Could Arsenal and Spurs Share a Stadium For a Season?

With the first North London Derby of the season just days away, it's worth mentioning that our friends at Tottenham Hotspur will be looking to remodel and expand White Hart Lane prior to the 2018-19 season, meaning that they'll need a temporary home for either the '16-'17 or '17-'18 season. According to a Guardian article from a few weeks ago, there are several options, including Stadium MK in Milton Keynes (55 miles from London, and home to Manchester United-slayers MK Dons), Wembley Stadium (the sacred home of the English national team and the FA Cup semis and finals, where yellow ribbons are sometimes worn), and Olympic Stadium, which is slated to be the new home for West Ham in the '16-'17 season, chosen over Spurs as the stadium's new tenants.

The Guardian also explained that Premier League rules require all 19 home matches to be played in the same stadium, which might be difficult given Wembley's other obligations, which include hosting NFL games like this Sunday's Dolphins-Raiders tilt.

And, yet, as the Telegraph elaborated in an article earlier today, there's another possible solution out there -- a stadium only four miles from White Hart Lane, seating more than 60,000, that's fairly new. Of course, since that happens to be Emirates Stadium, the idea is what the Guardian charitably called "a nonstarter for obvious reasons."

But there actually is historical precedent for such a move; the rivals have shared a common ground twice in their history. As the Telegraph explains:

During the First World War White Hart Lane was requisitioned by the War Office as a munitions factory so Tottenham played their home matches for four seasons at Arsenal Stadium, later to be called Highbury, plus a few at Clapton Orient. Then, during the Second World War, Highbury was used as an Air Raid Precaution station and a First Aid Post so Arsenal played their matches at White Hart Lane.

Arsene Wenger has already weighed in on the matter, saying, "Geographically it’s a solution but you understand as well it’s a very sensitive subject. I do not think that will happen." The Telegraph article concludes by opining that Spurs should be allowed to move into Wembley, rather than forcing fans to travel to far-flung Milton Keynes to watch their team compete for fifth place, or the cruel possibility of squatting at Upton Park once West Ham vacates it. It's hard to imagine Spurs and Arsenal sharing a home in any circumstances outside of wartime necessity ... but the idea's out there.