Spurs Win Battle With London Mayor to Change Train Station Name to 'Tottenham Hotspur'

18 March 2019 04:01

Tottenham appears to have won their battle with Transport for London (TfL) and are closing in on renaming the closest train station to the new Spurs stadium "Tottenham Hotspur."

Having approached TfL more than two years ago with the desire to change the White Hart Lane station to Tottenham Hotspur station, the north London club seems to have gotten their way with the station renaming set to go ahead, subject to public consultation.

In Tottenham's eyes, the public consultation will be no more than a formality and the club have reportedly already begun telling potential commercial partners about the name change.

Spurs initially struggled to make progress in negotiations with Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, after being quoted a price of more than £14.7m to change the station's name. However, the club is now confident that the name change will go through and that they will not be required to pay the proposed fee.

Harry Kane

As quoted by the Guardian, a spokesperson for the mayor's office said: “The mayor does not support setting a precedent of selling off station names. However, a unique brand partnership between TfL and Tottenham Hotspur would benefit both TfL and Tottenham, supporting significant investment to create a new sport, leisure and entertainment destination as part of the wider regeneration of the area. TfL is still in discussions about this opportunity.”

The significant U-turn came after increased meetings between Tottenham representatives, TfL,  and Khan, but has raised concerns over potential corporatisation of London's transportation system that has thus far seen its heritage protected.

Tottenham are finally set to move into their new 62,000 capacity stadium after months of delays, and see the station change as a fundamental aspect of a £250m commercial strategy that will also include the sale of stadium naming rights to a leading Spurs partner.

The first match at the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has been confirmed for April 3rd when Spurs will take on Crystal Palace in the second of their final eight Premier League matches, with Mauricio Pochettino's side currently in third place.

Source: 90min