Stadium in Tottenham is preferred option despite club鈥檚 surprise joint bid for Olympic stadium with AEG

Bosses at Tottenham Hotspurs have released a statement saying they still plan to build a new 拢400m after criticism over the club鈥檚 recent coveting of the Olympic Stadium.

It emerged this week that Suprs had joined with entertainment group AEG to bid for the Olympic Stadium in Stratford, East London. But rival club West Ham was furious over the move, as were athletics chiefs over Spurs鈥 plans to ditch the stadium鈥檚 running track.

Spurs have now issued a statement saying that the club鈥檚 preferred option is still a new 56,000-seater stadium in Northumberland Park, North London, for which it was granted planning permission last week.

The statement said: 鈥淲e are aware that coverage of comments made by AEG yesterday have been interpreted by the media in various ways concerning the club鈥檚 position in respect of the Northumberland Development Project and the Olympic Stadium site.

鈥淲e should like to make two things absolutely clear at this stage: firstly, we have registered an interest in the Olympic Stadium site in order to keep our options open going forward given the early stages we are in with the Northumberland Development Project scheme.鈥

鈥淭his is a very preliminary stage and a pre-qualification questionnaire was completed jointly with AEG in order to meet the deadline for registration; Secondly, we continue to progress the application for the Northumberland Development Project with Haringey Council and will continue to do so with a view to achieving full consent.鈥

鈥淲e have not changed our position and shall not do so without due consideration and consultation.鈥