Charlie Nicholas Questions Whether Tottenham Can Fill New £1bn Stadium
Former Arsenal striker Charlie Nicholas has blasted Tottenham's new stadium, raising concerns over the total cost of the ground and whether Spurs can attract big enough crowds.
Spurs began a new chapter in their history when they played their first match in the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Wednesday, beating Crystal Palace 2-0 courtesy of goals from Son Heung-min and Christian Eriksen.
The opening came after months of delays prevented Tottenham from starting the season in their new north London home, however, while speaking on Sky Sports Soccer Saturday, Nicholas has questioned whether the club have made a mistake in investing over £1bn in the new grounds.
"It’s still too much money. It’s a fortune. I congratulate them on what they’ve built, it looks fantastic," he said (via HITC).
“I think they had to borrow £100 million to cover the loans. The overheads are £500+ million and staying in the Champions League is important.”
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With a capacity of 62,062, the new ground can seat more than the Emirates, the home of their bitter rivals Arsenal, although the official attendance for their opening match was listed as 59,215. Unsurprisingly, being a former Gunner, Nicholas didn't shy away from the opportunity of having a sly dig at his former enemies.
"They’ve still got to fill it though," he added.
Next up for Spurs, in what will be their second ever competitive fixture at the ground, is the first leg of a daunting Champions League quarter final tie against Manchester City on Tuesday. They will return to their new ground once again as they take on already relegated Huddersfield in the Premier League on Saturday.
