Inside, sizeable sections of the 62,062 seats are still to be installed and the pitch is yet to be laid. None of those working on the site thought there was a chance that the ground would be ready for Tottenham to play Liverpool there on September 15, as was planned, and some even say that it may be pushing it to expect the place to be operational by Christmas.
It is not what Tottenham hoped for and dreamt of when they started selling tickets and charging a £30,000 membership fee for the right to buy a pair of higher-end premium seats. There have also been big price rises for season ticket-holders.
About 3,500 people work around the clock each day on the site and a further 200 are said to have been inducted on Sunday, with some having been lured from working on Crossrail. In the middle of the morning yesterday a number of workers had been on site since 7am and were due to work for at least another ten hours. Some said they were paid double for overtime and that the money was too good to refuse. In their hour-long break, which can be split into two, they sit on the pavement and take a rest or go to one of the local cafés, kebab or fish- and-chip shops, all of which are doing a roaring trade.
When asked why the project had overrun, one contractor said: “It would take two hours to explain.” Most simply reply: “Slow progress.” The cladding has to be finished, and one estimated that the crane would be on site until October. They also said it was ambitious of the club to want to open the stadium for their game against Emirates Marketing Project on the final Sunday of that month. Even when the building work is finished, two test events with increasing attendances must be conducted for a safety certificate to be granted. The club hope that the stadium will soon be operational even if aesthetically it does not look finished.
One decorating company has been asked to double its manpower but it is concerned that, because of incomplete rooms and lounges, there will not be enough for them to do. Others complain about delays being down to their access (or lack of it), materials not being on site and an overriding lack of organisation. Some have had to undo previous building work to access certain areas, and point the finger at the large number of agency workers who are slow to get up to speed, or simply the sheer number of people, which makes it feel like they are on top of one another.
When Tottenham admitted defeat in the stadium being ready for next month, they cited issues with “critical safety systems”. It is thought that this was to do with the electrical systems and fire alarms. One worker claimed that a test failed last week.
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