:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/49506951/457720004.0.jpg)
Sunday's match between Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton will be the final match held at a full capacity White Hart Lane. The club confirmed in a statement on Tottenham's website that in order to move forward on a critical element in the foundation of their new stadium, which is being built adjacent to White Hart Lane, part of the North East corner of the existing stadium will need to be demolished.
The demolition is necessary to install one of the concrete cores that form needed "to stabilize the stadium structure." Because it sits within the footprint of White Hart Lane, and in order to avoid construction delays, it's necessary to close and demolish part of that corner. The work will result in 4000 less seats for the entirety of the 2016-17 season.
Spurs are already in the process of notifying the 1800 season ticket holders whose seats are in the affected area, and have assured fans that those with seats will be relocated to equivalent seats elsewhere in the stadium.
This is obviously not an ideal situation, especially in what is expected to be the final season at White Hart Lane before its full demolition in 2017-18. Moreover, the reduction in seating could put Spurs afoul of UEFA regulations regarding Champions League stadiums, which is one reason why Spurs are currently in negotiations to play Champions League football matches at Wembley Stadium next season.
It also means 4000 fewer fans who can attend matches in White Hart Lane's final season, which is a shame. With a sizable season ticket waiting list and more fans who wish to attend Spurs matches than who actually can, it's likely that this will also affect the ticket resale market for Spurs matches as well.
Nobody's happy about this, least of all the club, but it seems as though it is a necessary evil in order to debut a shiny new stadium in with a minimum of delays in two years' time.