By Dr Dan Plumley

2nd Dec, 2021 | 11:00am

Dr Dan: Tottenham hit by 'big' £95m+ blow after official talks

Tottenham have been denied the chance to boost their matchday revenue after proposals to extend the half-time break were shot down.

So says finance expert and new Football Insider columnist Doctor Dan Plumley, speaking exclusively about the aborted plans.

Football’s lawmakers IFAB recently considered extending the half-time interval to 25 minutes to accommodate Super Bowl-style half-time shows.

But the Daily Mail reported last Thursday (25 November) that IFAB rejected the proposals amid concerns for player welfare and a backlash from fans.

Tottenham earned £94.5million from matchday income in 2019-20, though this figure fell dramatically in the Covid-hit 2020-21 campaign.

Plumley claims that their impressive stadium would have put them in an excellent position to capitalise on the 10-minute half-time extension.

“This is potentially something they would have profited from,” the Sheffield Hallam University expert told Football Insider‘s Adam Williams.

“You automatically link this to the NFL deal. That stadium is geared as an entertainment venue as much as anything.

“That was part of their long-term play, and strategically that was a good play.

“Football stadiums are only in operation for 25 to 30 days a year if you’re just using them for football. So it makes sense to expand that.

“The hospitality and ease of getting food all play into this and make it a lucrative venue. It can be a big supplementary income stream

“But with that being said, I don’t think it’s much surprise this idea hasn’t got much traction. We are too traditionalist in this country for that.”

Tottenham, who face Brentford this evening (2 December), are currently 9th in the Premier League standings.

They have two games in hand over most of the teams above them after their last clash with Burnley was postponed.

In other news, major update on Steve Hitchens future at Tottenham as Antonio Conte fumes.