Spurs Delist From Stock Exchange

Tottenham Hotspur Football Club has delisted its shares from the stock market and gone into private ownership, in a bid to raise funds for a new stadium.

The north London club confirmed that Friday 13th January had been the last day of trading in its shares on the AIM index.

Last year, chairman Daniel Levy said that the listing of the club restricted the its ability to secure funding, and that delisting from the exchange would be good for the club’s finances, after Tottenham signed plans to redevelop their ground, White Hart Lane, last autumn.

In November, the club revealed record revenues, boosted by a season of Champions League football that pushed football revenue to £163.5m, up from £119.8m in the previous year. Tottenham’s operating profits also increased to £32.2m.

Gate receipts and prize money from the Champions League alone were worth £37.1m, while sponsorship and hospitality income increased 24% to £31.8m.

The club had previously also expressed an interest in taking over the Olympic Stadium, but in its latest financial results last October, Spurs said it was no longer interested in bidding for the stadium as a tenant, because the Olympic running track would have to be retained.

The club is currently third in the Premier League, following a home draw against Wolves at the weekend, with the club mounting a serious title challenge for the first time in years.