Jump directly to the content
totting up costs

Tottenham Stadium workforce costing club up to £3.8m-a-week – more than entire playing staff including Harry Kane and Dele Alli

Spurs coughed up as much as £3.8million-a-week to contractors on new ground - dwarfing figures paid out to their millionaire players

TOTTENHAM have been forced to cough up more in weekly wages to construction workers at their new stadium than they pay their entire playing squad.

Spurs have been forced to call in extra labour to help speed up the delivery of their delayed £850million ground.

 Tottenham have seen their weekly wage bill paid to contractors on their new stadium soar above £3million
5
Tottenham have seen their weekly wage bill paid to contractors on their new stadium soar above £3millionCredit: new-stadium.tottenhamhotspur.com
 The weekly wage bill to stadium workers now dwarfs that of the playing squad at Tottenham
5
The weekly wage bill to stadium workers now dwarfs that of the playing squad at TottenhamCredit: AP:Associated Press

That left then picking up a bill of as much as £3.8million-a-week in wages to workers - 50 per cent more than they pay their Premier League stars.

At the peak in demand in August there were as many as 3,800 people clocking in on site across the two shifts through day and night across 24 hours.

Some electricians are believed to have been collecting £400-a-day helping to re-wire the critical safety systems which were found to be faulty.

Those problems meant Tottenham were forced to shelve plans to be in the new 62,062-seat venue in time to face Liverpool in the Premier League on Saturday.

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino jokes that may go to the new stadium and help on the building site
 The site for the new Tottenham Stadium is now open 24-hours taking in two shifts of workers
5
The site for the new Tottenham Stadium is now open 24-hours taking in two shifts of workersCredit: Splash News
Experience the atmosphere inside the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium before it even opens in FIFA 19 video
 Since problems were found with the critical safety systems, as many as 3,800-people a day have been working on the site
5
Since problems were found with the critical safety systems, as many as 3,800-people a day have been working on the siteCredit: new-stadium.tottenhamhotspur.com

Industry publication calculated that on average, workers on the site were being paid £1,000-a-week over a period in August.

Multiplied by the 3,800 in employment, that left Spurs liable for a £3.8m weekly wage bill, compared to the £2.4m-a-week they have to splash out on Harry Kane and his team-mates.

Mace, the construction company managing the project, dispute the exact figures on the basis large numbers are sub-contracted under an agreed price.

But though the total costs is open to question, with some workers receiving well above the £1k-a-week average, there is little doubt liabilities far exceed those on the club's books among the playing staff.

The increased expense was signed off in August as the club desperately worked to remedy the damaging delay in getting their new home open for business.

Since then Spurs have been forced to switch a further three matches because of the delay - and there are no longer any targets being made public over when the stadium will eventually be signed off.

Last week it emerged around 300 electricians had since been taken off the site as Mace gradually scale down the level of workforce needed.

At some point the Premier League will have to decide whether it is possible for them to continue sanctioning the use of Wembley on a temporary basis - or force the club to use the national stadium for the entire season.

Check out the view from the fancy new sky bar at Tottenham’s unfinished stadium
 Spurs had been due toi play Liverpool in their new home this week but now no date has been set for when the ground will be ready
5
Spurs had been due toi play Liverpool in their new home this week but now no date has been set for when the ground will be readyCredit: new-stadium.tottenhamhotspur.com

Under league regulations, clubs are not allowed to play at more than one home ground in a season, except in exceptional circumstances.

There has been an overwhelming amount of support coming from the League for the project Spurs have undertaken, but bosses also have a responsibility to the other 19 clubs to ensure the integrity of the competition is protected.

Spurs and Mace are yet to comment.

Topics