A Tottenham Hotspur fan today told of his heartache at being the last barrier to his club’s planned £100 million new stadium.
Josif Josif, 46, runs Archway Sheet Metal Works next to White Hart Lane on the final piece of land needed to expand the stadium.
Spurs have been trying to buy the 25,000 sq ft site in Paxton Road for more than 10 years.
Mr Josif, who owns the firm with his four brothers and sister, began going to games when he was 12.
Their firm has appealed against a public inquiry’s finding in April last year that Haringey council should issue a compulsory purchase order on behalf of the club. The decision now lies with the Department for Communities and Local Government, which was due to rule in October.
Mr Josif is demanding a better deal involving a land-swap so that the business, which supplies kitchen equipment, can continue to grow.
He said: “It’s really difficult. I’ve always been a Tottenham fan and so are two of my brothers. We used to have a box there and I remember going to watch in the days Osvaldo Ardiles was a player.”
Asked about the attempt to force his firm to relocate, he said: “The club has been going for a long time and it doesn’t change my love for the club. But the ownership is different and so you find yourself having to distinguish between the two.”
His legal team are threatening to take the DCLG to the High Court and even the Supreme Court if it rules in Tottenham’s favour.
Club chairman Daniel Levy said the new stadium was key to regenerating the area.
A DCLG spokesman said: “We have not made a decision yet.”
