Tottenham Hotspur have received a big boost in the eagerly anticipated opening of their new stadium as the club prepares for two test events next month.
Spurs are exploring the possibility of holding the test events over the weekends of March 16 and 23, which they hope will put the club in a ideal position to move into their new stadium at some point in April, as reported by the Evening Standard.
The publication states that the first proposed event will be an opening training session in front of 20,000-30,000 people, followed by a near capacity (62,062) fixture, likely to involve the academy side.
If all goes to plan the first official Spurs game at their new stadium could be a Premier League clash against Brighton, which is scheduled for Saturday 6th April.
However, it’s important to note that the Seagulls are still in the FA Cup, and should they overcome Millwall in the quarter-finals, Chris Hughton’s men will take part in the semi-finals over the weekend of April 6. Although, even if Brighton lose that fixture and are free to face Spurs, Wembley will be out of action as it hosts the semi-finals of the competition, meaning the fixture could be postponed if no stadium is available.
This means Spurs’ fixture against struggling Huddersfield on April 13 could be the one to pencil in the diary. A few days prior to that Mauricio Pochettino’s men could find themselves involved in a home quarter-final first - should they beat Dortmund in the last-16, then draw the home leg first in the next round - but the Evening Standard reports:
“They [Spurs] are unlikely to be allowed to open the ground with such a high-profile fixture on a week night. That means that unless they can open the stadium against Brighton, they would most likely have to play a ‘home’ first leg at Wembley.”
Spurs, who are currently enjoying a four game winning run, will see out February with two away games against Burnley and Chelsea. The club’s next home game isn’t until early next month when they face rivals Arsenal in the London derby - their only home game in March - while this is followed by three consecutive matches on the road.
The March 17 home game against Crystal Palace has been postponed as the Eagles face Watford in the FA Cup that particular weekend, and a new date has yet to be announced.
