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New Stadium Details And Discussions

Sep 28, 2018
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The minutes from the Supporters' Trust's meeting with the club last Tuesday have been posted here. Relevant stadium stuff:

THST Board:
Martin Cloake, Co-chair (MC)
Katrina Law, Co-chair (KL)
Adam Bailey, Treasurer (AB)
Pete Haine, Secretary (PH)
Martin Buhagiar (MB)
Rachel Martin (RM)
Michael Green (MG)

THFC Board:
Daniel Levy, Chairman (DL)
Donna-Maria Cullen, Executive Director (DMC)
Jonathan Waite, Head of Supporter Services (JW)
Ian Murphy, Head of Ticketing (IM)
Eileen Williams, Safety Officer (DS)
Simon Bamber, Director (SB)
Jon Babbs, Stadium Director (JB)
Simon Felstein, Head of Communications (SF)

2. Stadium build: latest update

2.1 DL stated that every day was progress but the Board wanted certainty before coming out with a timeline
  • The priority of the Board is to protect the Club at all times
  • AB asked if the next statement would give a conclusive date for the opening of the stadium
  • DMC responded that the next communication would be an update
  • MB felt this was about managing expectations. The Club’s own website listed the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as the venue for all home league games from Chelsea onwards. It may be wiser to change those to TBC
  • KL flagged that the TV picks for December and January are scheduled for release on Friday (12 October). Would the Club not have to comment on venues at the same time?
  • DMC and SF said the next Club update would be issued in the next 2-3 weeks
  • KL explained that, once the TV picks were announced, fans made plans and any repeat of the City fixture would result in more compensation claims and more cost for the Club, as well as more inconvenience for fans
  • KL referenced comments submitted by members ahead of the meeting around the quality and frequency of communication recently. Would the Club accept this has been an issue?
  • DL, DMC and SF asked what they thought could be said when there was nothing to add to the last statement. It is an incredibly difficult situation
  • MC said the Trust’s preference, and that of many fans, was to get information out early, even if it was to say there would be further delay
  • DL and DMC said that doing this risked further delay
  • RM referenced stories leaking in the press adding to the unrest amongst fans
  • DL said the Club had confidential conversations all the time and it is always frustrating when details leak
  • DL recognised that the fans needed to feel acknowledged in this situation and that many fans had written supportively to the club which was much appreciated
  • DL confirmed that announcing the Liverpool game as the first game in the Stadium was not over ambitious and the stadium would have been ready if not for the safety issues. Much of the external work has been brought forward from next summer
 

spursfan77

Well-Known Member
Aug 13, 2005
46,680
104,956
The last DL point is interesting if you ask me. He’s sticking by the fact it would have been ready to host the Liverpool game. Also that lots of the external work is being done now instead of after the season seems weird if you ask me, surely you’d just do that throughout the season.
 

MattyP

Advises to have a beer & sleep with prostitutes
May 14, 2007
14,041
2,980
Perhaps because he's clearly attention seeking ?

I'd say so

He's tweeted in excess of 91,000 times, which is more than the official twitter of Spurs. Or more than Tyson Fury, Donald Trump and Gary Lineker combined.
 

spursfan77

Well-Known Member
Aug 13, 2005
46,680
104,956
Also relevant from the trust meeting

MG asked about project financing and clarified that THFC did not have a turn-key contract with MACE
  • MG asked if the delays were down to one contractor solely. DL confirmed they were down to several contractors
  • MG asked about the current costs of the project. DL confirmed the costs had definitely risen and DMC added that the Club was cutting internal costs where possible (campaigns, marketing etc.)
  • MG asked about a contingency in the budget. The Club confirmed that it had contingency in the budget
  • DL felt everyone was going through a bit of pain right now but that we would be coming out with one of the best stadiums in the world. It may take longer to get there but we are on the journey
  • MG asked for an update on the Banks and DL said all were being very supportive

2.3 MG asked for an update on refinancing the project
  • MG noted that the structure means the Club is paying the interest only but assumes any refinancing will now be on a higher figure
  • DL said the US Banks, especially, were used to build programmes of a similar scale overrunning
 

robertgoulet

SC Resident Crooner Extraordinaire
Jul 23, 2013
3,610
12,552
The last DL point is interesting if you ask me. He’s sticking by the fact it would have been ready to host the Liverpool game. Also that lots of the external work is being done now instead of after the season seems weird if you ask me, surely you’d just do that throughout the season.

Guessing that a lot of that couldn't really be done while we are playing matches there (having to keep moving equipment to and from the facility when there are matches, cleaning up, etc). Since there was going to be a 2-3 months delay they could get that stuff started.
 

coys200

Well-Known Member
May 22, 2017
8,436
17,403
I wonder at what point people will seriously question the ST sales. I believed the fire systems stuff at first but don’t believe it was the only issue for a second now. 43k at Cardiff and struggling to sell out city with only a 50k cap shows people have more or less had enough of the BS.
 

Gb160

Well done boys. Good process
Jun 20, 2012
23,646
93,313
I'd say so

He's tweeted in excess of 91,000 times, which is more than the official twitter of Spurs. Or more than Tyson Fury, Donald Trump and Gary Lineker combined.
@Jack (the twitter handle not the poster on here) has only tweeted 24k times...he founded twitter.
 

Dougal

Staff
Jun 4, 2004
60,345
129,920
I’m worried that the club isn’t communicating enough and I’m beginning to think they will open the stadium and not tell us.
 

thebenjamin

Well-Known Member
Jul 1, 2008
12,164
38,545
I wonder at what point people will seriously question the ST sales. I believed the fire systems stuff at first but don’t believe it was the only issue for a second now. 43k at Cardiff and struggling to sell out city with only a 50k cap shows people have more or less had enough of the BS.

Or they've just had enough of Wembley.

It is possible to simultaneously really wish the stadium was ready and not want to attend games at Wembley, while also understanding that there's nothing the club can do about the delay.
 
Last edited:

Yid-ol

Just-outside Edinburgh
Jan 16, 2006
31,097
19,276
Or they've just had enough Wembley.

It is possible to simultaneously really wish the stadium was ready and not want to go to Wembley, and understand that there's nothing the club can do about the delay.

Seen a few people say they have had enough of wemberly due to travel and just not liking it, l and that they get money back for the games they don't feel like they then have to go. But probably not the correct topic for this thread.
 

davidmatzdorf

Front Page Gadfly
Jun 7, 2004
18,106
45,030
The last DL point is interesting if you ask me. He’s sticking by the fact it would have been ready to host the Liverpool game. Also that lots of the external work is being done now instead of after the season seems weird if you ask me, surely you’d just do that throughout the season.

There's a lot of external work that would not be safe or practical to do while the club is hosting football matches every week, so it would have been scheduled for after the season. As we aren't holding matches there yet, there's no reason to wait - they may as well get it done now.
 

MattyP

Advises to have a beer & sleep with prostitutes
May 14, 2007
14,041
2,980
Or they've just had enough of Wembley.

It is possible to simultaneously really wish the stadium was ready and not want to attend games at Wembley, while also understanding that there's nothing the club can do about the delay.

A lot of the season ticket holders in our group are in this category.
 

Yid-ol

Just-outside Edinburgh
Jan 16, 2006
31,097
19,276
I’m worried that the club isn’t communicating enough and I’m beginning to think they will open the stadium and not tell us.

Just seen this as I read through Alli golds latest info and thought of your post

When asked about the lack of communication from the club, Levy and Cullen "asked what they thought could be said when there was nothing to add to the last statement. It is an incredibly difficult situation."
 

Gb160

Well done boys. Good process
Jun 20, 2012
23,646
93,313
Or they've just had enough of Wembley.

It is possible to simultaneously really wish the stadium was ready and not want to attend games at Wembley, while also understanding that there's nothing the club can do about the delay.
Exactly my position on this.
 

Dougal

Staff
Jun 4, 2004
60,345
129,920
A lot of the season ticket holders in our group are in this category.
Same here. City is my last game but only because I’ve been tied in financially for 20 years and I need a break. This is the only opportunity in that time to take one while retaining my season ticket. If I had the option not to go to Wembley at all last season I would have taken it.
 

marion52

Well-Known Member
Dec 10, 2006
1,580
2,200
Yes I’m fed up and seriously thinking about not going to the last CL tie, especially as it could be meaningless.
Will be desperately sad not to see CL at the new place?
 
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