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Tottenham Hotspur announced today that the first two Premier League games, as well as one NFL game, scheduled to take place in its new stadium have been moved to Wembley Stadium after “issues with critical safety systems,” according to the statement.
Daniel Levy is quoted in the statement, saying:
“We know this will be disappointing for all our season tickets holders, premium members and our fans worldwide. We appreciate the support our partner the NFL has shown since the extent of this issue became evident today. At the start of the project we asked for your support during what we knew would be a complex and challenging build and now we ask for your continued patience and forbearance.”
Specific matches impacted by the delay are vs. Liverpool (Sept. 15) and Cardiff City (Oct. 6). Both domestic and European cup game venues will be determined following discussions with the relevant organizing bodies, according to the club statement. The team also announced it has been forced to cancel test events on Aug. 27 and Sept. 1.
It’s a tough pill to swallow for Spurs fans who’ve waited in long anticipation of the grand opening. Not only is the opening of the new stadium a symbolic mark of a new era that the club is anxiously awaiting to begin, but local fans will have been anticipating going back to their old stomping grounds and pubs on High Road in N17.