eveningstandard--2019-02-14--New Tottenham stadium Uefa open to Spurs hosting Champions League quarter-final at new home

New Tottenham stadium: Uefa open to Spurs hosting Champions League quarter-final at new home

Uefa remain open to Tottenham hosting a potential Champions League quarter-final in their new stadium if the £1billion venue is ready in time.  Spurs have one foot in a first quarter-final since 2011 after beating Borussia Dortmund 3-0 at Wembley last night and they visit the Westfalenstadion for the last-16 second leg on March 5.  Uefa regulations broadly leave venue open to discussions with clubs and the governing body should be willing to allow Spurs to move to the 62,062-seat ground later in the competition if possible.  Spurs have been in dialogue with Uefa throughout last summer and this season amid repeated delays to the stadium and talks will continue over the next few weeks, with the quarter-finals scheduled for April 9/10 and 16/17.  Spurs have confirmed they will remain at Wembley until north London derby on March 2 but they are yet to announce where their final five home league games will be played.  Standard Sport understands the Premier League would prefer the club to either play all five in their new home or remain at Wembley for the season, raising the intriguing but unlikely possibility that Spurs could open their new stadium with a Champions League match but not play domestic football there until next term.  Mauricio Pochettino said last week his gut feeling is that it will be "tough" for Spurs to play in their new home this season but chairman Daniel Levy is said to still be optimistic about the chances of relocating before the end of the campaign.  Speaking after the draw at Barcelona which clinched their place on the knockouts Harry Kane said Spurs hoped the New White Hart Lane could have the same impact on them in Europe as Anfield has had on Liverpool.  “It would be incredible, something special, Champions League games in the new stadium," Kane said. “We’ve got to try and create that atmosphere. Everyone knows Anfield’s been fantastic for that. They’ve pulled out some great comebacks and results there and I’m sure that’s what we’re going to have to do to progress in this competition."


eveningstandard--2019-02-16--New Tottenham stadium Latest stunning photos as opening date draws closer

New Tottenham stadium: Latest stunning photos as opening date draws closer

New photos of inside Tottenham's new stadium have appeared online as fans continue to wait for an opening date.  Twitter user Ehsen Shah posted four photos of the £1 billion stadia, showing continuing maintenance of the pitch, the single-tier stand and press area.  The stadium's repeated delays continue to frustrate fans with the club most recently moving March 2's north London derby to Wembley with further testing and works likely scheduled for late February.  The new stadium needs to pass two official test events to get the safety licence required to open, though fan tours and other private viewings are understood to not count towards that quota.  Standard Sport understands the Premier League want Tottenham to play at least five League games at their new stadium this season or stay at Wembley for the rest of the campaign, which would mean a move-in date currently no later than March 17's visit of Crystal Palace.  To read all the latest about Tottenham's new stadium, read our guide.


eveningstandard--2019-02-27--New Tottenham Stadium Mauricio Pochettino hopeful over opening new ground this season

New Tottenham Stadium: Mauricio Pochettino hopeful over opening new ground this season

Mauricio Pochettino says he is more positive about Tottenham’s chances of moving to their new stadium this season following weeks of testing on the behind-schedule ground.  As revealed by Standard Sport last week, Spurs are hoping to stage test events on March 16 and 23, provided the stadium passes the ongoing checks to the fire and safety alarms, which have delayed the £1billion project since September.  If the test events are successful, the club would be in a position to open the 62,062-seater stadium against Brighton on April 7, plans that could be confirmed this week. The venue for their final five home games of the season is still unconfirmed and it is understood the Premier League would prefer Spurs to play all five at their new home or remain at Wembley until the end of the campaign.  Earlier this month, Pochettino was downbeat on the prospect of moving back to N17 this season, but the Spurs manager said Crystal Palace’s progress in the FA Cup — which has forced the Premier League to rearrange their visit to Spurs on March 17 — has given him fresh hope.  “I saw Daniel [Levy, the Spurs chairman] yesterday and he’s very positive,” said the Argentine. “I still think it’s going to be tough, but that was before Palace went through in the FA Cup and we changed the game. Many things have happened [since] to make us more positive, to believe that we can move before the end of the season.”  The situation is not straightforward because there is still no date for the rearranged Palace fixture, while their match against Brighton will also be moved if the Seagulls beat Millwall to reach the FA Cup semi-finals.  A Millwall win would allow Spurs to move to their stadium sooner and, asked if he would be supporting the Lions on March 17, Pochettino said:  “I’m going to support all the possibilities that can make us play [in our new home] before the end of the season.”  Spurs can open a 13-point gap on rivals Chelsea with a win at Stamford Bridge tonight, but Pochettino has accepted that they will not win the title this season unless Liverpool and Manchester City suffer spectacular collapses.  He said Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at Burnley proved his side are not ready to be champions and claimed it could take years to change their mentality.  “To be a real contender, playing well or not well, [Burnley] was a must-win game,” he said. “We showed Saturday that we are a good team, but it’s not enough to win the Premier League. That’s the reality. To change that is not only five years’ work, maybe it is 10 years’ work.”  Pochettino will again be without Dele Alli (hamstring) and Eric Dier (tonsillitis), but Harry Kane is expected to start after coming through 90 minutes and scoring at Turf Moor on his return from injury.  Meanwhile, UEFA have charged Barcelona after a complaint from Spurs about the treatment of their fans in December’s Champions League tie at the Nou Camp, where some were attacked by stewards and police.


eveningstandard--2019-02-28--New QPR stadium Councilaposs 425m plan for 45000-seat arena

New QPR stadium: Council's £425m plan for 45,000-seat arena

QPR could move into a multi-purpose entertainment arena with a capacity of up to 45,000 under plans drawn up by Hammersmith & Fulham council.  A consultation document outlines the proposal as one of four options for modernising the Linford Christie athletics stadium next to Wormwood Scrubs.  The £425million scheme — the most ambitious and expensive of the four — would see the club effectively “ground sharing” with operators of “concerts, trade shows, exhibitions and theatre.” The pitch would be protected by raising it to become the roof during indoor events.  The document’s financial projections also suggest that this option — with QPR offered a long lease — would yield the biggest returns with a surplus of £41.4m over 10 years.  The redevelopment plan also includes a new athletics track and stand next to the stadium, hockey facilities and a skate park.  It is unlikely to be popular with QPR’s owners, who hope to secure land from the council to build their own stadium at the Linford Christie site which is a mile away from Loftus Road.  The consultation document draws up gloomy financial projections for QPR’s preferred choice of a sale of land to the club for a “traditional stadium” of 35,000 capacity but with no entertainment venue. While this would be the cheapest option at just £70.4m, it would result in a cumulative loss of £12.1m after 10 years.  The council are set to launch a 12-week public consultation outlining the four options and designs from consultant Populous. The second option is for a 42,000-capacity stadium costing £350m, while the third option is for a 35,000-capacity venue costing £316m. Both options would see QPR take the stadium on a long-term lease.


eveningstandard--2019-03-12--New Tottenham stadium test event Ryan Mason to be in Spurs dugout for Under-18s game

New Tottenham stadium test event: Ryan Mason to be in Spurs dugout for Under-18s game

Ryan Mason will be in the dugout as Tottenham christen their new stadium with the test events over the coming days.  Tottenham's Under-18s will host Southampton Under-18s in front over around 30,000 fans on Sunday in the first of two test events.  Mason, after leaving Spurs for Hull City, last year saw his career cut short aged just 26 on medical advice following a nasty head injury sustained in 2017.  Since hanging up his boots, Mason returned to Tottenham as a coach across a variety of age groups has he works towards his badges.  Mason, a Academy graduate himself, will now be one of the first coaches to sit on the bench in the new £1 billion stadium.  “It’s a great privilege for our group of players and staff to have the honour of participating in the first game in the new stadium," Mason said.  "The Academy has worked well for the Club over the years and I think it’s fitting that the first match in our new home is going to showcase our current youth talent.  "It’s going to be an historic moment for everyone involved – including the players, coaches and fans – and I feel very fortunate to have this opportunity to be part of it.  "I was lucky enough to have some incredible experiences as a player in the old stadium and to be part of this occasion now as we test out the new stadium fills me with excitement and pride."  A Spurs Legends team will then host an Inter Milan Legends team six days later at an increased capacity to get the sign-off from the Premier League and Uefa.  The first first-team fixture at the new stadium will be the Premier League visit of either Brighton or Crystal Palace.


eveningstandard--2019-03-17--New Tottenham stadium First game confirmed as Spurs vs Crystal Palace on April 3

New Tottenham stadium: First game confirmed as Spurs vs Crystal Palace on April 3

Tottenham's first home game at their new stadium has been provisionally confirmed, with Spurs set to host Crystal Palace on Wednesday, April 3.  Spurs confirmed last week that they had held talks with the Premier League, Brighton and Crystal Palace with their first match in their new 62,062-seater venue dependant on how far the Seagulls progressed in the FA Cup.  With Brighton sealing a place in the FA Cp semi-finals by beating Millwall this weekend, Tottenham will now face Palace at their new ground on the first week of April - providing that the two scheduled test event matches go according to plan.  The club’s Under-18 fixture at home to Southampton has been rearranged for Sunday, March 24 and is to hold the first test event.  Spurs will hold a club legends match against Inter Milan on Saturday, March 30 for the second test event.  In order to achieve a formal safety certificate for fixtures to be held at the new stadium, Tottenham are required to hold two test event matches with increasing levels of attendances.  The Under-18s match against Southampton will have a matchday capacity of 30,000 with the legends match six days later increasing to 45,000.  The £1billion stadium was originally due to open in September and the initial test events were an U-23 fixture and a legends match against Bayern Munich, which were cancelled.  Since then, there have more delays - caused by problems with fire and safety alarms - but the end of a long wait for Tottenham fans is now in sight.  Meanwhile, Daniel Levy has dismissed reports Tottenham's new ground will be called the "Nike Stadium". Asked to deliver an update on naming rights, Levy said none were "in place" and dismissed links with kit manufacturer Nike as sponsoring stadiums is "not what Nike do as a business."


eveningstandard--2019-03-17--New Tottenham stadium update Daniel Levy denies Nike talks over naming rights

New Tottenham stadium update: Daniel Levy denies Nike talks over naming rights

Daniel Levy has dismissed reports Tottenham's new ground will be called the "Nike Stadium" as they prepare to play their first game at the 62,062-seat ground in April.  Earlier this month, Richard Keys 'exclusively revealed' the club's new home would be called 'The Nike Stadium' before a video clip of the beIN Sports anchor making the claim was deleted.  Tottenham later denied the reports and during a meeting with the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust on Tuesday, Spurs chairman Levy confirmed the club had never been in talks with Nike.  Spurs are seeking record sponsorship revenue worth more than the £400million agreement struck between Manchester City and Etihad in 2011.  Asked to deliver an update on naming rights, Levy said none were "in place" and dismissed links with kit manufacturer Nike as sponsoring stadiums is "not what Nike do as a business."  Southampton’s Under-18s will be the first visitors to the new stadium on March 24 for an academy fixture, while Inter Milan Legends are being lined up as the second visitors later this month.  Tottenham could then host Crystal Palace in the opening Premier League fixture on April 3, depending on Brighton's FA Cup result at Millwall on Sunday.


eveningstandard--2019-03-19--New Tottenham stadium Opening ceremony confirmed before first game

New Tottenham stadium: Opening ceremony confirmed before first game

Tottenham have confirmed an opening ceremony will be held ahead of the opening game at their new stadium on April 3.  Crystal Palace are the visitors on Wednesday evening, with kick-off scheduled for 7.45pm.  An opening ceremony will be held before kick-off, starting from 7.15pm onwards.  An official club statement read: "We would ask supporters to please, therefore, make arrangements to arrive as early as possible.  "There will be much to see and enjoy throughout the new stadium and the Opening Ceremony will commence approximately 20-30 minutes ahead of kick-off."  The club's first of two test events, required to complete successful to be signed off by the Premier League, will be held on Sunday, March 24.  Tottenham Under-18s will host Southampton's side in front of 30,000 fans before 45,000 fans will watch a Tottenham Legends team take on Inter Milan Legends six days later.  The likes of Robbie Keane, Dimitar Berbatov, Jurgen Klinsmann, Micky Hazard, Rafael van der Vaart, Allan Nielsen and Darren Anderton have been confirmed so far with more names to come.


eveningstandard--2019-03-20--How new Tottenham stadium capacity compares to Premier Leagueaposs biggest grounds

How new Tottenham stadium capacity compares to Premier League's biggest grounds

Tottenham can finally look forward to settling into their new stadium next month after a series of delays.  The north London club had initially planned to open the stadium in time for the start of the 2018-19 season.  However, Mauricio Pochettino's side were forced to hold off that following delays and continued to call Wembley their temporary home.  The club have announced that the first official fixture at the new White Hart Lane will be against Crystal Palace on April 3, subject to them receiving a formal safety certificate for the two test event matches with increasing levels of attendances: one at 30,000 and another at 45,000.  Once they get the go-ahead, Spurs can welcome their army of fans into the new 62,062-seater arena for the final five home games of the domestic season.  It is understood that when they were seeking planning permission, Tottenham were keen to usurp fierce rivals Arsenal by having the biggest stadium capacity in the capital and will do so by 2,062 seats once it opens.  But how does the new stadium stack up against the rest of their Premier League rivals?  Scroll down for the full list of all 20 club stadiums and their capacities...


eveningstandard--2019-03-20--Tottenham stadium news live All the latest from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Tottenham stadium news live: All the latest from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Tottenham's new £1billion stadium today held the first of two test events ahead of the grand opening against Crystal Palace on April 3.  The club have scheduled two test events; an Under-18 fixture against Southampton this afternoon and a club legends match versus Inter Milan on Saturday March 30.  Everything appeared to run like clockwork in the first test as Spurs' youngsters ran out 3-1 winners over their Saints equivalent, with winger J’Neil Bennett claiming the honour of being the first player to score a competitive goal at the venue.  Harvey White doubled their advantage from the penalty spot, while Dilan Markanday made sure of victory for Ryan Mason's side in front of a crowd of 28,987 after Kornelius Hansen had reduced the deficit for the visitors.  Should Spurs, as expected, receive sign-off from the Premier League, the first senior competitive match at their new 62,062-seater home will be the visit of Palace.  An opening ceremony was held ahead of kick-off, marking around four years since ground was broken on the site back in 2015.  Interviewed on the pitch at half-time, first-team boss Mauricio Pochettino described the feeling of the stadium opening as "unbelievable" and said the club had realised a dream.  Standard Sport were at the new Tottenham stadium on Sunday to bring you live updates and latest pictures from the first test event.  Can’t see the new Tottenham stadium test event LIVE blog? Click here to access our desktop page.  Scroll through the gallery above for the latest pictures of the new Tottenham stadium.


eveningstandard--2019-03-22--New Tottenham stadium Paul Gascoigne looks set to play in Legends match vs Inter Milan

New Tottenham stadium: Paul Gascoigne looks set to play in Legends match vs Inter Milan

Paul Gascoigne has all but confirmed his participation in the second test event at Tottenham’s new stadium.  Tottenham’s U18s take on Southampton’s U18 in the first test event this weekend, before a ‘legends match’ is held on Saturday March 30 against Inter Milan.  As reported by Standard Sport on Thursday, Spurs were hopeful that Gascoigne – who played for the club for three years, winning the FA Cup in 1991 – would take part .  And now Gazza, 51, has seemingly confirmed his participation.  The Spurs and England hero tweeted: “Hi every1 the skipper GARY is getting hounded, he picked ME2PLAY FROM THE START I WAS THE 1 WHO SAID KEEP IT QUIET”  The Tottenham Legends team will be managed by former captain Gary Mabbutt.  A number of former Spurs players have already been confirmed for the occasion. German World Cup winner Jurgen Klinsmann (below) will be the star attraction, with a glittering support cast including Robbie Keane, Rafa van der Vaart, Darren Anderton and Dimitar Berbatov.  Allan Nielsen, Stephen Carr, David Howells, Erik Thorstvedt, Neil Sullivan, Teemu Tainio, Mark Falco, Pascal Chimbonda, Micky Hazard, Chris Perry, Paul Stalteri and Nayim are the other confirmed names, while Mabbutt and Clive Allen will manage the side.  The likes of Edgar Davids, Teddy Sheringham, Chris Waddle, Ledley King, Jermaine Jenas and David Ginola are also expected to be confirmed.


eveningstandard--2019-03-23--New Tottenham stadium receives glowing early review from John McDermott aposIt looks unbelievable

New Tottenham stadium receives glowing early review from John McDermott: 'It looks unbelievable!'

Tottenham development chief John McDermott has told Spurs' youngsters to savour the moment as they prepare to step into a new era at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.  Spurs are hoping to open their new 62,000-seater stadium against Crystal Palace on April 3, but need to get through two test events in order to receive the relevant safety certificates from Haringey Council.  The first one will see their Under-18s side take on Southampton in front of 30,000 people, with the second coming next Saturday when a Legends team take on Inter Milan.  All being well their first competitive game will then be against Palace four days later in a rearranged Premier League match.  Tottenham's U-18s will be managed on Sunday by former Spurs midfielder Ryan Mason and McDermott, the club’s head of player coaching and development.  McDermott has previewed the game, telling Tottenham's website: "We trained this morning and now the boys have come down to see the bowl and pitch.  "To come here and see this now, it's unbelievable. The colours, the space, the feel.  "It's going to be absolutely brilliant for these young players to be able to come here to see this and have the honour and privilege of being the first players to play here. It's indescribable really."  While the match is a test event for the stadium itself, it remains a competitive fixture for Spurs' U18s as they battle Arsenal for the title.  McDermott added: "It's a fantastic opportunity for some of the boys to play on the biggest stage of their lives.  "Obviously there are other things as well around making sure everything functions and works here, and that the operations goes well, but for us, the in-depth concentration is around playing well against Southampton.


eveningstandard--2019-03-24--Tottenhamaposs new stadium is breathtaking imposing and certainly worth the wait

Tottenham's new stadium is breathtaking, imposing and certainly worth the wait

A first glimpse of Tottenham’s new stadium takes the breath away, and will leave many forgetting the setbacks, delays and trips to Wembley over the past two seasons. The wait was more than worth it.  Fans, players and even chairman stood in awe as they made their way into their new home for the first time, Mauricio Pochettino sharing brief moment of celebration with Daniel Levy as they stood on the pitch in the empty stadium before the supporters made their way in.  They have every right to be proud. Everyone connected with Tottenham has seen CGI images, pictures and videos of the new stadium, but that does nothing to lessen the impact of the frankly astonishing view, the South Stand in particular. Holding 17,500 it is the largest single stand in the country, is ready for safe standing and, even when empty, is more imposing than many stadiums at capacity.  The football on the day took a back seat, though there were special moments for J’Neil Bennett and Harvey White as they eased Spurs into the lead with the first and second goals ever scored here, while midfielder Oliver Skipp showed just why he’ll be turning out for the senior team at the stadium on a regular basis.  There will, undoubtedly, be teething problems. But everything in this stadium is built to purpose, to impress. Their stadium is now one of the best in Europe, and Pochettino’s ambitions appear to match it.  "My feeling is unbelievable,” the Spurs boss, who watched from the new directors’ box alongside Levy, said at half time.  “It's so difficult to explain with only a few words. We all feel the same, so excited. I think I got the same feeling when we left the last day White Hart Lane. We were crying, now the first day here at the new stadium we feel the same emotion.  “It's going to be a huge impact for the club. We're in a good place. 62,000 in the quarter-final of the Champions League it's going to be fantastic. We can make possible our dream to be in the semi-final, why not?”  Wembley grew stale with Tottenham as tenants. Attendances dwindled and performances could often be flat as frustrations kept increasing numbers away from their temporary home.  This new stadium, the events that will be a Premier League opener against Crystal Palace before that Champions League clash with Manchester City, they are all worth the frustrations suffered over the past two seasons.  Nothing has been handled particularly well regarding the delays since the start of the season, but Tottenham’s new home sits resplendent as one huge ‘thank you’ to the club and the fans. The remainder of the season should be fun back in north London.


eveningstandard--2019-03-31--New Tottenham stadium would be aposperfectapos stage for an Anthony Joshua fight says Eddie Hea

New Tottenham stadium would be 'perfect' stage for an Anthony Joshua fight, says Eddie Hearn

So how about Anthony Joshua fighting in front of 80,000 at Tottenham's fabulous new stadium?  Joshua's promoter, Eddie Hearn, would have a special reason for taking his heavyweight world champion phenomenon there. And he knows a top-class venue when he sees one.  Hearn's father, Barry, staged his first boxing promotion at the old White Hart Lane when Frank Bruno beat Joe Bugner in 1987.  "I'd love to emulate the old man and put on a fight at the new Spurs ground," Hearn junior told Standard Sport. Hearn has held two Joshua dates in front of 90,000 at Wembley and two more in front of packed houses at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.  "The big stadium shows are quite rare but you're always looking out for places. And Joshua had outgrown the indoor arenas here.  "Tottenham's new stadium looks magnificent. Its ultra-modern and state-of-the art.  "I don't know what Spurs' plans are but it could be another option among several in London.  "With no roof you'd be limited to dates between April and September. But it looks perfect.  "It’s got to be on the radar for future big boxing events."  The dream scenario of boxing fans is a series of fights involving the three leading and undefeated heavyweights '- Watford's WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO belt holder Joshua, American WBC champion Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury  Boxing's tangled politics mean that each is currently following different paths. But if the big collisions ever happen, Tottenham would surely come under consideration.  Understandably, Spurs have to get the football underway first - with the opening competitive game against Crystal Palace on Wednesday.  But the size, design and superb facilities of the new arena will surely mean promoters of all kinds of sporting and entertainment events will have taken note of the opening of London's newest major venue, with big name concerts planned.  Tottenham have already led the way with the revolutionary installation of a moveable American football pitch beneath the football pitch.  Two NFL games will be staged there this autumn.  This artificial NFL surface would be ideal for seating boxing fans as it would avoid damaging the football surface.  Hearn also staged the record-breaking super-middleweight clash between Carl Froch and George Groves at Wembley in 2014.  Bruno won the world heavyweight title at Wembley in 1995 on a major event promoted by Frank Warren.  Henry Cooper took on Cassius Clay - by then Muhammad Ali - at Highbury in 1963 and again at Wembley in 1966.  Barry McGuigan's epic 1985 world featherweight title win against Eusebio Pedroza was at QPR's Loftus Road.  The heavyweight world title clash between Herbie Hide and Michael Bentt was at Millwall's Den in 1994.  David Haye took on Derek Chisora at West Ham's old Upton Park ground in 2012.  The ill-fated super-middleweight fight between Michael Watson and Chris Eubank was at White Hart Lane in 1991 - when Watson was severely injured.  Boxing was first held at the Lane in 1922 and the 1945 British heavyweight title fight between Bruce Woodcock and Jack London took place there.  The capital has also historically had iconic outdoor boxing venues such as the White City Stadium and the Mile End Arena.  Hearn said he has explored the possibility of staging a Joshua fight at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium but it did not come to fruition.  He added: "At Wembley you only get one crack a year because it’s so busy there  "We planned for a Joshua fight there on April this year didn't work out.  "My dad knows the Tottenham chairman, Daniel Levy very well. So in the future who knows what we could do?  "AJ's next date is against Jarrell Miller in New York on June 1. But he wants as many of his big fights as possible over here.  "One of the stumbling blocks attempting to set up the Wilder fight was that he wouldn't come to London."


eveningstandard--2019-04-03--Inside Tottenhamaposs stadium 10 brilliant features to look out for at first game against Crystal

Inside Tottenham's stadium: 10 brilliant features to look out for at first game against Crystal Palace

The delays are over and it’s well worth the wait — tonight Tottenham’s new ground opens for its first competitive match.  At 62,062 seats it is bigger than any club football ground in England bar Old Trafford and seats 25,000 more than White Hart Lane, the club’s home for 118 years.  With its unique design and state-of-the-art facilities, it will also serve as a venue for American football and rugby union.  Fans who did not attend either of the stadium’s test events will get their first glimpse of their new home tonight, when they take on Crystal Palace.  Below, we bring you 10 brilliant features to look out for in our interactive graphic...  At 65 metres long this bar, which runs the length of the South Stand goal line, is the longest in the UK. It is one of several unique bars in the stadium, including The Shelf — which uses bricks from the East Stand of the old White Hart Lane — and Beavertown’s taproom in the south-east corner, the first microbrewery in any football stadium. All of them are cash-free, taking card and mobile payments only.  In the concourse underneath the south-east corner look out for this plaque marking the location of the centre spot at the old White Hart Lane, which the new stadium overlaps.  The stadium will also host NFL games and there is a retractable, artificial American football pitch stored below the South Stand, lower than the football pitch. They can be switched in 25 minutes and the artificial surface will also be used for rugby union. Larger NFL dressing-rooms are in the East Stand.  At the top of the South Stand sits a replica of the iconic golden cockerel from White Hart Lane. At 4.5m it is almost twice as tall as the original — which is in the club’s Lilywhite House offices — and has all the bumps and scratches, including from when Paul Gascoigne hit it with an air rifle!  The 17,500-seat, 34m-high South Stand is the UK’s biggest single-tier stand and will become Spurs’ answer to The Kop — but with 5,000 more seats. Taking inspiration from Dortmund’s ‘Yellow Wall’, this will be bouncing for big games and is futureproofed for safe standing.  Nods to Tottenham’s history abound, including this striking wall in the south-west corner displaying old programme covers. In the White Hart bar in the East Stand there is a tribute to legendary Spurs manager Bill Nicholson.  This is the entrance to the media section, which seats more than 200. It is open to the public as a coffee bar and brasserie on days when the stadium is not hosting a match.  The teams will run out from the West Stand, and can be seen from the exclusive Tunnel Club. It is similar to one at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium, but unlike there the glass is two-way — so the players can see inside as well.  Known as ‘The Tottenham Experience’, at 23,000 square feet this is the biggest football club shop in Europe. Inside the venue on the High Road is a 100-seat auditorium for events before and after matches.  There are 23 entrances around the ground and fans enter via the electronic turnstiles, which work like the barriers on the London Underground — tap or scan your ticket and walk through.


tass--2019-07-24--New stadium and giant Olympic Village How Tokyo changed with a year to go to 2020 Games

New stadium and giant Olympic Village: How Tokyo changed with a year to go to 2020 Games

The New National Stadium is being constructed on the site of the old National Stadium, which was built for the 1964 Olympics  TOKYO, July 24. /TASS, Alexei Zavrachayev/. Preparations for the Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, which will kick off in exactly one year time, are in high gear. As the TASS correspondent saw for himself, most of the construction works are in their final stage and the organizers will only have to launch the 365-day countdown. A quiet and calm district of Shinjuku is not far from major railway station Shinjuku, which cuts through this district, and the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden. Typical Japanese high-density and low-rise buildings stretch deep inside the neighborhood with narrow roads for cars and pedestrians. Akasaka Palace is located not far from here. This is where the Olympic Stadium is being constructed, where exactly in one year time hundreds of athletes will march carrying national flags to the deafening applause of spectators at the opening ceremony of the 2020 Olympics. Meanwhile, the slow-paced life of the vicinity is slightly disturbed by the noise of the construction and voices of traffic controllers, who guide people along partly-closed sidewalks. The New National Stadium is being constructed on the site of the old National Stadium, which was built for the 1964 Olympics. The construction site is isolated by a low white fence, which is fitted out with the noise-level meters, while all exits provide a tyre washing service to avoid trucks' spreading dirt from the construction site around the city. With even the first glimpse of this enormous building it is obvious that constructors and designers lived up to their project promises. The territory is very green indeed, sporting newly planted trees, which are still young, while flower tubs with various shrubs hang down from the arena’s galleries. A small park has already opened not far from the stadium. It features Olympic Rings and the statue of Pierre de Coubertin, the father of the modern Olympic Games and the second president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). It also sports downsized copies of the Olympic flame cauldrons built for the Olympic Games hosted by the Japanese cities of Tokyo (1964), Sapporo (1972) and Nagano (1998). This is currently the main venue, where residents of Tokyo and tourists gravitate to feel the spirit of the upcoming sports holiday and, of course, to take memorable pictures with the stadium and the Olympic Rings in the background. Japanese architect Kengo Kuma is the designer of the stadium construction project. His plan is rooted in the traditions of the national Japanese architecture in the style of ‘wood and green,’ which uses elements of ancient and medieval structures. The 68,000-capacity stadium is environmentally friendly and perfectly fits in the surrounding landscape. The construction work was estimated at $1.2 billion and is scheduled to be completed by December.  One of the most ambitious 2020 Olympics projects is the Olympic Village for athletes on the artificial island, Harumi, in Tokyo Bay. The total area of the construction is 13 hectares, while five more hectares will be occupied by parks and infrastructure. In all, 21 residential houses, which will be between 14 and 18 floors tall, will be commissioned in the first stage to accommodate Olympians. The construction work will continue on the island after the Olympics are over and, according to the plans, two more 50-storey residential and office buildings will emerge in addition to kindergartens and schools. On the whole, by 2023, when residents will start moving in, 5,600 apartments will be in place and the population of the district will stand at over 12,000.  "Apartments will go on sale on July 26. A client will have to book an apartment, but mortgage payments will start only in 2023, when we will commission all houses and complete the necessary infrastructure. In other words, moving in a new apartment will be possible only three years after the Olympics," a spokesperson for the construction contractor told TASS. According to her, a concept of "a city within a city" will be implemented on the island, whose residents will have access to all necessities within a walking distance. The plans also stipulate the planting of some 4,000 trees and the construction of two big parks. "Another important peculiarity of this district will be the introduction of the first system of high-speed buses in Tokyo, which will run at short intervals of time and along designated lanes," she added.  Everything is on schedule Preparations for the 2020 Olympic Games have entered the final stage and, according to the Japanese authorities, there are currently no delays regarding the commissioning dates, while the International Olympic Committee has also reported a high state of readiness of the Japanese capital for the Olympics. Twenty-five sports venues are located in Tokyo, mostly in the port area, including on artificial islands in the bay area. Seventeen more venues are located outside the city.  "We started holding testing events at the already constructed venues since late June to assess their capabilities. Moreover, we will also practice before holding the Olympics with the help of the Rugby World Cup, which kicks off next month in Japan. We must also start thinking now how we will be using the Olympic facilities after the Games," Governor of Tokyo Yuriko Koike told a news briefing with foreign journalists dedicated to one-year countdown to the Olympics. According to her, great attention is paid to security measures as well as to hot weather response. "We will be handing out headwear and hand fans at the stadiums. We are also installing special equipment to disperse water vapor in the streets across the city and will do our best to offer as many shaded places as possible. But we hope that next summer will be as cool as this one," she said.  Among other measures is asphalt laying with a special coating, which is capable of absorbing the heat. The temperature of this special asphalt in the direct sun will be eight degrees lower compared to a regular asphalt. In an effort to minimize the heat impact part of the open-air sports disciplines, including marathon running, will be held early in the morning, beginning at 6.00 am. The 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo are scheduled for July 24-August 9 and the 2020 Summer Paralympic Games will run between August 25 and September 6. The Olympic flame will be lit on March 11, 2020 in memory of the 2011 tragedy and the Olympic torch relay will start on March 26, 2020 from the Fukushima Prefecture.


tass--2019-10-07--Moscow’s FIFA World Cup main stadium welcomes Russia, Scotland for Euro 2020 qualifier

The match is scheduled for October 10. The Russian national team will compete at the main stadium of the 2018 FIFA World Cup for the first time since its match against Spain in the round of 16 of the World Cup, with Russia prevailing (1-1, 4-3 on penalties).  MOSCOW, October 7. /TASS/. Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium will welcome more than 45,000 people for a UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying tournament match between Russia and Scotland, the press service for the Russian Football Union (RFU) told TASS.  "The tickets are selling fast. Currently, more than 45,000 were sold," the RFU press service said.  The Luzhniki Stadium was renovated before the 2018 World Cup, its capacity was increased to 81,000 seats. The arena served as the main stadium for the tournament, hosting seven matches overall, including the opening match, round of 16, semifinal matches as well as the final.  Russia was drawn into Group I and is placed second after six matches with 15 points. Belgium tops the group (18 points), Kazakhstan is in the third place (7), as followed by Cyprus (7), Scotland (6) and San Marino (0).  To secure a ticket to the Euro 2020 on October 10, Russia needs to beat Scotland and see Kazakhstan draw Cyprus.  The Euro 2020 will be held in 12 cities in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the European championships between June 12 and July 12 and will feature top two teams from each qualifying group. Russia’s St. Petersburg will host three group-stage matches and a quarterfinal. The matches are also scheduled to be hosted by London, Munich, Rome, Baku, Bucharest, Dublin, Copenhagen, Bilbao, Glasgow, Budapest and Amsterdam.


theguardianuk--2019-03-30--Spurs new stadium lets call it a home win

Spurs’ new stadium: let’s call it a home win

It was, for a while, all about the cheese room. The new Tottenham Hotspur stadium, it was reported, was to offer its premium customers a selection of specially sourced cheeses, a concept which encapsulated how far the football fan has come from those black-and-white, crackly-voiced days when a gristly pie was all you got, an edible version of the brown balls that were hacked around the Flanders-like mud of those bygone fields – a distillation (conceptually speaking) of the catarrh of a million Capstans.  Which, goes the narrative, was how it should be. In the tribal warfare of football you don’t want the food to be too nice. And what could be more Waitrose, more metropolitan elite, more Highbury and Islington than a range of fermented curds? What could be less likely, except perhaps CO foam or a flame-retardant blanket, to put fire in the belly?  Then it vanished. The Spurs chairman, Daniel Levy, announced that there was not and never had been a cheese room in the stadium plans. There was an accompanying shift in the presentation of the stadium. If much of the advance publicity was about the treats for the high-paying customers – a glass-walled “tunnel club” from where you can watch the teams preparing to go on the pitch; a “sky lounge” from where you can view both the game and a sweeping panorama of London – I’m now told, by Christopher Lee, of the project’s architects, Populous, that the priority is to make a “democratic” stadium. By this he means such things as ample concourses where all the paying punters can roam, a “market place” where you can consume multiple different kinds of food and beer brewed on site. The idea of a segregated “corporate level” is, he says, “archaic”. Those people paying more “shouldn’t be in a little bubble”.  The tunnel club and the sky lounge are very much still there, and no one should be under any illusions that the aim is not to maximise revenue at every opportunity, but in Lee’s account “it’s all about experiences”, and everyone is invited to join in.  He makes an analogy with airlines and the intermediate classes they create between economy and business. At the Tottenham Hotspur stadium there are 70 hospitality boxes, compared with the 150 at Arsenal’s 13-year-old Emirates stadium (which, like the former Olympic Stadium, Wembley and a proposed new stand for Fulham, was also designed by the prolific Populous). There are instead “loges” – small-scale, semi-private dining areas that might be hired by families or groups. These are still not cheap, of course, but it’s still better than having the sandwich of deathliness that comes with a corporate zone that rings a stadium.  One might challenge Lee’s concept of democracy, with its emphasis on access to craft beer as a sign of equality. One might question his analogy of the inert interior of an aeroplane with the hopefully energising environment of a sports ground. But to judge by a visit to the first game played at the stadium – an under-18s match against Southampton last Sunday – his design does what he says. The concourses feel generous, with robust but handsome finishes in polished concrete and blue-painted steel. It’s not like the old White Hart Lane, which I knew well, whose bunker-like interiors made spectators feel like the huddled survivors of a nuclear conflagration, scavenging for crisps and tea from the inadequate food counters. Nor is it Wembley, the place where Spurs have spent their exile during the rebuilding of the stadium, whose grey corridors evoke the part-time conference centre that it, in fact, is.  The food and beverage on offer, pitched between gristle pies and White Stilton Gold, is a touch more varied and imaginative than you might expect. While the market place is lively, there are also areas where the invitations to consume are relatively restrained. It avoids, just, feeling like a shopping mall.  All of which is secondary – even now, in an era when matches are “experiences” – to the actual business of playing and watching football. Here the stadium is at its best, attaining the desired combination of magnificence and intimacy, with the stands placed as close as reasonably possible to the edge of the pitch and the upper levels rising at the steepest permitted angle. The kneeroom in front of each seat, which had become pointlessly generous in some recent stadia, is 4cm less than (for example) at the Emirates, which allows for greater compression. The design is helped, too, by advances in the technology of grow lights for the grass, which allow the architects to worry less about getting sunshine inside.  The main talking point is a single bank of 17,500 seats at the south end of the pitch, which as well as presenting an imposing wall of humanity contributes to an asymmetry that gives the bowl character. Around the top level of the stands runs a sinuous horizon, rising in the centre of each stand to accommodate more seats and falling at the corners. This helps to create the feeling that you are in a single space, rather than an assemblage of structures for spectating.  Most important of all is the acoustic, an intangible on which depends much of the success of Spurs’ billion-pound-plus investment, and the first signs are good. The under-18s game, intended to test the stadium’s operations in advance of more serious contests, was limited to a crowd less than half the capacity of 62,062, but those who were there tested the sound with old songs, which bounced nicely around their new home.  The new Tottenham Hotspur stadium is trying to do many things, in catering to its multiple audiences and commercial imperatives while hanging on to what you might call soul. Yet another layer of difficulty is added by the fact that, with the help of a quite amazing mechanism whereby the grass pitch slides away to reveal an artificial layer underneath, it will host American football. What the design doesn’t achieve is to bring all this complexity together into a coherent whole: the exterior, while communicating a generalised sense of oomph and power, is a mess, with wannabe soaring curves grinding against a rectangular grid of cladding panels, and with ideas borrowed from here and there fighting for attention.  My daughter and I used to share a little joke, as the old White Hart Lane hove into view from the train windows. “That’s the most beautiful building in London,” I said. It wasn’t, and the new one isn’t. In its ugliness it is like the outside of almost every stadium in the Premier League, if not the world. And almost none of the Spurs fans delighting in their new home last Sunday, relieved to be there after an opening delayed by six months, cared at all.  On which note I will leave you for a while. I will be taking a sabbatical until September, after which I will return with new energy. Au revoir.


theguardianuk--2019-04-03--Astonishing new stadium brings hope and fear to Tottenham Hotspur Barney Ronay

Astonishing new stadium brings hope and fear to Tottenham Hotspur | Barney Ronay

Welcome back then, Tottenham Hotspur. If the idea was to create something that felt unmistakably like home then the players did their best [in the first half against Crystal Palace](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/apr/03 /tottenham-crystal-palace-premier-league-match-report), producing a performance shot through with anxiety, met by intermittent waves of dread from the home crowd. Hello darkness, my old friend. You can take the twitchy blue- and-white shirts out of White Hart Lane, but you can’t take the Spurs out of Spurs.  The moment of ignition arrived with 54 minutes gone. Tottenham had come out after half-time with a new sense of vigour, pressing high up the pitch in the classic Pochettino-era style. For a while you could feel those new-Spurs muscles straining, the shape of this excellent, slightly stuttering team starting to assert itself.  Christian Eriksen pinched the ball and fed Son Heung-min. Son’s jinked shot found a crucial deflection. As the ball hit the back of the net there was a noise around those vast, steepling stands that was less a cheer, more a kind of shared shout, like the lid being ripped off a giant tube of angst.  First goals in a new stadium are often forgettable things, lost in the drowsy August sun. But this is Spurs, this is April, this is an £1bn business plan tied inextricably to playing in the Champions League. Let’s face it. It was never likely to be easy.  First things first: the [Tottenham Hotspur](https://www.theguardian.com/football/tottenham-hotspur) Stadium is an astonishing place, a giant, reverberating ball of air in a fine steel and glass case. It is a wonderfully open thing too, reaching up to the moon on all sides, but somehow also airy and uplifting.  ![](https://media.guim.co.uk/4b399b5bc68a661fae6800a645b2543224966b74/0_0_5472_3283/140.jpg)  **The journey** The old White Hart Lane was hidden from view until you were right on top of it. Now the stadium looms over the skyline nearly all the way up the High Road. It adds to the anticipation and feels like away fans will be impressed, even intimidated by it as they approach.  **Stadium entry**  Still some construction work going on around Park Lane but entry was seamless, with no queues and far smoother security than Wembley. The old houses around the ground mean it still feels like N17.  **The food**  Tofu and chips anyone? Not what you expect at the football maybe but there's every other greasy treat you can imagine as well - hot dogs, pizza, noodles etc and healthy options too.  **The craft beer**  Tottenham-based Beavertown brewery has five brews on offer, the cheapest at £5, which is competitive for quality beer in London. Nearby pubs selling cans of Fosters for the same price will need to up their game. Some teething problems at the Beavertown bar with beers running out, slow barrel changes and long queues. Other bars were fine.  **The amenities**  As vast as the ground is, it's still shoulder yo shoulder on the concourses so it feels like a day at the football, not the opera. WiFi works a treat and the loos are spacious. No elbowing your way to a crowded metal trough. Night and day with White Hart Lane, much loved as it was.  **The seat view** Cannot stop smiling. I knew the place was big but nothing prepared me for this. The gangways are steep so even though my seat is high up, it feels like it's right on top of the pitch. Just breathtaking.  **The atmosphere**  Have to admit i choked up during the opening ceremony referencing the Tottenham riots. Deafening at times during the game, at other times an air of fans still finding their feet in new surroundings. Will be a pulsating cauldron of noise against Arsenal, Chelsea or one of the big clubs. Nice to have Palace there, best fans in the league for my money.  **One other thing...** No need for the live music. Takes up space at the expense of fans. Nobody comes to football to watch a guitarist doing soft rock covers.  _Rob Davies is a season ticket holder at_ _Tottenham._  From pitch-side the eye is drawn to the single tier stand at the south end, curving up to its central peak miles up in the sky above north London. In the course of this opening game it went from a pyramid of silent angst (one benefit of that noise-funnel design: we can hear the whining and whingeing a lot more clearly) to a bouncing, seething mound of human joy.  The stands were already rocking half an hour before kick-off as the opening ceremony kicked into gear. A time may come when people around here tire of glossy video presentations about stadium funding and urban regeneration. But it’s not here yet.  The Fiver: sign up and get our daily football email.  As the flags twirled and the lights dipped a local singer from the X Factor called Lanya Matthews sang (brilliantly). Later she was joined by a rotund, excitable tenor in a performance of Glory, Glory, Tottenham Hotspur, arranged by renowned musical director Steve Sidwell, who is an actual renowned musical director.  After which: on with the other show on the pitch, the peg around which this vast financial undertaking will revolve. As Spurs kicked off in a fug of firework smoke, Son could be seen pirouetting his way down the left flank and turning to the crowd to demand a greater surge of noise.  'It's starting to feel like home': Mauricio Pochettino on Tottenham's new stadium – video  For Spurs this was a moment of extraordinary jeopardy. Football likes nothing better than drawing a fully formed narrative out of a few chance details. But rarely can there have been a single league match with so much portentous, far- reaching light and shade riding on its result.  All week the talk had been about those stunning, essentially-meaningless numbers. The largest bar in Europe. Ten thousand upward-spurting pints every minute! Seven hundred and seventy-three urinals! The largest club shop in the world with 23,000 square feet, the equivalent of 23 Victorian terraced houses.  But there were more urgent numbers here, things like one point from 15 and zero wins in the league since the middle of February. Finishing in the top four and playing in the Champions League are important things. They become painfully stark when this is the business plan, the future vision, vindication for this looming super-project.  Fireworks go off behind the golden cockerel on top of the South Stand before the match. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian  This is the wider picture here. Tottenham’s new home isn’t so much a football stadium as a statement of economic ambition. The souvenir programme showed the Spurs cockerel brooding over the London night sky like Batman: its eye turned not towards the nail bars and chicken shops down below, but to the bright lights of the city and the Docklands, seats of London’s super-city wealth.  It is a stunning project, one that will enrich Tottenham’s owners and will also drag a broader wealth this way, glossing one of London’s overlooked urban centres. But for all the homeyness and the care in the details, Spurs really do need to keep selling those mind-bendingly pricey boxes, those £15,000 H Club seats. This is what victory means now.  ![](https://media.guim.co.uk/4c8d8898129f62b5a9a650a25ea935655bb9a0e0/0_304_5184_3110/140.jpg)  Photograph: Chesnot/Getty Images Europe  With 10 minutes to go Eriksen, who had a wonderful game, scored to make it 2-0 and settle the nerves. The cheer this time was warmer, shot through not just with relief but with a feeling underneath it all of gears clanking and of an era that is now decisively under way.

Barney Ronay at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium


theguardianuk--2019-04-07--I dont care about the stadium Kevin De Bruyne says Spurs have no advantage

‘I don’t care about the stadium’: Kevin De Bruyne says Spurs have no advantage

Kevin De Bruyne has rubbished suggestions that Tottenham’s new stadium could influence the outcome of the [Champions League](https://www.theguardian.com/football/championsleague) quarter-final against Manchester City.  Spurs face City there on Tuesday in their second match at the 62,000-capacity ground, having beaten Crystal Palace 2-0 last week. Would it be an extra incentive for Mauricio Pochettino’s team? Might it affect the atmosphere?  “I don’t care about the stadium,” De Bruyne said. “I care about the team we play. Everybody talks about the stadium like it’s something special. Everybody has a stadium. Everybody has supporters. They’ll be up for it. They’ll probably be a little bit more excited but in the end it’s a stadium with supporters. If they go to Wembley with 80,000 or there with 62,000, it’s going to be the same. It’ll be a tough game but I think we’ll be all right.”  The focus of De Bruyne and his City teammates on the Tottenham game was apparent after they had secured a place in the FA Cup final by [beating Brighton](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/apr/06/manchester-city- brighton-fa-cup-semi-final-match-report) and safely maintained a four-pronged chase for honours. De Bruyne explained that as soon as they were back in the Wembley dressing room attention turned to the next step of this ambitious campaign.  “It’s about focusing on Tuesday,” he said. “Most of the players have had a massage already to be ready. We know Spurs have had a rest and we try to be ready. We have to take every hour we can.” This [Manchester City](https://www.theguardian.com/football/manchestercity) machine is doing everything possible to stay finely tuned. “ Every game from now until the end is going to be like this. Eighty or 90% of the time we’ll have fewer rest days.”  The straight-talking, straight-thinking Belgian believes there is “no point” thinking about the quadruple. “You know how heavy the schedule is? I think people underestimate how the fixtures come that quickly. You can’t think about it. We don’t even have time to have a rest ourselves, so how can we think about what’s going to happen in four weeks? We’re just going to play Tuesday and hopefully play a good game.”  Tottenham played their first Premier League match at their new stadium on Wednesday. Photograph: Will Oliver/EPA  City are staying in London to minimise disruption at this crucial period of the season. Every detail that might have an impact on the players’ physical shape and amount of rest and recovery from matches is taken into account. “If you follow us every day, and come to every game then I think you can appreciate it a little bit because you know all the travel that comes in and the preparations,” De Bruyne said. “It’s what we do, what we like to do and hopefully we can play all the games until the end of the year because it means we’re in all the finals.”  Their run of 22 wins from their past 23 games brings an inherent confidence. “It’s not bad,” De Bruyne mused. “We need to keep going because in the end, if we don’t make it, you guys will stand here and say we failed.”  There are, he reckons, no comparisons to, and nothing to be learned from, last season’s all-English Champions League knockout tie against Liverpool, when City were [roundly beaten](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/apr/04 /liverpool-manchester-city-champions-league-quarter-final-first-leg-match- report) in the first leg away and never recovered. “Different team, different year, different players. Last year we had a great season. We didn’t make it beyond the quarter-finals and that’s it.”  Although City were not at their most flamboyant during a highly professional job against Brighton, they know they have more gears, and more options, to use against Tottenham. “You can’t play 70 games at your top level,” De Bruyne said. “We’re always disciplined. I don’t know why people would say that defensively we’re not disciplined. I think defensively we do well but, because we play more offensively than other teams, people look at that. I think our shape is always there, our pressing is always there, so that’s well done.”  The Fiver: sign up and get our daily football email.  De Bruyne provided the decisive assist for Gabriel Jesus’s header in the early minutes against Brighton and it gives an insight into the way he thinks about the game that he made sure to whip the ball in at a very specific trajectory. “There’s no point playing that ball high because they’re probably three feet taller than everybody else,” he noted.  Pep Guardiola will assess the fitness of Sergio Agüero and Kyle Walker to give them the best chance of helping the team at the right moment in this intense hunt for maximum trophies.


themanchestereveningnews--2019-02-15--New gym set for bio and life sciences campus Alderley Park

New gym set for bio and life sciences campus, Alderley Park

Alderley Park, the Cheshire-based bio and life sciences campus,  is set to bring a new gym and sports complex to its growing on-site community and local residents later this year.  Opening in September, the new sports complex will include a health and fitness suite, dance studio, sports hall, three tennis courts and a five-a-side all-weather football pitch. There will also be new 7-a-side and 11-a-side football pitches and outdoor recreation areas.  Managed by Cheshire-based Everybody Sport and Recreation, the sports complex is part of a £160m investment from Park owners Bruntwood SciTech.  Chris Doherty, managing director, Alderley Park, said: “The facilities and amenities at Alderley Park are all designed to help support a healthy work-life balance.  "Everybody Sport and Recreation shares our vision for the Park and we’re delighted that they will be operating the new gym and sports facilities.  “Members of the new gym and sports complex will also be able to use 15 other Everybody Sport and Recreation-run centres across Cheshire including Macclesfield, Wilmslow and Knutsford.”  The new gym and sports complex is an integral part of Alderley Park, which will also include a gastropub and retail outlets.  Peter Hartwell, CEO, Everybody Sport and Recreation, said: “We’re thrilled to be running the new leisure facilities at Alderley Park and can’t wait to open our doors.  “We’ll be putting together a varied schedule of classes, ranging from indoor group cycling to yoga, which will be open to the all the people working and living at the Park as well as for the local community to enjoy”.  The gym comes off the back of the recent announcement that an additional £10m will be invested in a range of new laboratories at the Park.


thedailyrecord--2019-08-05--Dalbeattie Community Initiative claims ambitious sports complex plans remain on track

Ambitious plans for an outdoor sports complex in Dalbeattie remain on track, according to the developers.  And Dalbeattie Community Initiative has vowed its Rocks and Wheels business plan will be ready within weeks.  Under the project the former Dalbeattie Primary School and grounds would be transformed into a world-class mountain biking and climbing centre.  The News revealed last week that timescales had slipped because £30,000 was needed for testing the seven-acre site for possible contamination.  The delay led to David Robertson, the operator of the council-owned Islecroft Caravan Park, ending his involvement with the project.  The disclosure prompted community concerns that the scheme had stalled.  But at a briefing on Tuesday DCI directors said a new land deal with the council meant Rocks and Wheels was still on.  Project manager David McMillan said: “Negotiations with the council have now enabled us to phase the work.  “This means we will not be forced down the route of taking on the seven acres of land from the outset.  “Our prime objective is to save the three listed granite buildings and keep them going for another 50 years.  “Stage one will be to develop the main school building and the one behind as a hostel, refectory and indoor bouldering centre.  “This first phase will allow us to generate income rather than waiting for the full project to develop.”  Mr McMillan added: “Once we get the business plan that’s when we can go hunting for funding.  “That will take some time as well but our project ticks all the main boxes in terms of cultural, health, social and economic benefits.  “The clear objective for the initiative is to generate economic growth, create sustainable jobs for Dalbeattie and attract more people here.  “We are optimistic not just for ourselves as a community initiative but also for Dalbeattie as a town.”  DCI business manager Michelle McRobert said: “The business plan will be ready by the end of the summer when it will be seen by directors privately.  “It will then be submitted under a stage two asset transfer request to the Stewartry Area Committee for approval.”  Once the asset transfer is approved, DCI’s longer term plans include building a mountain bike pump track in the former school grounds.  DCI director Dr Seb Pflanz said: “We had over 500 responses to our community survey and the huge majority wanted to preserve the buildings for the community.  “But our vision remains that the whole package will be delivered.”


thesun--2019-02-13--Inside the NAS Sports Complex in Dubai where Man Utd went for January sun and Dele Alli is working o

Inside the NAS Sports Complex in Dubai where Man Utd went for January sun and Dele Alli is working on recovery

WHEN Ole Gunnar Solskjaer whisked his Manchester United players away to Dubai in January it raised some eyebrows.  But it shouldn't have - the NAS Sports Complex has become the go-to venue for clubs and athletes looking for some winter sun.  ![ Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took his side to the world- class NAS Sports Complex in Dubai]()  Getty - Contributor  Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took his side to the world-class NAS Sports Complex in Dubai The site contains everything elite athletes and clubs need to train and recover from injury  [Dele Alli was there last week as he stepped up his recovery from his latest hamstring injury](https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/8372400/spurs-dele- alli-dubai/) that has seen him miss five games since mid-January.  The [Tottenham](https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/team/1196652 /tottenham-hotspur/) and England star was just the latest high-profile athlete to pick the facility as the base for his recovery.  [Cristiano Ronaldo was a visitor in December](https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/8091760/cristiano-ronaldo- kisses-georgina-rodriguez-dubai-nye-pictures/), Patrice Evra is a regular and Alex-Oxlade-Chamberlain, Virgil van Dijk, Novak Djokovic and Olympic gold medallist Greg Rutherford have all used the facility for injury recovery.  [Manchester United weren't the only club to travel to the Middle East to use the facilities in Januar](https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/8127681/man- utd-dubai-training-camp-fa-cup/)y - Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers and West Brom manager Darren Moore also took their sides.  ![ Dele Alli was in Dubai last week as he works his way back from his latest hamstring injury]()  Instagram @dele  Dele Alli was in Dubai last week as he works his way back from his latest hamstring injury  ![ The Spurs and England star works out on the IAAF-standard athletics track]()  Instagram @dele  The Spurs and England star works out on the IAAF-standard athletics track  ### Facilities on offer   **Health club and spa -**  Luxury facilities include everything an athlete could need to recover from injury or a training session. It has the stuff you would expect, such as a fully-equipped gymnasium, swimming pool, plunge pool, steam room, sauna and large dressing room for 25 athletes.  It also has hi-tech extras such as an altitude chamber, cryo chamber, climate chamber and a performance lab to give coaches data.  There are also full medical facilities with on-site physios and masseuses.  **Two Fifa-standard football pitches -** The facility has two full-size pitches with immaculate turf up to Fifa standards. One of them has an IAAF- standard athletics track circling it, while another is surrounded by trees to offer more privacy.  **Sports Complex -** The sports complex houses courts for a number of indoor sports, including squash, padel, beach football and volleyball as well as badminton and fencing. There's even a mosque and a Starbucks, as well as a large car park just north east of the site.  **Pearl Dive Centre -** Not part of the sports complex but on the same site, the shell-shaped Dive Centre houses the world's deepest recreational pool. Pearl diving is one of the favourite past-times in the UAE.  **Indoor stadium -** The world-class 5,840-seat venue hosts local and international matches in futsal, volleyball, basketball, badminton, boxing, fencing, gymnastics and martial arts.  United were there last summer for their pre-season tour, while Real Madrid and a host of other clubs around Europe have also held pre-season training camps at the venue.  Teams and athletes are flocking to the desert not just because of the guaranteed sunshine, but because of the world-class facilites.  The complex includes two Fifa-standard pitches, one with an IAAF-standard athletics track around the outside of it, and every hi-tech apparatus one could need for injury recovery.  The sprawling site boasts a luxury health club and spa with a fully-equipped gym.  Cristiano Ronaldo made a trip to the complex during the winter break  ![ Man Utd players make the most of the sensational warm weather training in Dubai on last month's visit]()  Getty - Contributor  Man Utd players make the most of the sensational warm weather training in Dubai on last month's visit  ![ Celtic also travelled to Dubai in January - with Brendan Rodgers saying the trip was 'great' for his players]()  Kenny Ramsay - The Sun Glasgow  Celtic also travelled to Dubai in January - with Brendan Rodgers saying the trip was 'great' for his players  Liverpool's Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain returns to first-team training in Dubai camp after nine months out with knee injury  The health club contains an altitude chamber, climate chamber, swimming pool, cryo chamber, a performance lab for real-time data and full medical facilities, including on-site masseuses and physiotherapists.  There are indoor courts for squash, padel, beach football and volleyball, as well as badminton, volleyball, futsal and fencing.  At the north end of the site is a world-class indoor stadium which hosts futsal and volleyball tournaments.  Another huge bonus is the location of the complex - just a short trip outside of downtown Dubai.  Aston Villa star Jack Grealish working out in the fully-equipped gym It is not just footballers who benefit from the first-class facilities on offer  Manchester United [stayed at the five-star One&Only Royal Mirage, where the cheapest rooms are £289-a-night, with the complex just a 20-minute drive away](https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/8133887/manchester-united-ole- gunnar-solskjaer-dubai-curfew/).  The site also contains a mosque and even a Starbucks coffee shop.  Robert Wadsworth, the complex's sports director told MUTV why he believed elite clubs and athletes picked Dubai.  "Warm weather training is beneficial for all athletes - particularly ones from Manchester where you don't quite get the weather of Dubai," he joked.  Michael Phelps, the most successful Olympian of all time, at the facility Footballers love it because of the guaranteed sunshine  "Coming into warm weather training, [players] can train outside for a longer period of time, [they have] the advantage of getting Vitamin D.  "From a sports science perspective the ability to train in those hot conditions benefits athletes and teams."   Wadsworth also says that teams coming away on a trip together helps create and strengthen team spirit and the bond between players.  Solskjaer must have been doing something right, with United dropping just two points in six matches since returning.  Wadsworth added: "On top of the sports science aspect, the benefit of getting away as a team and to be together at a critical point in the season.  "Hopefully they can come together, enjoy the experience at NAS and get the most out of it in terms of training and go on to have a fantastic second half of the season."  ![ Lukaku and Darmian look all business on a recent trip to Dubai]()  Getty - Contributor  Lukaku and Darmian look all business on a recent trip to Dubai  Solskjaer was clearly delighted with how the trip went after getting home.  He said: "It was very good. We had four good days of training, so I think the boys enjoyed it.  "We put some principles down and they worked hard — they enjoy working hard."  The players also clearly loved the trip, with a number of the players sharing snaps of their trip on social media.  Romelu Lukaku took a trip to Salt Bae's restaurant Nusr-Et, while others took trips to the zoo, as Solskjaer relaxed the curfew for his players.  Celtic manager Rodgers also spoke highly of the his training camp at the facility.  "It's been great... it's nice for them socially to be together," said the former Liverpool boss.  "This gives us a chance to recharge and get some good coaching work into the players but also to really connect again - and in great weather.  "We're able to work on some aspects out here that doesn't happen so much in the domestic season."  He'd said ahead of the trip: "It’s a hard gig. Players aren’t robots.  ![ It is no coincidence United's upturn in form coincided with their trip to the Middle East]()  Getty - Contributor  It is no coincidence United's upturn in form coincided with their trip to the Middle East  Dele Alli steps up recovery from hamstring injury with warm-weather Dubai training  "They are human beings and it doesn’t matter how much money the player is paid.  "For the best quality of the game you want them to be as fresh as they can be.  "We can come back mid-January feeling re-energised for the second part of the season. It will do us the world of good."  It seems Rodgers was right - after losing three of their previous six matches, Celtic have won seven out of seven since returning from the desert.  Expect many others to be doing likewise as well.


thetorontostar--2019-08-28--Placido Domingo concert opening sports complex in Hungary

SZEGED, Hungary - Placido Domingo received a warm reception Wednesday at a concert in Hungary to inaugurate a new soccer stadium for a Catholic diocese, the second of the opera star’s European engagements since he was accused of sexual harassment in an Associated Press report.  Domingo, who shared the stage with his son, Placido Domingo Jr., and Puerto Rican soprano Ana Maria Martinez, faced allegations of sexual harassment from nine women in the report that was published Aug. 13.  The audience in the Saint Gerard Forum, as the stadium is called, applauded respectfully when Domingo appeared on stage during a ceremony before a concert. But the welcome seemed more measured than the standing ovation awarded to him Sunday by the opera crowd at the Salzburg Festival, his first performance since the publication of the allegations.  While two U.S. opera houses cancelled appearances as a result of the allegations, Domingo’s European engagements have continued as scheduled. Still, his interaction with journalists was limited. A news conference planned for Monday in Szeged was called off, and access to a rehearsal was restricted.  Bishop Laszlo Rigo-Kiss referred to Domingo as “the master” when thanking him for his performance. The singer did not speak during the ceremony.  Concert organizer Andreas Magony drew a link between the allegations against Domingo and the large number of lawyers in the United States.  “What needs to be known is that the cultures of the United States and Europe are totally different,” Magony told the AP. “The United States is the home of the show. In reality, everything is about lawyers. There everything can be made into a show.”  He praised Domingo’s “fantastic stage achievements,” his love of family and his “unbroken popularity.”  “The honest and pure human communication with which he lives his life can only fill us with pride. And I believe the audience thinks the same,” Magony said. “We can have only honour and love toward Placido Domingo, who is a colossal artist and a colossal man.”  The AP story included extensive allegations that spanned decades, starting in the 1980s. The women accused Domingo of using his power at the LA Opera, where he has been the longtime general director, and elsewhere to try to pressure them into sexual relationships. Several of the women said he dangled jobs and then sometimes punished them professionally if they refused his advances. Allegations included repeated phone calls, invitations to hotel rooms and his apartment, and unwanted touching and kissing.  In a statement to the AP, Domingo called the allegations “deeply troubling and as presented inaccurate.” He said he believed his interactions with the women to be consensual. He has not spoken publicly about the report.  The #MeToo movement has had limited effect in Hungary, where leading politicians have drawn criticism for statements seen as demeaning to women. In a 2015 speech, Parliamentary Speaker Laszlo Kover said that daughters should consider bearing grandchildren as “the height of self-fulfilment.”  In 2013, a lawmaker said that his wife broke her jaw and cheek bones after tripping over their blind dog. He later admitted punching her and slamming her head against a wooden railing.  Domingo has performed numerous times in Hungary, including a 1996 concert in Budapest with Jose Carreras and Diana Ross. He is also known for his support for “Virtuosos,” a Hungarian talent show for young classical musicians.  Audience members at the Hungarian performance seemed skeptical about the allegations.  “I can’t say for sure that there was no basis to it, but after so many years, I have my doubts. That’s all,” Istvan Garaczi said.  Anna Orosz said she recently read a book about Domingo and said the allegations did not influence her “listening or the enjoyment of his music.”  “Everyone liked him. Everyone was around him, and for sure he had many fans,” Orosz said before the concert. “He had no particular need for these types of things of which he is accused of.”  The loudest cheers for Domingo were probably heard after he sang the patriotic “Hazam, Hazam” (“My Homeland, My Homeland”), the best-known aria from Ferenc Erkel’s “Bank Ban,” considered to be Hungary’s national opera.  News stories about the concert in the Hungarian media, large parts of which now belong to a foundation with strong ties to Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government, often made no mention of the allegations. Independent outlets focused mostly on the stadium and sports complex built with public funds and church connections.  The Gerard of Sagredo Youth Forum and Sports Center was built at a cost to taxpayers of some 14 billion forints ($47 million) and is owned by the Roman Catholic diocese of Szeged-Csanad, led by Kiss-Rigo, an avowed supporter of Orban’s policies, including his fervent opposition to immigration.  The bishop is also the founder of Szeged-Csanad Grosics Akademia, a Hungarian soccer team that will play in the 8,000-seat stadium. The compound includes basketball courts, practice fields and other facilities. It will also be used by more than 9,000 students attending diocese schools and around 4,000 children in state care, according to the bishop.  Gorondi reported from Budapest, Hungary. Associated Press Writer Colleen Barry in Milan contributed to this report.

Andras Nagy And Pablo Gorondi - The Associated Press


tass--2019-04-11--Nornickel Norilsk sports and recreation complex to open doors in 2020

Nornickel: Norilsk sports and recreation complex to open doors in 2020

KRASNOYARSK, April 11. /TASS/. A new sports and recreation complex in Norilsk (the Krasnoyarsk Region) will open 2020, Head of Non-Industrial Construction Department at Nornickel’s Polar Division Pavel Neputin told reporters on Thursday.  The sports and recreation complex is built under an agreement between the Krasnoyarsk Region, Nornickel and the Norilsk administration.  "We are finalizing the zero stage (the basement) and will begin to install the steelwork," the company’s representative said. "The complex will open doors in summer, 2020."  Nornickel’s press service told TASS investments in the project were at 1.7 billion rubles ($26 million). Nornickel undertakes the construction expenses.  The new complex will be the main training base for the Norilsk Nickel Futsal Club. The complex with the capacity of 1,000 fans will host Russian futsal championships. The medical facility there has up-to-date equipment, including for doping control.  The complex will be available also for amateurs. It will host competitions in volleyball, basketball, badminton and other sports. The sports and recreation complex will be convenient for people with limited mobility.  Nornickel is a diversified mining and metallurgical company, the world’s leading producer of nickel and palladium, a leading producer of platinum, cobalt, copper and rhodium. The company also produces gold, silver, iridium, osmium, selenium, ruthenium and tellurium. Nornickel is involved in exploration, production, enrichment and processing, as well as production and sale of non-ferrous and precious metals.  In other media


thedenverpost--2019-01-31--Rangers new stadium will have synthetic turf not grass

Rangers’ new stadium will have synthetic turf, not grass

ARLINGTON, Texas — The Texas Rangers will use specially designed synthetic playing surface rather than grass in their new retractable-roof stadium that opens in 2020.  Texas’ decision will make the Rangers the fourth of the 30 major league teams to use artificial turf.  Toronto’s Rogers Centre, which opened in 1989, and Tampa Bay’s Tropicana Field, where then then-Devil Rays started play in 1998, have always had artificial surfaces.  Arizona’s Chase Field is switching from grass to turf this season, giving MLB three turf surfaces for the first time since 2009, the last year the Minnesota Twins played in the Metrodome before moving to Target Field.  MLB has a high of 10 artificial surfaces, in 1977-78 and again from 1982-94. There have not been four since 2004, the last season before the Montreal Expos left Olympic Stadium for Washington, D.C., and became the Nationals.  The Rangers’ current stadium, Globe Life Park, has had grass since it opened in 1994. The new ballpark is being built across the street.  Texas said Thursday the decision was made after almost two years of research regarding player safety, team performance and fan experience.  Shaw Sports Turf, which will provide the synthetic turf field, used Globe Life Park’s current grass field as one of the benchmarks for an ongoing playability study. The company is also part of a kinesiology study with Auburn to research how players react on certain surfaces and says it will use that data to tune systems for player safety and optimal performance.


theindependent--2019-01-16--Everton new stadium aposFlexibleapos safe-standing plans welcomed by supporters group

Everton new stadium: 'Flexible' safe-standing plans welcomed by supporters group

The Football Supporters' Federation has welcomed Everton FC 's plan to build their new stadium with the potential for safe-standing areas that could increase the overall capacity by 10,000 fans.  While John Blain, the chairman of the Everton FC Supporters Association (EFCSA), believes the club's "flexible" approach to capacity could help close the financial gap to the 'big six' and keep ticket prices low.  Everton want to build their new home at Bramley-Moore Dock on the banks of the Mersey and they are proposing a state-of-the-art venue with an initial capacity of 52,000 seats.  But at the Premier League club's annual general meeting last week, deputy chairman Keith Harris said: "We expect the introduction of safe-standing during the period the stadium is being built, so original capacity has flexibility to increase by 10,000, depending on government legislation."  Football grounds in England's top two divisions have had to be all-seater ever since the 1989 Hillsborough disaster but the legislation is under review, with many in the game expecting sports minister Mims Davies to announce plans to relax that requirement soon.  Several clubs have said they would like to re-introduce standing areas, while Spurs have built their new home at White Hart Lane with 7,500 seats that can be quickly converted into standing places. They initially suggested this could increase capacity by nearly 2,000 but have since opted for a one-for-one ratio when converting seats to standing places.  But standing sections can hold up to twice as many fans as seated areas of the same size, as several League One and League Two clubs prove and can be seen every week in the Bundesliga. Despite this fact, every Championship and Premier League club that has talked about standing areas so far has done so on a one-for-one basis, until Everton.  The head of the FSF's safe-standing campaign Peter Daykin said: "Using standing to increase capacity has been politically sensitive because it has scared clubs with stadiums that cannot easily be retro-fitted to do this safely and it has worried politicians with mental images of terraces packed with boisterous fans all standing up.  "But the Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA) gives licences to standing areas in Leagues One and Two with higher densities than seated areas, so if it's safe there, it should be safe everywhere.  "As long as the areas are properly designed, maintained and stewarded, the FSF sees no reason why clubs cannot go for a greater ratio than one-for-one when they switch seats for standing places."  Daykin also believes clubs able to increase their capacities with standing sections should be able to lower their prices.  "We are not backing the campaign to give supporters the choice to stand because we expect prices to come down but, obviously, if they do, we will be delighted," he said.  "We also think if you can increase spectator density, prices should come down and that will help with the lack of diversity at many grounds, as the cost of tickets is one of the biggest obstacles there."  Blain, whose association represents about 15 per cent of the club's shareholders, agrees with Daykin on the game-changing potential of a stadium that can safely accommodate large numbers of standing fans.  "Most fans believe the current plan for a 52,000-capacity ground at Bramley-Moore Dock is too low and worry we won't be able to compete financially unless we have a larger capacity," Blain told PA Sport.  "But there are others who are not convinced we could consistently fill a 60,000-capacity stadium to justify the extra £70million or so in construction costs and wonder about the negative impact if seats are empty.  "So I believe the board is being smart by still considering the base-capacity whilst exploring a more flexible solution for a standing section that could, subject to legislative changes, provide an absolute maximum capacity of 62,000.  "The other factor is the cost of tickets, always a sensitive issue at the 'People's Club'.  "If you go for the smaller capacity and we consistently fill it, as most believe we will, then the usual laws of supply and demand suggest prices will rise. Resisting that could hurt our ability to compete.  "But with a large standing area, which significantly increases the capacity, prices could be kept low."  Keep up to date with all the latest transfer news, rumours and done deals throughout the January window


theindependent--2019-12-23--Everton new stadium: Bramley-Moore Dock a 'statement of intent', says Denise Baxendale-Bar

Everton new stadium: Bramley-Moore Dock a 'statement of intent', says Denise Baxendale-Barrett

Everton will submit a planning application for their new Bramley-Moore Dock Stadium with chief executive Denise Baxendale-Barrett describing it as “a profound statement of intent”.  Just two days after delivering a similar message about their on-field activities with the appointment of three-time Champions League winner Carlo Ancelotti as their new manager, off the pitch things are moving forward.  Following lengthy public consultation – which includes tweaking the proposals to integrate a multi-storey car park from the waterside into the stadium design and introducing additional environmental measures, including wind baffles – an application will be sent to Liverpool City Council later.  “This is a huge milestone in the club’s history but also a profound statement of intent for our future,” said Baxendale-Barrett.  “It marks the culmination of many years of work that has combined the passion of our fans with world-class design and a commitment to creating something truly special on Liverpool’s waterfront.  “The stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock will deliver the best possible matchday experience for our fans, new facilities for cultural events and a building that will be a stunning new addition to Liverpool’s built environment.  “If we are granted planning approval, this will be a world-class football stadium in a world-class location and a catalyst for Liverpool City Region’s ongoing growth and success.  “We’ve always believed that this project can be a game-changer for North Liverpool...(it) isn’t just about a new football ground – it’s about regeneration, jobs and social value.”  A separate planning application will also be submitted for a community-led legacy project at Goodison Park, the club’s home for 127 years.


drudgereport--2019-02-05--Tens of thousands pack stadium for first papal mass on Arabian Peninsula

Tens of thousands pack stadium for first papal mass on Arabian Peninsula...

ABU DHABI (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of Catholics and several thousand Muslims attended an unprecedented public celebration of Mass on Tuesday by Pope Francis, the first pontiff in history to visit the Arabian Peninsula.  More than 120,000 worshippers packed Zayed Sports City stadium and its surroundings in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, to see the pope, who is in the Gulf country to promote inter-faith dialogue.  The UAE hosts about half of the two million expatriate Catholics living on the peninsula, home to the birthplace of Islam in neighboring Saudi Arabia. The community includes large numbers of people from the Philippines and India.  “It is most certainly not easy for you to live far from home, missing the affection of your loved ones, and perhaps also feeling uncertainty about the future,” the pope said, telling those gathered to draw inspiration from Saint Anthony the Abbot, the founder of monasticism in the desert.  “The Lord specializes in doing new things; he can even open paths in the desert,” he said at the end of a trip where he met with the grand imam of Egypt’s Al-Azhar mosque and UAE leaders.  Francis entered the stadium in a white open top jeep to roars from the crowd. People wearing white baseball caps emblazoned with the visit logo packed the stadium stands and snapped pictures on their smartphones.  Thousands of people cheering and waving Vatican flags lined the entrance to the stadium, with the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and Abu Dhabi’s skyscrapers glinting in the distance.  “For me as a Christian, this is one of the most important days of my life,” said Thomas Tijo, a 44-year-old from India’s southern state of Kerala, who lives in the UAE and traveled by bus in the early hours to get to the stadium.  “We are a long way from home and this is like a comforting blanket,” he said, holding his three-year-old son, Marcus.  Organizers said Catholics from about 100 nations were expected to attend the Mass, along with about 4,000 Muslims, including government officials.  The pope, who arrived on Sunday at the invitation of Abu Dhabi’s crown prince, has used the visit to condemn regional wars, including that in Yemen, the poorest country in the Peninsula, where the UAE is involved as part of a Saudi-led military coalition. He also called for greater cooperation between Christians and Muslims.  “The pope has made pleas for ending the Yemen war, greater tolerance and more,” said Lina Ghattas, a 48-year-old Egyptian who had traveled from Bahrain.  “I am not sure what will change: time will tell - hope, hope,” she said.  During the service the pope spoke in Italian and English, which is widely spoken in the UAE where expatriates outnumber Emiratis nine to one. The congregation prayed for migrant workers and their families and for the ending of wars.  The ceremony ended with a prayer, a thunderous round of applause from the crowd and organ music.  “It’s a dream come true. I feel blessed,” said Rio Chavez, a 40-year-old security officer who has been in the UAE for five years. He had called his wife and mother back home in the Philippines before the Mass so the pope’s message about being far from home and loved ones had resonated for him.  “I feel renewed, positive, he is an inspiration for me and my family. I will work very hard to bring my family here, I have the pope’s blessings now,” he said.  A central part of the Christian faith, the Mass commemorates Jesus’ Last Supper with his apostles on the night before he died.  Catholics believe the communion host and wine become the body and blood of Christ when consecrated by a priest during the Mass. Catholics believe the pope is the vicar of Christ on earth, so participating in a papal Mass is particularly special.  Priests and diplomats describe the UAE as one of the least restrictive environments in the Gulf for Christian worship, which is allowed in church compounds with special licenses. There are more than 40 churches, nine of them for Catholics.  But, like other Gulf states, it outlaws unsanctioned religious gatherings and non-Muslims must not proselytize.  “This pope’s voice is heard, so our hope and prayer is that this historic visit brings peace to this strife-torn region,” said Clitus Almeida, an Indian engineer who works in Dubai.  “Given the number of Catholics there is a dire need for more churches in the UAE,” he said, voicing hope that Saudi Arabia, where churches are banned, would also allow them.  Although there has been no official comment from Riyadh, the pope has featured on the front pages of some of the main newspapers, which ran pictures of Francis’ meetings with the grand imam of Al-Azhar in Abu Dhabi on Monday and UAE officials.  An opinion piece in Saudi-owned, pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat praised the visit and its message of tolerance and coexistence, which it said confronted a discourse of extremism in the region.  “The Arab region...for a very long time allowed rigid voices to hijack religious discourse, and it is time to correct the error.”


eveningstandard--2019-03-18--New Tottenham stadium Spurs freeze 2019-20 season ticket prices

New Tottenham stadium: Spurs freeze 2019-20 season ticket prices

Tottenham have confirmed season-ticket prices have been frozen for next season, the first full campaign in their new stadium.  Spurs sold 42,000 season tickets for the current season ahead of an expected move-in date for their new home, only for the opening game to be delayed until April 3.  In a short statement on Monday, Spurs thanked supporters for their patience during nearly eight months of delays.  The cheapest season-ticket anywhere in the stadium cost £795 for adults, £595 for young adults – aged 18 to 21 – and £397.50 for seniors and children.  The most expensive were £1,995, while there were also £2,200 tickets with access to a private bar and complimentary food as part of Spurs' '1882' scheme.  "The Club can announce that we shall be freezing the prices of all Season Tickets for the 2019/20 season.  "We should like to thank our Season Ticket Holders for bearing with us and supporting the team at Wembley Stadium during what has been a challenging time.  "We acknowledge the inconvenience caused by this unique set of circumstances.  "Season Ticket renewals will open on Tuesday 22 April with the final deadline for renewals being Friday 17 May.  "Full details on payment options will be communicated nearer the time."


eveningstandard--2019-03-18--New Tottenham Stadium test events Dates tickets and details as ground opens to public

New Tottenham Stadium test events: Dates, tickets and details as ground opens to public

The news Tottenham fans have been waiting for since last summer has finally arrived as Spurs have confirmed a move-in date for their new home.  After almost two full seasons at Wembley and a string of delays, Spurs are finally returning to N17 for the 2018-19 season run-in.  The opening match at the new stadium will be against Crystal Palace on April 3 following Brighton reaching the FA Cup semi-finals.  However, before a single ball is kicked in the Premier League, the 62,062-seater home will have to pass two test events.  Here's everything you need to know about the new Tottenham stadium test events...  The club statement reads: "In order to achieve a formal safety certificate for fixtures to be held at the new stadium, we are required to hold two Test Event matches with increasing levels of attendances.  "The two matches we have scheduled will provide an exciting opportunity to see the new stadium, support our lads in the academy, watch our legends take to the pitch and familiarise yourself with your matchday route.  "We shall also use these test events as an opportunity to thank our neighbours and local groups."  One key aspect of the stadium which must be given the all-clear is the safety systems, which has a big reason why the stadium has been so severely delayed. Only then will the Premier League and Uefa sign the stadium off for use in top-level domestic and European competition.  Tottenham Under-18s will have the honour of playing being the first team to host a game in the new stadium as Southampton U18s visit on Sunday, March 24. Kick-off is scheduled for 3pm.  The club hope to host around 30,000 in the stands and host a selection of guests in the various hospitality areas.  A club legends game will come the following weekend on Saturday, March 30 at 5.30pm. The capacity will be upped to around 45,000 as general admission and all premium areas will be open and tested.  The original legends game, tentatively scheduled for last August before being cancelled, was to be played against a Bayern Munich team but Inter Milan have been lined up as the new opponents.  Spurs have revealed 17 names for their Legends squad (which will be managed by Gary Mabbutt): Robbie Keane, Darren Anderton, Rafael van der Vaart, Dimitar Berbatov, Erik Thorstvedt, Allan Nielsen, Stephen Carr, David Howells, Jurgen Klinsmann, Nayim, Micky Hazard, Mark Falco, Teemu Tainio, Paul Stalteri, Pascal Chimbonda, Chris Perry and Neil Sullivan.  Priority access for both events will be given to season-ticket holders and executive members, before One Hotspur + and One Hotspur members and then to general sale. To read more about being a One Hotspur member, click here.  The U18s match will cost £5 for adults and £1 for those over 65 years old and under 18 years old. The Legends match will cost £10 for adults and £5 for seniors and juniors. All profit from ticket sales will go to the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation.  Following Brighton's win over Millwall in the FA Cup quarter-finals on March 17, Crystal Palace will be the first team to visit in the league.  The London rivals head to N17 on Wednesday, April 3. The kick-off time is yet to be confirmed, though it will be either 7.45pm or 8pm.  Tottenham have confirmed they will host Champions League football at their new stadium this season, finally fulfilling the promise made no public almost 12 months ago.  A 4-0 aggregate win over Borussia Dortmund in the last-16 stage means Tottenham are into the quarter-finals for the first time in eight years.  They will now play over two legs for a place in the semi-finals, the first leg will be hosted on either April 9 with the return leg on April 17.  The draw was made on March 15 and Manchester City are the opponents, with the home leg at Tottenham's new home up first.  Should Spurs beat City over two legs, the first European visitors to the stadium will be either Ajax or Juventus in the Champions League semi-finals.