Tottenham Hotspur’s fixture of New Year’s Eve against London rivals West Ham United has been moved to Jan. 4 due to safety concerns, the English Premier League said on Monday.
The league made the decision after the Safety Advisory Group at Wembley Stadium could only recommend a maximum crowd of 43,000 for the initial date, which was less than half the capacity.
“The League selected this match for Dec. 31 with the expectation that a regular crowd capacity would be able to attend,” the Premier League said in a statement.
“However, in spite of significant work by all parties to achieve this, ultimately the Safety Advisory Group at Wembley Stadium would only recommend a maximum crowd of 43,000.”
The main reason for the decision was transport issues, mainly at local tube stations.
The match will kick off at 2000 GMT, two days after Spurs visit Swansea city.