Mace in ‘urgent’ meetings over Spurs stadium delay

Tottenham Hotspur Football Club’s new £800m stadium, which is being constructed by Mace, won’t be completed on schedule after testing uncovered "issues with the critical safety systems", according to the club.

• Video: watch how Spurs’ retractable pitch works

The London club’s new stadium had been due to open for the match against Liverpool on 15 September but "urgent follow-up meetings" are now taking place with Mace ahead of issuing a revised timetable.

Spurs’ upcoming matches against Liverpool (15 September) and Cardiff City (6 October) will be switched to Wembley, as will an NFL match scheduled for 14 October.

The club will also be unable to hold test events on 27 August and 1 September which will need to be rescheduled to take place ahead of any first official match in the new stadium in order to obtain a safety licence.

Club chairman, Daniel Levy, told fans: “We know this will be disappointing for all our season tickets holders, premium members and our fans worldwide. At the start of the project we asked for your support during what we knew would be a complex and challenging build and now we ask for your continued patience and forbearance.”

A Mace spokesperson said: "Unfortunately, our routine testing of the critical safety systems has flagged up issues that need to be addressed before the planned test events can go ahead. It is extremely disappointing that – as advised by the Club – a further two Premier League matches and the NFL game will now be played at Wembley, particularly for Tottenham Hotspur fans, but I am sure people will appreciate safety is our highest priority. The club and the construction team are working diligently to complete the iconic stadium as soon as possible.

"Although these delays are obviously frustrating, once complete the new stadium is going to leave a fantastic, lasting legacy and will be a project everyone involved will be proud to be associated with.”