Tottenham Hotspur is "planning to drop the name White Hart Lane" while Chelsea hopes to "retain the name Stamford Bridge in some form as the London rivals battle to secure naming rights for their new stadiums," according to Matt Hughes of the LONDON TIMES. The two clubs are "adopting very different strategies as they seek a naming-rights partner in a competitive and crowded marketplace in the capital," which also features West Ham, a club that is "still looking for a ground sponsor six months after moving to the London Stadium." Tottenham Chair Daniel Levy wants to raise more than £400M ($498M) from the sale of naming rights to the 61,000-seat stadium and, "despite remaining on the site that has been the club’s home since 1899, will abandon the present ground’s name to get a better deal." His priority is to "secure a lucrative long-term deal to help bankroll" the club's £700M ($872M) project. The plans "contrast with those of Chelsea," which received planning permission to build a 60,000-seat stadium on the site of Stamford Bridge last month. Chelsea is also seeking a naming-rights partner, but "will insist" that a reference to its "historic home must be included in any agreement" (LONDON TIMES, 2/15). THE DRUM's Tony Connelly reported Tottenham is understood to have "spoken to more than 300 companies about possible partnerships, however a deal has yet to be announced." A naming rights deal "will play a pivotal role in funding the new stadium" alongside the NFL tie-up, advanced ticket sales and commercial partnerships for the premium areas of the venue. HSE Cake Managing Partner of Strategy & Insight Joanna Porter "shed light on how the football club's push for a naming rights partner could pan out." She said, "There are broadly two types of potential naming rights strategy. One leads with brand engagement, the other puts a higher emphasis on generating brand awareness. The O2 and Wembley connected by EE are good examples of brands using venues to engage with new and existing customers, by seamlessly showcasing core service attributes in to the relationship. Then there's the other type of sponsor who wants to use football's huge media numbers to create broad awareness with a new or foreign audience" (THE DRUM, 2/15).
MARK THE CALENDAR: In London, Tom Collomosse reported Tottenham will discover on March 23 whether it has the "all-clear" to play all of its home games at Wembley next season in front of crowds of up to 90,000. Tottenham plans to use the national stadium for '17-18 while work continues on its new 61,000-seat ground, which the club hopes to occupy from the start of the '18-19 campaign. Representatives of the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust are "encouraging the club to keep season-ticket prices at the same level as White Hart Lane for the year at Wembley." The cheapest this season is £765 ($953), rising to £1,895 ($2,361). Trust Secretary Katrina Law said, "We are eager to hear where we’ll be playing next season and how much it will cost to watch our team. Presuming Wembley will be the venue, THST have lobbied for price parity" (EVENING STANDARD, 2/15).