White Hart (retractable) Lane

[claretblue]

Tottenham reveal retractable pitch at new stadium

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... adium.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Rowls]

Architectural firm - Blofeld Building Schemes Ltd.

[Sausage]

Not news:

https://inews.co.uk/explainers/iq/totte ... -football/

The retractable pitch was announced about two years ago. It's a fundamental part of the stadium design. You can't decide half way through the build that a retractable pitch is something you might like to have.

[simonclaret]

Next season at Wembley as well then while they iron out the problems?

[Guitargeorge]

Playing football on that could be like dancing in the Tower ballroom after a few pints

[Sutton-Claret]

With only 2 NFL games per season is it really necessary.....

What will the surface be like to play on with 'real turf' mounted on a steel framework. Also whenever I try and lay carpet there's always a dodgy looking joint section. Health and safety will have to look into this 'trip hazard'......

I guarantee the players won't like playing on it - look what happened when new Wembley was built - nothing but complaints from whinging footballers about the playing surface.

[bfccrazy]

With only 2 NFL games per season is it really necessary.....

What will the surface be like to play on with 'real turf' mounted on a steel framework. Also whenever I try and lay carpet there's always a dodgy looking joint section. Health and safety will have to look into this 'trip hazard'......

I guarantee the players won't like playing on it - look what happened when new Wembley was built - nothing but complaints from whinging footballers about the playing surface.

It isnt just fot the NFL games - they're using it fot many purposes according to my Spurs supporting brother in law - there a few different surfaces there for diferent purposes which can change the whole stadium from a sports venue to one that will cater for music events (with its own surface) and it was supposed to take about 30/40 mins for a complete surface change.

[AshevilleNCClaret]

The NFL (American Football) is just dying to get a team to London permanently. This would be probably at least 10 games a year (2 pre-season games and 8 regular season games), plus any possible playoff game. The field would be in use from about mid-August until mid-January at the latest. NFL games would most likely be on Sundays (with an odd Thursday game thrown in).
I'm an American but I find it hard to believe that London would have enough fans to support a club. One of the largest cities in the US (Los Angeles) had TWO teams leave for much smaller cities, and didn't have a professional team for about 20 years or so.

[bfccrazy]

The NFL (American Football) is just dying to get a team to London permanently. This would be probably at least 10 games a year (2 pre-season games and 8 regular season games), plus any possible playoff game. The field would be in use from about mid-August until mid-January at the latest. NFL games would most likely be on Sundays (with an odd Thursday game thrown in).
I'm an American but I find it hard to believe that London would have enough fans to support a club. One of the largest cities in the US (Los Angeles) had TWO teams leave for much smaller cities, and didn't have a professional team for about 20 years or so.

I see it more as more likely that it'd become an english team rather than a London one - similar to how wrestling/WWE events sell out whenever they come over with the big following all over the country.

I know a lot of lads that'd go down to London for a few live matches and start following an english team - no doubt there would be a lot of Am football fans around the country that'd do similar.

[NRC]

To Sutton's point, how do you make a grass pitch built on different platforms seamless? even if the sod extends beyond the tray, there will still be a "seam" where the soil is not bound, so creating a potential stud trap

Clearly if us simple folk can bring this up, it's something they're obviously confident about - but it would be interesting to know how. Also interesting the the NFL pitch is the base layer, and the football pitch is the retractable one

[bfcmik]

There is real talk of an NFL expansion team located in London. The whole point of NFL teams moving competitive games to London has been to create, and monitor, interest levels and gauge whether sufficient revenue can be generated by a team based over here.

Can't wait for the first, "Match postponed due to mechanical reasons!" headline though

[Braindead]

The NFL (American Football) is just dying to get a team to London permanently. This would be probably at least 10 games a year (2 pre-season games and 8 regular season games), plus any possible playoff game. The field would be in use from about mid-August until mid-January at the latest. NFL games would most likely be on Sundays (with an odd Thursday game thrown in).
I'm an American but I find it hard to believe that London would have enough fans to support a club. One of the largest cities in the US (Los Angeles) had TWO teams leave for much smaller cities, and didn't have a professional team for about 20 years or so.

The main problem with having a permanent NFL team in London is the support, as you correctly say.

I love NFL and am an avid Dolphins fan, but wouldn't want to swap my allegiance to them for the London Rams, or London Buccaneers or whichever franchise moved over to London.

[JegunClaret]

Surprised that Barnfield are not building it.

[claretblue]

'...Not news...'

sorry sausage - I was unaware until today!

...but then again if aint Burnley I don't take much notice!

[DCWat]

Presume they'll still have undersoil heating although would this sit under two pitch layers?

[clarethomer]

http://www.sportbible.com/football/news ... m-20170907" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


video showing how it works.. looks impressive

[NRC]

Presume they'll still have undersoil heating although would this sit under two pitch layers?

surely it wouldn't be needed on two counts
1. it retracts.....
2. none of the surfaces are actually a layer on the ground, presumably they will have air circulating between them, and air doesn't freeze. Perhaps blowers to keep things hunky dory, but not under-soil heating

[Roosterbooster]

Health and safety will have to look into this 'trip hazard'......

Might be the only way they can stop him

[ExistentialWanderer]

With only 2 NFL games per season is it really necessary.....

What will the surface be like to play on with 'real turf' mounted on a steel framework. Also whenever I try and lay carpet there's always a dodgy looking joint section. Health and safety will have to look into this 'trip hazard'......

I guarantee the players won't like playing on it - look what happened when new Wembley was built - nothing but complaints from whinging footballers about the playing surface.

I was thinking the same thing. Watching the video I was wondering how a surface laid on trays effectively could be a constantly high standard playing surface. Not to mention and I'm no expert on grass, but how long does the grass surface stay hidden under the stands during an NFL game? Is it in some sort of artificial environment? It can't be the best for the health of the grass surface surely. I am sure they've done their tests but in reality I can't help thinking this is an idea that will have the players hankering for playing back at Wembley and that's saying something.

[aggi]

This is a lot more common in the US and for some of them the pitch is taken out to the car park when not in use to get some sun. I can't see there being space around WHL to do that but I'd guess that grow lights or similar are possible.

[quoonbeatz]

surely it wouldn't be needed on two counts
1. it retracts.....
2. none of the surfaces are actually a layer on the ground, presumably they will have air circulating between them, and air doesn't freeze. Perhaps blowers to keep things hunky dory, but not under-soil heating

well he's doing his last test match this week so he'll need something to keep him busy.

[duncandisorderly]

http://www.sportbible.com/football/news ... m-20170907


video showing how it works.. looks impressive

Rogue apostrophes in official videos should result in sackings and/or executions.

[Foshiznik]

The main problem with having a permanent NFL team in London is the support, as you correctly say.

I love NFL and am an avid Dolphins fan, but wouldn't want to swap my allegiance to them for the London Rams, or London Buccaneers or whichever franchise moved over to London.

Same for me. Wembley is a struggle to get to but it's no WHL. Thats the main reason I couldn't support them.

[Kropotkin]

Believe what you want of this...

A friend of mine met the WHL project manager on holiday this summer. The project manager reckons there's 10% chance of WHL being ready for season 2018-19, and claimed that Wembley only take bookings for the entire season - so Spurs will have to years away from home.

So, the momentum of the Pochettino project might be derailed in the same way that the Emirate stadium undermined Arsenal's top-two consistency.

[aggi]

I think the issue isn't that Wembley only take bookings for the season, more that FA rules say that you can only play at one ground for a season, no switching partway through.

[IanMcL]

A non settled pitch...could be a problem.

[NRC]

forgot I took this piccie! the companu I work for had this on display in December at an event in Spain - it's a light-up model of the new stadium. Measures about 5 foot x 4 foot...... a cool $35k