Post by Salem6 on Oct 31, 2003 21:04:56 GMT
By Ivan Speck, Daily Mail
31 October 2003
White at one end of the ground, red at the other. Tottenham and Arsenal supporters tolerate such a division twice every season in north London derbies. But sharing a stadium, Wembley even? Not an option.
The trouble is, those fans will almost certainly not have the final say. What makes financial sense in the boardroom is, in this instance, anathema to followers of both clubs. However, the nightmare scenario appears to be moving closer.
Financial crises like the one gripping Leeds United are not confined to West Yorkshire. On Monday, Tottenham announced annual pre-tax losses of £7.1million. Not as much as the £49.5m at Leeds, but still significant when overall debt is on the increase and European football appears as far away as ever.
White Hart Lane would be worth many millions if it were sold to property developers, thereby freeing considerable funds for team strengthening.
Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has conceded in private that selling White Hart Lane may be the only viable long-term option if the club want to compete in the transfer market.
While the boardroom squabbling continued yesterday - financing director Howard Shaw is said to be increasingly isolated - director of football and caretaker manager David Pleat has been at pains to stress that Tottenham will sell players for football reasons alone.
After Wednesday's Carling Cup victory over West Ham, Pleat responded to questions about the future of Portugal international striker Helder Postiga.
He said: 'We give everybody time to settle in. We're not selling anybody. Certainly we're not selling anybody we don't need to sell. We control that situation, I assure you. We're not in trouble.'
Arsenal have struggled to raise the £260m they need to guarantee the financing of their new £450m, 60,000-seater stadium at Ashburton Grove.
If they fail to do so by the end of December, the club will recover the £95m so far spent on the project by selling land close to Highbury.
That would leave them in their present position in which turnover at each match is less than £1m, while title rivals Manchester United rake in £2.1m for each home game.
Even if the new stadium is built, cash-flow at Highbury will continue to be tight in the meantime. Manager Arsene Wenger spent only £1.5m in the summer, bringing in goalkeeper Jens Lehmann from Borussia Dortmund to replace David Seaman.
Champions League defeat by Dynamo Kiev at Highbury next Wednesday would send shudders through the Marble Halls for two reasons.
Firstly, elimination from the competition would cost the club a minimum of £10m in lost revenue compared to last season's run to the second group phase.
Secondly, failure on the pitch in Europe, coupled with yesterday's FA disciplinary penalties, would damage the image and attractiveness of the club for those City investors contemplating a contribution to the financing of Ashburton Grove.
The possibility of new Russian money coming into the club remains unclear. Certainly, the two tycoons mentioned over the weekend - Oleg Deripaska and Vladimir Potanin - have openly dismissed any links.
But financial problems in Russia could yet persuade such businessman that they need an international profile to shelter behind.
All of which leads us to Wembley, or Picketts Lock, or even Ashburton Grove and the possibility of a shared home. Neither THFC nor Arsenal may seek it but it may yet be the only way forward.
Given that the Picketts Lock site once earmarked as the venue for the World Athletics Championships is in Tottenham territory and that Ashburton Grove is a stone's throw from Highbury, the new Wembley - due for completion in 2006 - may be the only viable neutral venue. Arsenal vicechairman David Dein is said to have no major objections to a ground- share at Wembley.
New FA chief executive Mark Palios gave tentative approval to such a plan when he took office in July. With a capacity of 89,000, the new national stadium would be adequate for both clubs.
Arsenal are confident they would still sell out Ashburton Grove for many games, while Tottenham are equally convinced that their current 36,236 capacity at White Hart Lane is grossly inadequate for many games.
Whether either club could sell out the new Wembley for matches other than displaced north London derbies is open to debate. The only certainty is that for once the supporters would be united in their abhorrence of the idea. Sadly, it is not their decision.
++++++
Listen very carefully
N O[/U]
N O[/U]
N O[/U]
N O[/U]
N O[/U]
N O[/U]
U'd have 2 employ so many cleaners 2 remove the smell of S H I T b4 our matches
31 October 2003
White at one end of the ground, red at the other. Tottenham and Arsenal supporters tolerate such a division twice every season in north London derbies. But sharing a stadium, Wembley even? Not an option.
The trouble is, those fans will almost certainly not have the final say. What makes financial sense in the boardroom is, in this instance, anathema to followers of both clubs. However, the nightmare scenario appears to be moving closer.
Financial crises like the one gripping Leeds United are not confined to West Yorkshire. On Monday, Tottenham announced annual pre-tax losses of £7.1million. Not as much as the £49.5m at Leeds, but still significant when overall debt is on the increase and European football appears as far away as ever.
White Hart Lane would be worth many millions if it were sold to property developers, thereby freeing considerable funds for team strengthening.
Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has conceded in private that selling White Hart Lane may be the only viable long-term option if the club want to compete in the transfer market.
While the boardroom squabbling continued yesterday - financing director Howard Shaw is said to be increasingly isolated - director of football and caretaker manager David Pleat has been at pains to stress that Tottenham will sell players for football reasons alone.
After Wednesday's Carling Cup victory over West Ham, Pleat responded to questions about the future of Portugal international striker Helder Postiga.
He said: 'We give everybody time to settle in. We're not selling anybody. Certainly we're not selling anybody we don't need to sell. We control that situation, I assure you. We're not in trouble.'
Arsenal have struggled to raise the £260m they need to guarantee the financing of their new £450m, 60,000-seater stadium at Ashburton Grove.
If they fail to do so by the end of December, the club will recover the £95m so far spent on the project by selling land close to Highbury.
That would leave them in their present position in which turnover at each match is less than £1m, while title rivals Manchester United rake in £2.1m for each home game.
Even if the new stadium is built, cash-flow at Highbury will continue to be tight in the meantime. Manager Arsene Wenger spent only £1.5m in the summer, bringing in goalkeeper Jens Lehmann from Borussia Dortmund to replace David Seaman.
Champions League defeat by Dynamo Kiev at Highbury next Wednesday would send shudders through the Marble Halls for two reasons.
Firstly, elimination from the competition would cost the club a minimum of £10m in lost revenue compared to last season's run to the second group phase.
Secondly, failure on the pitch in Europe, coupled with yesterday's FA disciplinary penalties, would damage the image and attractiveness of the club for those City investors contemplating a contribution to the financing of Ashburton Grove.
The possibility of new Russian money coming into the club remains unclear. Certainly, the two tycoons mentioned over the weekend - Oleg Deripaska and Vladimir Potanin - have openly dismissed any links.
But financial problems in Russia could yet persuade such businessman that they need an international profile to shelter behind.
All of which leads us to Wembley, or Picketts Lock, or even Ashburton Grove and the possibility of a shared home. Neither THFC nor Arsenal may seek it but it may yet be the only way forward.
Given that the Picketts Lock site once earmarked as the venue for the World Athletics Championships is in Tottenham territory and that Ashburton Grove is a stone's throw from Highbury, the new Wembley - due for completion in 2006 - may be the only viable neutral venue. Arsenal vicechairman David Dein is said to have no major objections to a ground- share at Wembley.
New FA chief executive Mark Palios gave tentative approval to such a plan when he took office in July. With a capacity of 89,000, the new national stadium would be adequate for both clubs.
Arsenal are confident they would still sell out Ashburton Grove for many games, while Tottenham are equally convinced that their current 36,236 capacity at White Hart Lane is grossly inadequate for many games.
Whether either club could sell out the new Wembley for matches other than displaced north London derbies is open to debate. The only certainty is that for once the supporters would be united in their abhorrence of the idea. Sadly, it is not their decision.
++++++
Listen very carefully
N O[/U]
N O[/U]
N O[/U]
N O[/U]
N O[/U]
N O[/U]
U'd have 2 employ so many cleaners 2 remove the smell of S H I T b4 our matches
