FA open to sharing Wembley with club

The Football Association is open, in theory, to the idea of the new Wembley stadium, due to open in 2006, being shared with Tottenham Hotspur or Arsenal.

While both harbour some uncertainty over the futures of their grounds, Arsenal remain committed to the proposed new ground at Ashburton Grove, believing that yesterday's lucrative sponsorship deal with Nike, worth £130m over 10 years but with provision for a lump sum of £55m paid in July 2006, when they are due to move, will put their plans back on track.

Tottenham would like to stay at White Hart Lane but have learned that a new tube station will not be opened nearby and are awaiting the results of another study into the area's transport infrastructure.

Part of the deal under which the National Stadium was granted £120m of Lottery funding specifies that Wembley cannot have an "active tenant". However, the FA's new chief executive, Mark Palios, said he may consider any proposal to share the ground with a club.

"One of the things I have under review is the Wembley project and the ways in which we could enhance it," he said. "It's still predicated upon the fact that it will be an earner for the FA and produce income. It's common sense that if you've got an asset, then you want to use it."