Top facts about Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, The New White Hart Lane

The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in north London is the new home of Premier League team

, replacing the club's old stadium, White Hart Lane. It is the third biggest football stadium in England and the largest club stadium in London, with a seating capacity of 62,850.

It is intended to be a multi-purpose stadium, with the world's first splitting, retractable football surface revealing a synthetic turf field beneath for NFL London Games, concerts, and other events.

The stadium was built as the centerpiece of the Northumberland Development Project, which was meant to be the spark for a 20-year rehabilitation plan for Tottenham. The project encompasses the site of the now-demolished White Hart Lane as well as the surrounding regions.

The idea was first envisioned in 2007 and announced in 2008, but the plan was altered multiple times, and construction of the stadium did not begin until 2015, due to conflicts and delays. The stadium was subsequently inaugurated on 3 April 2019 with a ceremony preceding the stadium's inaugural Premier League game.

The name "Tottenham Hotspur Stadium" was intended to be temporary, with the purpose of selling the naming rights and renaming it after a sponsor, however, it has yet to be renamed as of February 2022. Fans and some members of the media refer to the stadium as "New White Hart Lane" on occasion. So let's start our 

Top facts about Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

right away.

Here we go! Top facts about Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Before we start the

Top facts about Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

, we will take a look at some quick facts that can help us understand the story and find every untold fact about the third-largest stadium in England.

• Full name:

  Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

• Location:

  Tottenham, London, N17

• Owner:

  Tottenham Hotspur F.C

• Operator:

  Tottenham Hotspur

• Capacity:

  62,850

• Record attendance:

  61,104

• Field size:

  105 by 68 meters (114.8 yds × 74.4 yds)

• Surface:

  Desso GrassMaster

• Built:

  2016–2019

• Opened:

  3 April 2019

• Construction cost:

  £1 billion

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium origins

Let' start Sportmob's top facts about Tottenham Hotspur with the story of the stadium's foundation. The stadium was founded in 1882, and the club's early matches were held on public land at Tottenham Marshes. As their matches got more popular with the general public and the number of spectators increased, the club opted to relocate to an enclosed ground, allowing it to charge an entrance fee and regulate the throng.

In 1888, the club rented a pitch at Asplin's Farm, near the railway line in Northumberland Park. However, the ground quickly became overcrowded, and in 1899 the club relocated to a plot of land held by the brewery business Charringtons to the east of Tottenham High Road, behind the White Hart bar. This became known as the White Hart Lane field.

In 1905, the club purchased the ownership of the ground, as well as extra land at the northern (Paxton Road) end. A new stadium with stands designed by Archibald Leitch was built over a two-and-a-half decade period beginning in 1909.

By 1934, the stadium could seat roughly 80,000 people. The stadium underwent a variety of renovations throughout the years, with seating replacing the standing areas, reducing the capacity to around 50,000 in 1979. Significant standing sections, however, remained, including The Shelf, a lengthy stretch of raised standing terrace popular with spectators in the East Stand.

Beginning in the early 1980s, the White Hart Lane ground was renovated, and in order to comply with the Taylor Report's 1989 recommendation, it was converted into an all-seater stadium. The stadium's capacity had been lowered to roughly 36,000 by the time the renovation was completed in 1998.

The capacity was smaller than that of other big English clubs' facilities at the time, and several of these clubs planned to expand further. Because gate receipts were a significant portion of the club's income at the time, Tottenham began to look at ways to increase stadium capacity in order to more effectively compete financially with rival clubs.

Several designs were proposed throughout the years, including rebuilding the East Stand as a three-tier structure and transferring to alternative stadiums and places such as Picketts Lock and the

Stadium in Stratford, London. Except for a proposal to renovate the existing site, which became the Northumberland Development Project, these plans did not come to fruition. However, every failure leads to success and we are going to read its story in the next part of

Top facts about Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

.

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium comes to life

The club first indicated in 2007 that one of the options under consideration was rebuilding the current location. In April 2008, the club announced that it was considering purchasing the Wingate Trading Estate, which is immediately opposite to the north of White Hart Lane, for the purpose of constructing the stadium.

The Northumberland Development Project, which includes the development of a stadium, a club museum, houses, stores, and other facilities, was announced in October 2008. The initial intention was for Tottenham to move into the new stadium, which was still under construction, for the start of the 2012–13 season, with the stadium completed by the conclusion of the following season.

The project's first plan, which included a 58,000-capacity stadium, was presented for public comment in April 2009. The planning proposal for a 56,000-seat stadium built by KSS Design Group, as well as other buildings, was later submitted in October 2009.

The proposal, which included the demolition of eight locally listed buildings and two nationally listed buildings, was criticized by conservation organizations such as English Heritage, as well as the Government's architectural advisory body, the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment.

In response to the complaints, a new proposal was resubmitted in May 2010, retaining some of the listed structures. On September 30, 2010, Haringey Council approved the idea, which was later approved by the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, as well as the government. However, only a portion of this design, the construction of the Lilywhite House, was carried out.

A huge riot erupted in a disadvantaged part of Tottenham in August 2011. Haringey Council, wanting to maintain the economically significant club in the community, granted planning permission for the project on September 20, 2011, and a week later waived the requirement for community infrastructure payments, which is generally necessary for such a project.

Tottenham declared in a joint statement with Haringey Council in January 2012 that it will remain in North Tottenham and work with the council to revitalize the neighborhood. Haringey Council approved proposals in March 2012 to transfer over council-owned land in the redevelopment area to Spurs, including part of Wingate Trading Estate, as well as Paxton Road and Bill Nicholson Way.

It also decided on a Compulsory Purchase Order to purchase the remaining unsold properties on Paxton Road. The remaining properties on Paxton Road were secured on March 31, 2015, allowing the development to begin.

The club first announced in October 2013 that it was considering a new concept for a multi-use stadium capable of hosting American NFL games. On July 8, 2015, the club announced that it has signed an agreement with the NFL to hold at least two NFL games each year over a 10-year period.

On the same day, a new design team was unveiled, as well as a revised project plan, with Populous, led by Christopher Lee, in charge of stadium design. Haringey Council approved the revised plans, which included the removal of locally listed structures, in December 2015. In February 2016, the Mayor of London formally approved the plans.

Building the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Let's dive into the stadium's building story in this part of Sportmob's top facts about Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The Northumberland Development Project began building in September 2012, although the stadium itself did not begin until 2015 due to the CPO controversy. The stadium was built in two major phases so that White Hart Lane could be utilized for the 2016–17 season while construction was still ongoing.

The northern section of the stadium was built in the first phase, while the South Stand was built in the second phase when White Hart Lane was demolished. While the CPO dispute was still underway in 2014, a major portion of the land north of the existing stadium had been cleared.

Following the resolution of the issue, preliminary work on the basement began in the summer of 2015, with Morrisroe beginning concrete and ground construction for the foundation in the autumn of 2015, based on previously approved and updated blueprints.

The redesigned project plan received final approval in February 2016, allowing the building of the main structure of the new stadium to begin soon after. The northeast corner of White Hart Lane was demolished in the summer of 2016 after the 2015–16 season had ended in order to permit the construction of the stadium's northern part while matches from the final season were still being played at The Lane.

This part is made of reinforced concrete from the basement to level 6. Three further stories are built on a steel frame. There are only six reinforced concrete cores for vertical spectator circulation, rather than the eight expected of a stadium of this scale because they had to be built during the first phase of stadium construction.

The South Stand, which was built in the second phase, includes open staircases leading to the concourses. The demolition of the majority of the remaining White Hart Lane ground began the day after the final home match of the 2016–17 season, and it was completed by early August 2017, with all visible vestiges of White Hart Lane destroyed.

Piling for the stadium's Phase 2 construction began in June 2017. While the northern section built in the first phase is mostly concrete, the whole single-tier south stand is steel-framed to allow for faster construction.

In December 2017, the two steel "trees" that support the South Stand were constructed. In February 2018, the compression ring that holds the cable net roof structure was completed, and the roof structure was lifted in March 2018.

Parts of the old White Hart Lane have been incorporated into the new stadium: crushed aggregate from the White Hart Lane concrete foundation was mixed in with new concrete to make the floor of the new stadium's concourse, and bricks from the East Stand were used for the Shelf Bar.

A number of heritage plaques are put throughout the stadium to identify historical places, such as the stadium's center. The pitch was laid in early October of this year. The stadium's façade is covered in 35,000 ornamental tiles, 4,801 perforated metal panels, and 2,505 glass panels. The stadium's external covering was completed in March 2019, with the last few metal panels of the veil fitted.

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium hugging the fans

Top facts about Tottenham Hotspur Stadium can not go on without talking about fans who fill the stadium. The club previously indicated that four test events will be held at the stadium in August and early September 2018. The first two events would be restricted to club personnel and officials, while the following two would be accessible to the public, with rising levels of attendance required for the issuance of a safety certificate.

However, concerns with crucial safety systems caused by poor electrical wiring delayed the stadium's completion, and these two games were rescheduled for March 2019. Instead, a fan familiarization event was staged at the stadium in December 2018.

The inaugural match, an under-18s encounter between Tottenham and

on March 24, was attended by 28,987 supporters and won 3–1, with J'Neil Bennett scoring the first goal at the stadium. The second, a Legends match versus Inter Milan on March 30, drew 41,244 spectators but ended in a 4–5 loss to the Inter Forever club.

The stadium was supposed to open for the second home game against

in September 2018, but complications prompted Tottenham to extend their temporary tenancy of Wembley Stadium for the 2018–19 season until April 2019.

The inaugural NFL game was scheduled to take place on October 14, 2018, between the Oakland Raiders and the Seattle Seahawks, however, it was also moved to Wembley due to the stadium delay. On October 23, 2018, the club shop was the first to open.

The stadium was officially opened on April 3, 2019, prior to its first competitive senior game, a Premier League match versus Crystal Palace. Tottenham won the game 2–0, with

scoring the first official goal in the new stadium.

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium Design

The stadium has a capacity of 62,303 people and is an asymmetric bowl. The stadium's bowl shape stems from the need to maximize hospitality services, while the asymmetry is the result of the construction of a single-tier stand in the south.

The stadium is approximately 48 meters high, 250 meters long on its north-south axis, and 200 meters wide east-west. The horseshoe-shaped northern section above the basement has 9 levels, and the southern section has 5 floors, for a total gross interior area of 119,945 m2, which is roughly four times the size of White Hart Lane.

The stadium has a total area of 43,000 m2, which is nearly double the size of White Hart Lane (24,000 m2). The West Stand's front face is the High Road, and it has a projecting, angled, glass box that houses an escalator and serves as the main entry for guests and patrons.

The projecting entrance, like the façade of the other Tottenham Experience buildings, presents a classic linear frontage down the High Road. On match days, a 9.5-m pavement is built in front of these buildings to improve crowd flow on the High Road.

A special entry for NFL events is located to the east on Worcester Avenue. Fans can get access to two raised podiums, one to the north and one to the south. As the major access point for home fans, a vast open public space the size of Trafalgar Square has been erected on the south podium.

The square includes several ventilation shafts and can be used for sporting and community events. Away spectators can access the stadium from the northeast corner through Worcester Avenue and the north podium. The South Stand has a 5-story atrium hidden below a 7,000 m2 curved glazed facade.

The ceiling is made of cable networks and is held in place by an elliptically formed compression ring. The roof is connected to the wall by curving aluminum eave cassettes. The pitch is illuminated by 324 LED floodlights placed in 54 groups of six and attached to the roofing system's columns. Inside the stadium, there are four huge LED screens, the two on the south side being the largest of any stadium in Western Europe.

The stadium is designed in the style of a music hall, with superb acoustics in mind to maximize the excitement on game day. The stadium's corners are enclosed, and the stands sit close to the pitch, creating a "wall of sound" that can ricochet throughout the ground.

The design extends to the shape and substance of the roof and seating, such as the roof's aluminum soffit lining, and seeks to produce cleaner and faster reverberation times that allow fans to sing in unison, resulting in louder and longer-lasting chants. The stadium is also intended to keep the character of White Hart Lane while being livelier and more conducive to a sense of "home." Now that we know everything about the design, let's check out the stands in next part of our Top facts about Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium Stands

Despite the fact that the stadium is structured as a bowl, it features four unique stands. The levels of the stands are situated at angles of up to 35 degrees, the maximum allowable in British stadium architecture, and all seats provide ticket holders with clear views of the pitch.

The South Stand is known as the 'Home End,' and it has a single-tier with seats for 17,500 supporters, making it the largest single-tier stand in the country. It stands 34.1 meters tall, has a 34-degree incline, concourses on Levels 1, 2, 3, and 4, and is accessible from the south atrium.

The South Stand's architecture is inspired by the "Yellow Wall" of Borussia Dortmund's Westfalenstadion, and the stand is supposed to represent the stadium's "heartbeat," capable of creating an explosive atmosphere on match day.

The 35.5-meter-high North Stand is divided into three tiers, featuring concourses on Levels 1, 2, 4, and 5. The East and West Stands are 33.8 m and 33.2 m high, with concourses on Levels 1 and 5. Both stands feature four tiers, with two of them being smaller and designed for premium seating. There are around 8,000 premium seats available, as well as 70 private lodges and super logs for premium members and corporate hospitality.

 The stadium's seats, which were initially 62,062 but were later enlarged twice to 62,303, are navy blue, with 42,000 reserved for season ticket holders. The seats have a minimum width of 470mm and a maximum width of 520–700mm for premium seats, with legroom ranging from 780 to 858mm.

Away fans are assigned seats in the northeast corner; 3,000 seats in the bottom deck for Premier League games, and up to 15% of the capacity divided across three tiers for domestic cups. The stands have spaces with 7,500 seats that may be swiftly converted into safe standing zones if the regulation prohibiting standing in sports stadiums changes.

It is the first

stadium to include rail seating, and it is one of five stadiums that will try "safe standing" in January 2022. For those attending with their children, a family area is placed in the northwest corner.

There are 265 wheelchair bays, sections for support dogs, and amenities for people with "special care requirements" for disabled spectators. All four stands include accessible seating, and the design allows for adaptable seating for family gatherings.

Transportation

Seven Sisters, Tottenham Hale, Northumberland Park, and White Hart Lane are among the London Overground, London Underground, and National Rail stations that provide access to the stadium. White Hart Lane station, about 200m away, is on the London Overground line from Liverpool Street station.

In 2019, the station ticket hall was restored, and a Wembley-style walkway from the station to the stadium is planned. Northumberland Park is the next closest, and fans may get to the stadium through Park Lane. Seven Sisters and Tottenham Hale stations are both on the London Underground's Victoria line.

The walk from Seven Sisters station to the stadium takes about 30 minutes. White Hart Lane and Seven Sisters are renowned fan destinations that can be congested after games on match days.

Up to 144 buses each hour service the stadium area. The following bus routes stop near the ground: 149, 259, 279, 349, and W3. On matchdays, however, a number of bus lines are diverted. The club also runs two high-frequency shuttle bus routes to the stadium, one from Alexandra Palace via Wood Green to Haringey Sixth Form College and the other from Tottenham Hale to Duke's Aldridge Academy.

On matchdays, roads near the stadium are often closed to traffic two to three hours before kickoff and one to one and a half hours after the game. On matchdays, parking in the area is strictly enforced. Tottenham has also begun a partnership with Big Green Coaches to provide matchday transportation for supporters to and from games. Thanks for reading our Top facts about Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

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