Tottenham have insisted that the grand opening of their new White Hart Lane stadium is bang on schedule despite an entirely avoidable issue with the seating.
Reports circulated on Thursday that Spurs might have to postpone the ribbon cutting ceremony after realising that 15,000 seats installed in the arena hadn’t been treated with the necessary pigment required to stop them fading in sunlight and bad weather.
With the project already not set to be signed off until a month into the 2018/19 season, the logical conclusion was drawn that the seats would have to be removed and replaced, therefore further extending the construction completion date.
However, while acknowledging the seating error, Spurs have issued a statement via the Press Association denying that it will cause any added delay:
All seats affected are being swiftly replaced and it will not have any impact on the scheduling of our operational test events that are due to commence at the start of August or our first home fixture in our new stadium against Liverpool.
The 62,000-seat arena (which will come complete with a ‘half-time cheese bar’) is due to host it’s first game when Spurs play Liverpool at home on Saturday 15th September.
The opening four league matches beforehand will all be played away from home, including the ‘home’ fixture against newly-promoted Fulham which will be played at Wembley.