Tottenham announce stay at Wembley Stadium and reveal first game at new White Hart Lane against Liverpool
Spurs will play one of their first four games of the season at Wembley Stadium before moving into their new home
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Your support makes all the difference.Tottenham Hotspur have announce that they will remain at Wembley Stadium for their first home Premier League game of the season against promoted side Fulham, with the first match to take place at the new White Hart Lane stadium coming against Liverpool FC in mid-September.
Spurs kick-off the Premier League 2018/19 campaign with a trip to Newcastle United, but are due to host Fulham the following weekend.
With stadium redevelopments yet to be completed and a number of test events due to take place before the ground can be officially opened, Spurs have announced that they formally requested the Premier League to start the season with a number of away games to ease their stadium issues, as well as ask the Football Association for permission to continue to use Wembley after calling the stadium a temporary home last season.
Both have been met, with Spurs’ request to break up the run of their first four games with a home match after consultations with Mauricio Pochettino’s coaching staff – resulting in the final ‘home’ game at Wembley.
“I am absolutely delighted to announce the date of our first match in our new home,” said chairman Daniel Levy. “Our fans have been hugely supportive and this has been much appreciated during a challenging but momentous time.
“I should also like to thank Richard Scudamore and the board of the Premier League for having regard to exceptional circumstances, along with the board of Watford for agreeing to reverse our fixture on matchday 4 to an away game.
"We had always intended to request a few games away at the start of the season. The coaching staff were keen to place a home game within the early fixtures so we shall have one home game at Wembley.
“We have held extensive scheduling discussions with Mace, our construction manager, and our lead sub-contractors. Our first operational test event will be held on 5 August.”
As part of the plans to open the new stadium, Spurs have announced a series of events that will ensure the ground is up to scratch to host top tier football this season. They are:
- 5 August – Operational test event at new stadium
- 18/19 August – Operational test event at new stadium
- 18 August – Home (Wembley Stadium) to Fulham
- 25/26 August – Operational test event at new stadium
- 1/2 September – Operational test event at new stadium
- 15 September – HOME to Liverpool - First PL game in new stadium
Before Spurs face Liverpool, they will take on Manchester United at Old Trafford and Watford at Vicarage Road, and they will make up their home-game deficit in the second half of the season, with 11 out of 19 games to be played at White Hart Lane.
The first north London derby to be played at the stadium will take place on 2 March, when Unai Emery takes his new Arsenal side to their rivals.
With two months until the season gets underway, Pochettino explained why he was keen not to play all of their opening games of the season away from home, as West Ham United did last season when they completed their move to the London Stadium.
He said: “We are so excited to have the date of the first Premier League match at our new stadium.
“We discussed the timings and the ability to play away games and I think it is a good solution to have an earlier home game. Wembley was great for us last season and we are even more used to that than we are the new stadium. We are excited about the season ahead and making the new stadium our new home. I have stood inside the bowl and I know the atmosphere will be unbelievable – it will be well worth the wait.”
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