Tottenham hierarchy ‘proved right’ after due diligence stopped Kanye West controversy
Tottenham Hotspur‘s leadership were proved right after Kanye West’s appearances at Wireless Festival were cancelled.
The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has hosted many music stars, which helps the club to garner additional income, away from football.
However, a request for the controversial American rapper to perform in the state-of-the-art North London arena was turned down.
The Sun reported on 5 April that the club’s historical connection to the Jewish community was the reason, as he has been involved in several high-profile antisemitic incidents.
West’s entourage had approached Tottenham over the use of the stadium for a run of concerts, but they shut down the idea.
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Why Tottenham decision makers were spot on with Kanye West refusal
John Wenham believes that Tottenham made the right call declining West’s potential gigs at their stadium.
He thinks that it was especially justified after the music star was refused entry to the United Kingdom, and the whole Wireless festival was cancelled as a result.
Speaking exclusively to Tottenham News, he said: “There was the story about Tottenham as a club, refusing to let Kanye West play at the stadium before he approached Wireless to play there, and obviously that’s subsequently been cancelled.
| Tottenham Hotspur Stadium | |
| Opened | 2019 |
| Capacity | 62,850 |
| Concert capacity | 70,000+ |
| Food and drink vendors | 60+ |
| Construction cost | £1billion |
“Tottenham deciding from a PR and political point of view that they weren’t going to allow that.
“Obviously, in hindsight, they’ve proved right because he’s been denied entry, and now Wireless has had to refund everybody, and a huge amount of money would have gone into that whole process, and it’s now been wasted.
“Tottenham obviously did their due diligence well in that situation and maybe foresaw that he wasn’t going to be allowed to play in the UK.”
Why is West so controversial?
West is so controversial because he has released a song called ‘Heil Hitler’ and sold T-shirts with the Nazi swastika emblazoned on them.
He blamed that on a manic episode caused by bipolar disorder, but his behaviour has led to much criticism.
| Kanye West factfile | |
| Age | 48 |
| Born | Atlanta, Georgia |
| Active | 1996–present |
| Studio Albums released | 12 |
| Number one albums (USA) | 9 |
| Tours | 7 |
The Lilywhites dodged a minefield of issues by not allowing the 48-year-old to perform at their facilities and saved themselves a lot of hassle, that Wireless organisers have had to deal with.
They could have earned a lot of money as his dedicated fans would likely still have attended, but it would not have been worth it.
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