Finance guru: Tottenham ready to seize £95m-plus advantage as ‘law change’ tipped
Tottenham are ready to take advantage of a possible future law change that would allow them to boost capacity at their stadium.
That is the view of finance expert Doctor Dan Plumley, speaking exclusively to Football Insider about Spurs’ role in the current safe standing trial.
Tottenham are one of five teams to have taken part in the trial, which sees fans permitted to stand at matches for the first in over 30 years.
The club confirmed last Friday (31 December) that the FA Cup clash against Morecambe would see standing fans in the South Stand and away sections.
Spurs earned £94.5million in matchday income from their 63,000-capacity stadium in 2018-19, the last season not affected by the pandemic.
Plumley explains that, while current regulations do not allow them to boost capacity, Spurs are ready to act in the event of a move to a different model.
“It’s a law at the moment that you can’t increase capacity,” the Sheffield Hallam University expert told Football Insider‘s Adam Williams.
“It’s still one seat to one fan at the moment. Because of the all-seater stadium act that was brought in after Hillsborough, that’s not changed at the minute.
“In the short term, they can’t increase capacity. But in Germany they’ve been able to by changing the back of the safe standing area to fit more people in.
“That can put you in a position whereby you’ve got more fans in grounds but it’s still safe under the regulations.
“That hasn’t happened in England yet but I have read that clubs are hopeful that this will change in the near future.
“It’s easier to reconfigure in a new stadium. The clubs that have newer stadiums would be better placed if there is any law change.”
Spurs explained that their stadium had been “future proofed” for safe standing during its construction.
Cardiff City, Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United are also participating in the safe standing trial.
In other news, pundit tips Daniel Levy to “screw over” Antonio Conte as Tottenham transfer plan revealed.