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Tickets for Tottenham Hotspur's final season at White Hart Lane will be allocated via a random ballot to cope with an anticipated "all-time high" demand, the club has announced. In a statement, the club said next season's system would make the process of applying for tickets "as fair and transparent as possible for all...members." Spurs' 36,000-seater home will lose 4,000 seats from the North-East corner, the Paxton Road end, this summer to aid building work on the club's new stadium, adjacent to the current ground. Over 1,800 of approximately 28,000 season-ticket holders will be relocated, but the reduction in capacity will leave roughly 70,000 club members competing for just 4,000 tickets. The new system will see all Category B and C match tickets allocated via a random, computerised ballot, which replaces the online queuing system previously utilised by the club. "This process will not see a reduction in the chances a member would have in obtaining tickets versus the traditional sales process we have employed in recent years. However, it will eliminate the frustrations that can be experienced at peak times during periods of high demand when large numbers of people are attempting to purchase tickets via telephone and internet," read the club statement. Members must apply during a specific window and will be allowed to apply in groups, added the club, who agreed the new system in consultation with The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters' Trust (THST). Spurs have reduced previous allocations to players and staff and some partners -- including travel agent Thomas Cook. Category A tickets -- the six biggest matches of the season, plus the last-ever league match at White Hart Lane -- will be allocated to members based on loyalty points, a system the club has used for the previous four seasons, while there will be no change in away ticket allocation. In a statement, the THST said the new arrangement was "fair" and would benefit "the broadest range of fans." "Given the reduced capacity next season, our main aim was to maximise the number of tickets available for One Hotspur members. This meant clawing back as many seats as possible from player and staff allocations, partners, sponsors and any other strands to put into the General Admission [GA] pot. We are pleased to learn that there will be a reduction across the board where contracts allow, including a significant drop in Thomas Cook packages," read the statement. "After making sure the pool of tickets available for One Hotspur members was the largest it could be, we then wanted to make sure that the way those tickets were allocated would be the fairest to most supporters."
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