expand to 52,000. Also, Paul Philips (a project manager, again involved at the Emirates) and Ken Shuttleworth, an architect who is the right-hand man of Norman Foster who worked on Wembley.

All very good. Dream Team in place. All we need now is the decision on whether we stay or go. Don't want out of WHL. I'm a sentimental bastard. If we did move then ground sharing isn't something I'm looking forward too. Have to scoof at the idea of sharing with West Ham United. I can see the police loving that idea. Getting to the ground on match days would probably involve the odd ambush and flare-up. Imagine playing at Upton Park in a 'home' match against Chelsea. That's one three-some I'd gladly say no to. Better still, when WHU play as at Upton Park in our 'home' game and they turn up with 20,000 away fans. Wear your colours for that early kick-off.

Other suggestions have us playing outside of London at Watford or Reading. Don't really approve of that either. And as for the Emirates, no thanks. Even though, of all the potential clubs we could share with that would give us the least amount of trouble in travel. Wembley would have to be the number one choice. But the FA seem reluctant to help out.

Will be interesting to see if the club decide to ask the fans what they would like with regards to having the ground expanded or move to a new location in Enfield. Bose states that Spurs would prefer to remain at the Lane. Hopefully this is the one thing Levy won't let me down on.