Tottenham’s new stadium could feature retractable pitch for NFL games

Tottenham Hotspur’s £400m redevelopment of White Hart Lane could include a retractable grass pitch as the club explores the possibility of hosting a new NFL franchise.

It would mean a synthetic surface would sit under the movable grass pitch and could be used for NFL games. Such an arrangement could be beneficial for both sports as footballers have complained about the state of the pitch after gridiron games while NFL players have said the turf cuts up too easily and leads to injury.

Tottenham’s plan includes the building of larger changing rooms. That would enable them to accommodate NFL teams, coaching staff and equipment and to host other events as they consider their options.

A retractable pitch would be a first in England but they are used in stadiums such as the Veltins-Arena in Germany, home to Schalke, and the University of Phoenix Stadium, where the Arizona Cardinals play.

The NFL has played a regular-season game in Wembley since 2007 but is now staging three games a year in London due to popular demand. The NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said last year that a franchise permanently based in the capital could be “five or 10 years away”. Tottenham hope to move into their new stadium for the 2018-19 season.

Source: The Guardian