Spurs announce Olympic Stadium plans

Tottenham Hotspur confirmed they would strip down London’s Olympic Stadium after 2012 should they be successful in buying the site.

Spurs announced their intentions to demolish the 80,000-capacity athletics stadium and build a 60,000-seat purpose-built arena in its place.

The London club is in the process of redeveloping their home at White Hart Lane, but submitted their proposal to relocate to the Olympic Park Legacy Committee.

Tottenham are attempting to stave off local rivals West Ham for the right to take control of the Olympic venue once next year’s event is complete.

Chairman of Spurs’ architects KSS David Keirle said the club wanted to build a football-specific venue.

“It’s a sophisticated Meccano set (the Olympic Stadium). It does what it’s meant to do – provides a great experience for athletics. But football is different. Our whole design is based on bringing fans closer to the pitch,” Keirle said.

If Spurs win the right to control the site of the Olympic Stadium, they must also upgrade the athletics track at Crystal Palace to become a 25,000-capacity stadium, with the option to increase to 40,000 should London be awarded the 2017 World Athletics Championships.

The cost to demolish the stadium and build up the athletics track at Crystal Palace is estimated to save Spurs 200 million pounds on their renovations being made at White Hart Lane.