LONDON: Finally Tottenham Hotspur have started the countdown to the first competitive match in their long-delayed new stadium — but even then there is a complication writes KEIR RADNEDGE.

Spurs have announced that they plan to open up with a Premier League home match in the first week of next month against either Brighton or Crystal Palace.

Spurs are also hoping to secure UEFA approval to play the home leg of their Champions League quarter-final at their new home.

Two test events will be staged at the end of this month to fulfil the conditions demanded for the issue of a safety certificate.

The new ground at White Hart Lane will then host a Premier League match against Palace on April 3 or against Brighton on the weekend of April 6-7, subject to Brighton’s progress in the FA Cup.

Brighton visit Millwall in the Cup quarter-finals on March 17.

A Tottenham statement said: “We have held discussions with the Premier League and UEFA. The following has been agreed with the Premier League, Brighton and Crystal Palace to ensure that our first game is a Premier League match prior to a Champions League quarter-final match.

“If Brighton win their FA Cup quarter-final match on Sunday March 17, we shall play Crystal Palace on Wednesday April 3 and Brighton on April 23-24.

“If Brighton lose their FA Cup quarter-final match, we shall play Brighton on April 6-7 (subject to Champions League scheduling) and Crystal Palace on April 23-24.”

The test events at the new stadium will see Tottenham’s under-18s playing Southampton on March 24 before a ‘Legends’ match on March 30.

Spurs had been scheduled to move to the 62,000-capacity stadium last September but construction problems have kept them at their temporary home of Wembley to which they moved originally on an interim basis in August 2017.

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