Tottenham Owner Joe Lewis "is ready to sell the club," according to Darren Lewis of the London DAILY MIRROR. The 77-year-old businessman "has wanted to cash in on his investment for some time" and would now now like a "staggering" £1B ($1.6B) for the north Londoners. There "has so far been no interest as any potential buyers will need to assume the financial burden of the club’s new stadium" -- said to be around £400M ($649M). But "it is felt any takers would benefit from the increased revenue generated by the 56,000-seater venue, income from naming rights and TV cash" (DAILY MIRROR, 9/10). In London, Mark Bryans wrote Tottenham denied it is in discussions regarding a reported
£1B takeover. Tottenham said suggestions that Lewis was prepared to sell "were wide of the mark," with a statement
on tottenhamhotspur.com reading, "Contrary to recent press speculation,
neither the club, nor its majority shareholder, are in any takeover
discussions and the focus of the club is fully on delivering the new
stadium project." A Tottenham Hotspurs Supporters' Trust statement said, "The board of the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters' Trust is understandably
concerned to hear the latest announcement from the club regarding delays
to the building of a new stadium" (INDEPENDENT, 9/11).
STADIUM DELAYS: The PA reported the club is "also assessing all alternatives for a temporary home" -- including Wembley, the Olympic Stadium and Stadium MK -- after announcing a delay in the construction of its new stadium due to a High Court challenge. The new ground "will not be ready in time for the start" of the '17-18 campaign and a short-term temporary measure must now be identified. The THST "expressed fears the club's identity risks being severely damaged if the wrong groundshare option is taken." A THST statement said, "While the Trust is pragmatic about the need to move from White Hart Lane for one season, the prospect of moving from north London raises a number of issues for supporters, the local community, and the club's identity" (PA, 9/11).
