Francis ready for pitch battle with Monarchs

Tottenham want to evict an American Football team off their churned- up White Hart Lane pitch because its deteriorating condition is threatening their attempts to secure a Uefa Cup place next season.

London Monarchs have a contract with Spurs to play five World League of American Football fixtures there in April, May and June, and insist that they will not be moved.

Tottenham's manager, Gerry Francis, believes his club can invoke a clause in the agreement which would bar Monarchs if the pitch becomes so bad that extra use on top of football fixtures is deemed liable to render it unplayable.

Monarchs' spokesman, Alastair MacPhail, however, claims: "The opt-out clause time has passed for 1996 and we are already committed to these matches at White Hart Lane. We hear that Gerry Francis wants us off and we are very sympathetic to his point of view. We don't want to make trouble. But all our advertising campaigns are already invested way down the line towards educating fans that American Football is now being played at White Hart Lane.

"The five games we played there last year attracted average crowds of 10,700 and went very well. We don't want to look elsewhere and, in any case, it would be next to impossible to find a suitable alternative location at this stage. We have the contract to play at White Hart Lane and we intend to honour it - even if it means all bets are off for next year."

Spurs have the best away record in the Premiership but have dropped crucial points at home recently against strugglers Bolton and West Ham, who won 1-0 on a heavy and divoted surface on Monday night.

"I'm not blaming the pitch for losing but I do know that we clearly need a new one," Francis said. "We've got to do something about it in the close season."

A complete make-over of the Spurs pitch could cost them upwards of pounds 500,000 but, Francis insists, "it is not a great deal of money when you consider what you pay for players nowadays."

Francis does not dispute the notion that conditions on Monday, with the pitch cutting up badly from the start after persistent rain, contributed to an exciting London derby. But he is convinced that the state of the pitch is inhibiting the passing and movement he wants from his players.

"We may be having problems with our underground heating system, which has been in place for a long while now and may have to be taken out and renewed," he said. The pitch does not drain very well at all and when we get a lot of rain it is very difficult. I remember we had to call off a match against Manchester City here last season at the last minute after we had had a sudden downpour."

Spurs, fifth in the table but probably needing to finish third to guarantee a European place, have six more Premiership fixtures scheduled for White Hart Lane this season - plus a possible FA Cup quarter-final.