Football
Dan Kilpatrick, Tottenham Correspondent 7y

Tottenham could have extra time for Wembley decision - source

Tottenham could be given extra time to decide if they want to use Wembley Stadium as a temporary home next season, a source has told ESPN FC.

Spurs were set an original deadline of March 31 to inform the Football Association (FA) if they intend to use the national stadium for all home league and cup matches in 2017-18, while White Hart Lane is demolished and their new £800 million stadium is built.

A different source close to the FA told ESPN FC that Spurs cannot delay the decision into May because the FA needs to begin planning for next season, but there is a chance the deadline will be extended into April.

It would, however, be an unusual situation if Spurs went into the North London derby against Arsenal on Apr. 30 without knowing whether it was the last meeting between the rivals at the Lane, which has been Spurs' home since 1899.

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has admitted there is "no margin for error" over the construction schedule of the club's new 61,000-seater home, adjacent to White Hart Lane, and the club has said it will not move away for more than one season.

They are therefore seeking as much time as possible to make a decision, while Levy has said the club's Plan B is to delay the move to Wembley and their new stadium for a year.

That scheme could pose problems, including a potential clash with Chelsea who would like to use the national stadium for up to three seasons from 2018-19 while Stamford Bridge is developed.

Spurs are expected to ask the Premier League for a run of away games at the start of the season before moving into their new home, just as Liverpool did at the start of this campaign. The Reds began with four straight away fixtures and did not play at the redeveloped Anfield until Sept. 10.

If they confirm the move to Wembley for next season, the last match at White Hart Lane will be against Manchester United on May 13 and celebrations will be confined to the occasion.

On Thursday evening, Spurs received the green light to play at least 27 of next season's 'home' matches in front of Wembley's full 90,000-capacity.

A Brent Council planning committee voted five to one in favour of the club's proposal to play an additional 22 matches at Wembley's full-capacity and under the stadium's existing planning rules, the club is able to play five full-capacity games, making 27 in total.

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