This whole ‘Naming Rights Available/Stratford’ business has become a mess.
As I understand it, the Primark Massive have had their dream to be the Bingo club with the biggest premises in the Championship potentially gazumped by Levy & Co.
Spurs started off with airbrushed images of a brave new world. Boulevards scattered with happy smiling Client Reference numbers, a village of 21st century consumer contentment with searchlights beaming a feel good factor into the heavens. Not a Rasta having a purple can of Tenants for breakfast to be seen for miles.
So that was then, this is now. Let’s examine the bids.
West Ham’s bid comes cleverly packaged. The way they operate their football club, as is their bid.
Fundamentally skint, they are using the prospective sale value of their current luxury cowshed in conjunction with anticipated future revenue streams, foremost of course being gate, broadcasting and merchandising, crotchless panties and five lighters for a pound monies to achieve the required funding figure. This will be fronted by Newham Council.
Their financials are largely in guesstimate territory. In an attempt to distract from this potential danger area, Karen Brady is making much of the ‘Olympic Legacy’ element. This is quite cunning of the Pikeys and they are only to be applauded for latching on to it.
Athletics is a rum gig. Regarded by all and sundry as an essentially ‘good thing’ , forever wrapped up in some romantic notion of good old fashioned exercise, character building, team spirit and all that jazz. The reality of course is that interest has been on the wane for some time as the age of Playstations has all but killed youngsters kicking a ball against a wall, let alone going for a jolly good run to get some refreshing fresh air or practicing the shot put like some 1950’s comic book character.
But crucially, West Ham’s willingness to embrace the ‘Legacy’ will give them by default the support of UK Athletics, Lord Coe, The Lord Mayor of London and a whole barrel load of middle class hoo-ray Henrys who only attend stuff that befits their world, opposed to the real one.
The Tottenham bid is as you might imagine commercially solid. Not backed by a local Council but by 02 Arena operators and entertainment giants AEG. The ‘Legacy’ element from the Hotspurs will be billed by those who like the West Ham bid as, ‘an afterthought’.
The idea is to rip the existing stadium apart, specifically binning the idea of a running track. Good news for watching footy. A real deal breaker for those wanting to have a pop at the 800 metres. This ‘callous’ attitude is tempered with a strategy to contribute to an alternative athletics to be arranged, ‘elsewhere’. Of course it isn’t callous. It’s realistic.
So what went wrong with the Haringay deal? At this moment in time their about fifty million reasons to discourage Spurs staying local. All with the Queen’s head on. The threat of Tottingham walking has prompted Haringay council to revisit their compulsory purchase orders to see if they can be wooed into staying.
The Haringay option will deliver a stadium so far removed from what we are used to, that if it happens you’ll spot folk glancing wistfully at Chick King, smiling kindly at white dog sh*t on the way down from Seven Sisters as they prepare enter into what will be not dissimilar to an Industrial Light & Magic movie set.
The Stratford option will alter the dynamic of being a Yid forever. It will be a purposeful stride upon the path of globally recognized branding. All the transport aggro will be in less than an instant, ‘gone’. Spurs fans will be underground, overground Wombling free. Tottinghamization awaits.
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An across the pond perspective:
If moving to the Olympic stadium is best for Spurs, increases revenues and our profile worldwide, and allows for increased squad investment and the possibility of winning things, then I say do it.
Being a Yank and never having never been to a home match at the Lane, I naturally don’t have any emotional or spiritual connection to the place. Maybe to some that means I’m not a ‘true’ Spurs fan, but the reason why I support Spurs is not about a place or bricks and mortar. I support Spurs because the team represents the nobler traits in football. I think Spurs are idea more than anything. Push and Run, Glory Glory Nights, doing things with style, brilliance and lunacy in equal measure. I don’t think a move 6 miles away will change any of that.
I don’t dismiss the geography of the Lane. It’s part of our history and is important. But the ethos of Spurs is bigger than a place.
Being a Spurs supporter from the suburbs south of London, I was always envious of my Chelsea supporting friends who would be back in the pub by 6 pm on matchday. I would suffer the hellish transport links and lucky to be in the local for 7 – 7.30. I have allegiance to Spurs but no allegiance to the Tottenham area. I feel a move to Stratford with a 80,000 stadium could take Spurs to the next level. Having moved abroad this doesnt really change much for me but I reckon I could get a ticket on visits home. Feel sorry for the Tottenham locals but if its for the greater good of the football club then so be it.
Stratford. BIOYC
I too have no true link to Tottenham personally, in that I’ve never lived there, neither was I born in London. I started supporting Spurs when I was a small boy, because my Dad, who moved out of the City in the early 70s during the “London overspill” era, is a Spurs supporter.
However I went to games many times at WHL, and the place, the atmosphere was and still often is incredible, and intimate. I will always have the memories, and a sense of loyalty towards the place our club derives it’s name from.
My reasons for wishing we stay in the area and build/develop at the present site stem from a personal desire that the new ground retains this incredible ambience/intimacy, as the Northumberland Park design plan would appear to promise. It would be nice if the area benefitted from redevelopment also.
It is disappointing that in an age where Joe Public has no choice when it comes to bailing out banks, and ulimately paying through their own pockets for our Olympic jolly, that our club does not benefit from the right to any regeneration grants etc. in such a downtrodden, poorly maintained area. An area that should already be maintained itself, or contributed further to, by the local authorities, TfL et al.
Instead we get bleating PC twa7s complaining about the protection 3 or 4 derelict boarded up buildings as having local importance (from their Victorian Manors in Chiswick or similar I shouldn’t wonder), raising our costs massively, and Local MPs shouting the odds when they should spend their time eliminating such practices as Local Councils shelling out £1000s of pounds in excess of the “market rate” to secure rented properties from private landlords who capitalise on their need to provide “council dwellings” for their benefit seekers – n.b. I’m not saying this happens in Haringey specifically, but I’ve been made aware that it happens elsewhere across the capital. Note this isn’t a dig at people who require housing, either. This is a dig at councils who waste millions of pounds of taxpayer’s money in a variety of ways. And then waste Tottenham Hotspur’s.
So fu<k 'em. I vote N17 with my heart, but whatever's best for my beloved Spurs is what I wish for most. I just hope if Stratford is the answer, we turn the site into a suitable amphitheatre complete with a truly awesome atmosphere.
Phone re new stadium on talksport 9-10am on new stadium / Stratford issue. Listen online http://www.talksport.co.uk
Sorry that doesn’t make sense. Note to self: Don’t cook full English whilst typing with 1 finger on smart phone.
There is a Phone in on talksport 9-10 about the new stadium issue.
Now for the big issue of the day. Ketchup or HP?
ok, so what I heard last night, from a mate of a mate of a mate (standard!) is that the Stratford option is the preferred option by Levy and Spurs are major contenders for it. Also in the mix are discussions with potential NFL team and Disney of all companies????