LONDON, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- The opening of Tottenham Hotspur's new stadium has been delayed until October at the earliest as a result of safety worries, with the club confirming it will be playing at Wembley Stadium until the new ground is ready.
Tottenham's new 62,000-seater stadium had been due to host its first match on September 15 against Liverpool, but both that and the following game against newly promoted Cardiff City have now been moved to Wembley, along with an NFL game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Oakland Raiders due to be played on October 14th.
The decision was made after tests revealed "critical safety issues" with the new ground, which is being constructed on the site of the old White Hart Lane stadium.
"We know this will be disappointing for all our season ticket holders, premium members and our fans worldwide," said Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy, who added that the club appreciated the support that the NFL had shown since the extent of this issue became evident.
"At the start of the project we asked for your support during what we knew would be a complex and challenging build and now we ask for your continued patience and forbearance," he added.
The venue for Tottenham's home match against league champions Manchester City on October 28 has still to be confirmed, but speculation in the English media suggests that the club may not be able to open its new ground until 2019.
The delay represents another setback this summer for Tottenham, after the North London side were unable to seal any new signings before the transfer window closed on the eve of the new season last week.
