A man has been fatally stabbed outside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium ahead of their Premier League match against Nottingham Forest this afternoon. The club has issued a statement in light of the terrible incident.
Both police and paramedics were called to Northumberland Park in the early hours of Sunday, where they discovered a man with multiple stab wounds. Despite CPR being adminstered at the scene, he sadly succumbed to these injuries.
No arrests have yet been made. The police are believed to know the identity of the victim and are in the process of notifying his next of kin. Despite the distressing event, the Premier League fixture is set to continue as planned.
However, parts of Worcester Avenue and Northumberland Park Road will remain cordoned off for the police investigation throughout the game.
Tottenham Hotspur released a statement approximately four hours before the 6pm kick-off which read: “Following an incident in which an individual has lost their life, we are doing everything to accommodate the ongoing Police investigation, which is of the utmost importance.
“As things stand, this afternoon’s Premier League fixture against Nottingham Forest will go-ahead as scheduled, however the north end of Worcester Avenue and the whole of Northumberland Park Road will remain closed throughout.
“We shall update supporters as and when we can, and ask for fans to be patient and allow extra travel time. Our thoughts are with the victim’s family and all those affected.”
Following the tragic incident, Chief Inspector Stephen Johnston-Keay stated: “Our thoughts are with the man who has tragically lost his life.
“I can assure local people that specialist detectives are investigating and will leave no stone unturned in working to establish what happened to him, and to identify and arrest those responsible.
“I would like to thank local people for their patience and understanding while we go about this crucial work. If you have information that could help us, no matter how insignificant it may seem, please tell us. You will see officers on the cordons and on patrol and they will be ready to listen to you.”
Spurs and Forest are set to face off in an unusual Sunday 6pm slot after the game was rescheduled. The match was initially planned for Monday, April 8th, but was moved due to “safety reasons” linked to planned tube and rail strikes.
Ironically, industrial action on London’s tube network was cancelled on Thursday, but train operators Greater Anglia, c2c, GTR Great Northern Thameslink, Southeastern, Southern/Gatwick Express and South Western Railway will all be affected when staff stage a walkout over pay and conditions.
Tottenham issued an apology to fans for the change, which was announced with just 10 days’ notice.
