Filed under: Everton, Tottenham, Premier League, Football
Tottenham Hotspur's opening Premier League game with Everton at White Hart Lane this saturday has been called off in the wake of the series of civil disturbances in London this week.The rest of the Premier League and Football League programme will go ahead will go ahead assuming there are no further disturbances. "The very latest situation is that Tottenham and Everton has gone," said Richard Scudamore, the Premier League chief executive.
"The police have done a fantastic job, but it's been a crime scene all week and the council have not had enough time to do what they need.
"The other nine fixtures are looking positive, subject to any more trouble.
The initial disturbances that triggered unrest throughout the country were centred in Tottenham, close to White Hart Lane and a club statement said: "Following ongoing discussions with the necessary authorities regarding this weekend's Premier League home match against Everton, it has now been confirmed that this fixture will be postponed due to safety concerns relating to infrastructure of the High Road and access to the stadium."
The postponement comes two days after the decision was taken to call off England's international friendly will Holland on Wednesday because of public safety concerns caused by the demands on police resources.
With few reports of trouble on Wednesday and Thursday nights, the authorities feel confident enough to go ahead with the programme and the cancellation the most anticpated sporting weekend of the year.
Bigger issues are clearly at play, but there appears to be a consensus within football that while the primary concern must be public safety, the games should go ahead if at all possible, a view articulated by QPR manager Neil Warnock.
"We've been told the match goes ahead unless there are some major issues over the next couple of nights. It would be a major blow not just to me but to everybody in the country," Warnock told the Guardian. "At a time like this you have to have an outlet. The Premier League is without a shadow of a doubt the best league in the world, not just in the country it serves.
"In our country it gives people something to do and look forward to. To let a few mindless thugs destroy it would be wrong. However, I do realise that people's safety comes first so you have to listen to what the police authorities finally come up with.
"If anything I think playing on Saturday will help the situation, it will put people back to normality and putting it off will be giving in to people who have shown just what they are really. I've been absolutely shocked and I think 99.9% of people in the country have."
No comments:
Post a Comment