There is a lot to be said for Spurs' new ground. It's a short distance from the original WHL, and has built in a way that is conducive to replicating the atmosphere of the original stadium. Architecturally it's also pretty similar looking. Conversely the stadium has given into the worst advents of the increasing corporatism and gentrification of the game. The ticket prices and catering for corporate hospitality mirror Arsenal's new stadium (and Liverpool's new stand) and are indicative of the growing removal from the traditional working class fanbases of most clubs - especially amongst the elite clubs. The reason for moving, is not to provide more general admission tickets and in turn force prices down; but to get the rich man/tourist's buck.Liverpool's new stand was built, quite openly, to improve the corporate take of the club. The current reluctance to develop the Anfield road stand is based on the rationale that it will reduce the average ticket price at Anfield, and undermine corporate uptake. Nobody pretends that they couldn't sell out many thousands more tickets per match at Anfield (There is a paid waiting list fo a ST with 20,000 thousand on it). It's all been inevitable since Sky Sports became involved, but it was actually precipitated by Old Trafford's mass expansion during the Fergie era. Manchester United's hegemony and Liverpool's decline were a result of Liverpool's commercial stagnation and Manchester United's expansion of Old Trafford - as much as anything else. Man Utd had a lot of land on which to build, whilst Arsenal, Tottenham, Chelsea and Liverpool have had a much more difficult time in expanding existing stadiums or, alternatively, financing brand new constructs. The vast majority of Fergie's teams correlated with Man Utd's overwhelming commercial preeminence.I'd argue Man Utd's success were a result of this nascent financial power. They were only really challenge by club's punching massively above their financial weight (Arsenal, Leicester) or benefitting from sugar daddies (Man City, Chelsea, Blackburn).
Good sides to this: A more competitive elite. If all the top clubs have huge matchday incomes we will see them all being able to afford massive fees and wages. The result, in theory, should be a more competitive league.
Bad points: This will reinforce the north and south divide. The clubs with existing global fanbases or based in the south east have the greter potential to fill these stadiums, and garner a more pronounced benefit from the corporate income, due to the higher wages earned in these places.
