Tottenham, a city just north of London, has had its opening season soccer match called off because of safety concerns after the riots in London. The Tottenham Hotspur were due to face Everton in a soccer match in Tottenham.
“Following ongoing discussions with the necessary authorities regarding this weekend’s Premier League home match against Everton, it has now been confirmed that this fixture will be postponed due to safety concerns relating to infrastructure of the High Road and access to the stadium caused by last Saturday’s riots,” said a club statement from Tottenham Hotspur on their website. The club plans to reschedule the game for a later time.
Parts of Tottenham remain a crime scene following riots earlier this week in the area. The Hotspur's ticket office was broken into and vandalized during the riots last Saturday.
The other opening games of the soccer season, called "football" in England, will be planned as scheduled. The riots, which have shaken England, caused the cancellation of an international soccer match against Holland a few days ago.
There is still concern around the games, as they tend to require a substantial police presence, because of the proclivity of soccer fans to engage in fights. If rioting breaks out elsewhere in town during a soccer match, and the police are slow to respond, there are likely to be repercussions for the rest of the soccer season.
The game was to be shown in the United States on ESPN2.
