Tottenham issue new stadium update and apology to fans

Tottenham have apologised to supporters after issuing an update to explain the "unavoidable" decision to delay the opening of the club's new stadium.

The redevelopment of White Hart Lane was scheduled to be completed in time for Spurs to host Liverpool on September 15.

However, Spurs announced on Monday that "issues with critical safety systems" meant the fixture, and also their Premier League home game with Cardiff City, would be switched to Wembley.

Tottenham played all their home matches at Wembley last season while work at White Hart Lane was carried out and the club indicated in an update on Tuesday that returning to the national stadium was always a possibility.

"Delays are common, certainly for builds of this size and complexity, however we are hugely frustrated that this has occurred with these systems at such a late stage," said a Spurs statement. 

"Whilst we would have been able to mitigate other areas, we simply cannot compromise safety.

"This decision was unavoidable.

"We should also like to clarify the correct context of the news that broke yesterday regarding arrangements with Wembley. The option was in fact exercised at the end of last year – and not in response to this issue – as a sensible back-up given the nature of construction and the possibility of exactly such an issue arising.

"Last night's announcement was brought forward from today in order to advise fans as soon as possible given the confusion caused and the news of the board meeting becoming public. As such we were unable to release details of refunds and ticketing at the same time as planned.

"We should like to apologise to supporters for this delay. We are acutely aware of the disappointment this may cause supporters and shall now look to ensure that we minimise any inconvenience.

"Our construction team is working hard to overcome these issues and we shall keep you all updated. Thank you for your support at this challenging time."