Spurs chief Levy hopes NFL’s bow at new stadium sparks mega naming rights war
THE beginning of Tottenham’s NFL era could spark a bidding war for naming rights at their new stadium.
A full house is set to watch Oakland Raiders play Chicago Bears on Sunday, with Spurs’ grass pitch retracted to bring in artificial turf.
It represents the delayed start of the club’s ten-year deal with the NFL at the 62,000-capacity, £1billion venue.
While chairman Daniel Levy has agreed a refinancing deal on £637m of building debt, Spurs are still seeking a partner ready to pay up to £500m to put their name on the stadium.
The club’s head of partnerships Fran Jones said they will wait “as long as it takes to find the right partner”.
But he conceded the “significant commitment” required “narrows down the list of potential partners”.
Levy would love Spurs to be home to a European NFL franchise.
And blue-chip backing from the US would help make that a reality.
IN LINE OF FIRE
GARY LINEKER claims football transfers have become riddled with “gangsters”.
England icon Lineker, speaking on the Behind Closed Doors podcast he presents with Danny Baker, said: “It is a murky world, the transfer world, no question about that. There is a lot of gangsters involved, etc. It is awful.”
Baker quizzed Lineker over his use of the term “gangsters”, bringing the response from the Match of the Day presenter: “Well I think in probably the true sense of the word.”
His allegations were forwarded to the FA’s integrity department and MP Damian Collins, head of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee. The FA declined to comment.
PL HEAD COUNT
PREM games could have independent “stadium concussion spotters” deployed to ensure players do not stay on after head injuries.
International players’ union FifPro and the European League umbrella group — which includes the Prem, La Liga and Bundesliga — have agreed trials of various concussion protocol ideas over the next two seasons.
Spurs’ Jan Vertonghen attempted to play on after being knocked cold in last season’s Champions League semi-final. FifPro chief Jonas Baer-Hoffman said: “Football needs to follow the examples of rugby and American football.”
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JOLLY SAILORS
Tokyo journey began when bosses unveiled 12 sailors for the 2020 Games.
Rio gold-medal winners Giles Scott and Hannah Mills are back along with 2012 silver medalists Luke Patience and Stuart Bithell. Team GB may top 378, the biggest sent overseas since Barcelona in 1992.
Meanwhile, Olympic chiefs may use SNOW MACHINES at Tokyo 2020 — to help fans cope with the heat.
Temperatures could hit 104F (40C) during next summer’s Games.
Snow machines were deemed a success at a canoe test event.
Even so, Olympic volunteers may only do one-hour shifts for safety reasons.
MERGER
DUTCH and Belgian football bosses have entered talks about merging the Eredivisie and the Pro League.
The discussions also include representatives from Anderlecht, Ajax and PSV.
Fifa would have to give its approval but Uefa is understood to have signalled it will back the concept.