Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur FC

Ground: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Capacity: 62,850

Club Founded: 1882

League: Premier League (current level)

Tottenham Hotspur FC won the FA Cup as a non-league club, became the first British side to lift a European trophy and now look to reach their previous heights in their majestic stadium, playing their legendary blend of entertaining football.

Club History

The Early Years

The club was formed as Hotspur FC in 1882 by grammar schoolboys from All Hallows Church, who were also members of Hotspur Cricket Club. A couple of years later, they were renamed Tottenham Hotspur to avoid confusion with another more established club by the name of Hotspur FC.

Home games were first played on Tottenham Marshes, moving to an enclosed ground at Northumberland Park in 1888. 'Spurs', as the club became commonly known, were eventually admitted into the Southern League in 1895 after turning professional and soon drew decent-sized crowds to their matches.

In 1899, the club moved to a former market garden on Tottenham High Road, becoming known as White Hart Lane. Spurs lifted the Southern League championship in 1899-00 and then the FA Cup the following year, while still a non-league club, when they defeated Sheffield United in a replay at Burnden Park, Bolton.

Admittance to the Football League

In 1908, Tottenham were elected to Division Two of the Football League, winning promotion to Division One in their first season. In the final season before World War One, the team finished bottom of the table. When peace was restored, controversy reigned.

The First Division was extended, with Chelsea, who had finished second bottom, being reprieved. Arsenal, who had caused ill feeling six years previously when they moved from south of the river to become Spurs' nearest rivals while diluting their support, finished in sixth place in the second tier but were promoted.

In 1920-21, Spurs lifted their second FA Cup, beating Wolverhampton Wanderers at Stamford Bridge. Six years later, the team was relegated and suffered a period of decline up to the Second World War. 

Glory Days

Arthur Rowe took over as manager in peacetime, creating his famous 'push and run' team, which won promotion in 1949-50, and won the league title the following season with the Spurs team containing star players Bill Nicholson, Ted Ditchburn, and Alf Ramsey.

The team aged but signed Danny Blanchflower in 1954. Nicholson was appointed manager in 1958. His first game ended in a 10-4 win against Everton. He changed the team as Jimmy Greaves, Terry Dyson, John White, Cliff Jones, and Dave Mackay came in. 

In 1960-61, they won the FA Cup against Leicester City in the final and the League to complete the double. The following season, Spurs retained the FA Cup against Burnley and then became the first British club to lift a European trophy in 1962-63 as they lifted the Cup Winners' Cup after destroying Atletico Madrid 5-1 in the Rotterdam final.

White Hart Lane in the Early 70s
Photo from the Football League Review

Transitional Years

The side began, while John White was tragically killed by lightning, so Nicholson brought in stars such as Mike England, Cyril Knowles, Alan Gilzean, and Alan Mullery. They won the FA Cup when they beat Chelsea in 1966-67 and then went on to win the League Cup in 1970-71 against Aston Villa.

The following season, a second European trophy was added as Wolves were beaten in the two-legged UEFA Cup final. The following season, Norwich City were defeated as Spurs once again lifted the League Cup with a 1-0 win, with Ralph Coates netting the winner.

In 1973-74, Spurs reached the final of the UEFA Cup but lost to Feyenoord. The second leg in Rotterdam was marred by riots. Bill Nicholson resigned in the aftermath, after leading the club to eight trophies in sixteen years. He advised the board to appoint a dream management team of Johnny Giles and Danny Blanchflower.

Relegation and the Triumphs

The advice was ignored, and the team was relegated in 1976-77, while legendary goalkeeper Pat Jennings was sold to Arsenal. Keith Burkinshaw remained at the helm and took the team straight back up. Argentina won the World Cup in the summer of 1978. Spurs signed two of the stars, Osvaldo Ardiles and Ricardo Villa. 

In 1979-80, Manchester City were defeated in an FA Cup final replay, featuring a wonder goal from Villa. They retained the trophy after a replay against Queens Park Rangers. The club became the first to float shares in an attempt to raise finances under the chairmanship of Irving Scholar. Star players of the day were Glenn Hoddle and Steve Perryman. 

In 1983-84, they helped the team win another UEFA Cup, this time against Anderlecht on penalties in an emotional night at White Hart Lane. After this, David Pleat had a spell as manager as the team came close to lifting honours, before Terry Venables was appointed.

My drawing of the old White Hart Lane, club crests, and former team kits.
For larger views, click on the images.

The Turbulent 90s

Paul Gascoigne and other stars, such as Gary Lineker, were brought in to add to the talented squad, including Chris Waddle. However, in 1990, Scholar was left on the verge of bankruptcy following a fall in the property market. Businessman Alan Sugar came in and entered into a partnership with Venables to try to wipe out £20M of debts.

Spurs lifted the FA Cup in 1990-91 against Nottingham Forest, but the day will be remembered for Paul Gascoigne's actions. He was lucky not to be sent off before he badly damaged his knee. He was about to be sold to Lazio to help secure the club's future, but the injury put everything in doubt.

Venables moved upstairs to become CEO with coaches Doug Livermore and Ray Clemence below him. The exciting play of Teddy Sheringham and Nicky Barmby promised much, but in June 1993, Venables was sacked by Sugar over his questionable financial dealings in an action that went all the way to the High Court. 

Former playing hero Ardiles came in as manager for a while with star signing Jurgen Klinsmann, to be followed by Gerry Francis and Christian Gross, who all failed to satisfy the club's aspirations. A controversial decision was made to appoint the former Arsenal manager George Graham. 

His style and past were criticised, but he led the team to a League Cup win in 1998-99 against Leicester City. In 2001, Sugar decided that he had had enough and sold the club to Enic Sports PLC, led by Daniel Levy. The new owners reemployed Hoddle as manager, and the side showed some encouragement. 

Defender Sol Campbell became a figure of hate when he let his contract run out and then joined Arsenal, leaving Spurs with no remuneration. Managers, including Jacques Santini, Martin Jol, and Juande Ramos, came and failed to achieve success.

Image Inside the Bill Nicholson Pub

The Enic Years

This meant that Spurs, who had looked after him throughout his career, received no remuneration.  by the owners before Harry Redknapp arrived in 2008 from Portsmouth, as the continental-style setup with a Director of Football was abandoned. 

In May 2010, Spurs finished in fourth place to qualify for the Champions League for the first time, as Redknapp made many signings as well as offloading many players. Off the pitch, Tottenham were increasingly involved in an issue with the capacity of White Hart Lane for many years. 

The stadium had an all-seated capacity of just over 36,000, whereas it once held upwards of 50,000. Plans were unveiled for a new stadium to be built adjacent and be called the Northumberland Development Project. The stadium would hold over 56,000 fans when complete, and White Hart Lane would be demolished.

Levy showed keen interest in 2012 in the Olympic Stadium as a new home. Spurs fans were not happy at the thought of moving away from their traditional heartland. The club announced that they would demolish the stadium and build a new one, minus a running track, which ended any prospects of a move. 

West Ham United were chosen as the preferred bidders while the Spurs owners took the issue to court. On 20th September 2011, the club was given planning permission for the Northumberland Development Project after consultation with local residents, Haringey Council, and the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson.

Redknapp was replaced in the summer of 2012 by former Chelsea and Porto boss Andre Villas-Boas. In the summer of 2013, the superb Bale was sold to Real Madrid for an incredible £85.3M fee as the side just missed out on a Champions League place. 

The Pochettino Years

The cash was spent on a plethora of new signings. The side didn't gel as hoped, and in December 2013, Tim Sherwood was put in control of team affairs before being replaced by the Argentinian Mauricio Pochettino, was recruited from Southampton. 

He looked to gradually rebuild the side with Harry Kane's goals as the outstanding highlight. Meanwhile, good news arrived off the pitch as planning permission was finally granted for the construction of a new stadium next door to the current site. 

A runners-up league berth behind Leicester City was achieved in 2016-17 as the team continued to develop, including the talents of ugo Lloris, Toby Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen, Victor Wanyama, Eric Dier, Christian Eriksen, Dele Alli, and Son Heung-min. The following season was spent playing home games at Wembley while the new stadium was built.

Champions League Final

Pochettino's team reached a couple of FA Cup semi-finals before the 2018-19 season came close to being one of the most memorable in the club's history. The Champions League run included late goals to get through the group stage.

Borussia Dortmund and Manchester City were defeated before a dramatic victory in the semi-final against Ajax. With just 35 minutes remaining of the second leg at the Johan Cruyff Arena, the Dutchmen led 3-0 on aggregate.

Lucas Moura scored an amazing hat-trick, including the winner in the sixth minute of stoppage time, to send Tottenham to the final on away goals. In the showpiece in Madrid’s Estadio Metropolitano, Liverpool came out on top with a 2-0 win. After a poor start to the new season, chairman Daniel Levy sacked the highly popular Pochettino. 

Managerial Turnovers

He replaced him with José Mourinho in November 2019, dividing opinion among supporters. The controversial Portuguese lasted until April 2021. His replacement was Nuno Espírito Santo, lasting just four months before the appointment of Antonio Conte. 

His side reached the Champions League, but his style of football was extremely unpopular among increasingly discontented supporters. He was replaced by Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou. Spurs broke their trophy drought when they lifted the Europa League in 2024-25, beating Manchester United 1-0 in Bilbao thanks to Brennan Johnson's goal.

Levy departed as Postecoglou was dismissed, with Thomas Frank replacing him. His spell lasted until the following February, when Igor Tudor was appointed as interim boss until the end of the season, lasting just over a month before the arrival of Roberto De Zerbi. The team managed to stay up on the final day of the season.

My visits

at White Hart Lane

Tottenham Hotspur 1 West Ham United 0 

League Cup Round Three - Wednesday 29th October 2003

👨‍👨‍👧‍👧 36,053 

Stewarding Duty!

I was working as a part-time steward to supplement my basic winter wages at Lord's Cricket Ground for an agency called Recruit. I generally did games at Watford and concerts at Wembley Arena. I'd never really fancied White Hart Lane because I heard it could be tough work and the transport connections were so poor.

However, I was getting on quite well with the bosses, and they pleaded with me as they were stretched with several events on the same day. They eventually pricked my vanity, so like a sucker, I went on my way.

Thankless Tasks

I got out at Seven Sisters tube station and walked up Tottenham High Road. The normally busy road was louder than normal owing to several police sirens and helicopters hovering overhead. It was obviously going to be a night when tension was high on the agenda.

Eventually, I reached the ground and found my meeting point. I said hello to some familiar faces, including a supervisor I knew. Recruit didn't provide all the stewards to Tottenham, so they generally got the poorer of the jobs. I didn't hold up much hope of a cushy role where I could see the match. 

Pre-Match Duties

The supervisor was a bit of a wannabe and often told us of his stories as a Chelsea fan and all that came with the darker side of his days out. He proudly told us he was wearing a stab-proof vest and that it had all been going off all afternoon. This hardly helped our mood or nerves.

After hanging around for what seemed like ages, we put the barriers up on Bill Nicholson Way so that there was a clear path for cars and coaches into the limited car park. One or two stars of the past were arriving to go into their corporate box for the night. Pat Jennings still looked young and fit enough to go in goal.

Away Fans Spotter

I was then told about my job for the night. I was to go inside the Park Lane End concourse and look out for any away fans and point out any intruders. Only a metal gate separated us from the Hammers fans, who were vibrant to say the least. 

It turned out that a large gang of them had turned up early in the afternoon and smashed up two Spurs fans' pubs. This, in turn, had most upset the home fans. I hadn't a clue how I was going to spot anyone. They were hardly likely to wear colours! 

Extra Time

I spent all night down there, apart from a few seconds where I went upstairs to glimpse a few seconds of action. The old boys on the turnstiles said that Spurs were awful employers compared to Arsenal, where they preferred working.

Inevitably, when you want the game to finish, it went to extra time before former Hammer Bobby Zamora hardly helped to calm things down by scoring the winner for Spurs.

A Never to be Repeated Experience

At full time, we were spoken to by an absolute idiot who thought he was ordering an army about. It was part of the job to go into the stands and check for broken seats. We all got a row to inspect. 

He said we weren't diligent enough, though I don't think he used that exact term, as he wasn't bright enough, and he generally lambasted us for our performance on the night. All this for £7.50 an hour!

I walked all the way back down the now thankfully quiet High Road back to Seven Sisters, vowing never to work there as a steward again. The guys at Recruit received some honest feedback on the evening, and the people at Spurs the next morning.

Tottenham Hotspur 3 Shamrock Rovers 1

Europa League Group Stage - Thursday 29th September 2011

👨‍👨‍👧‍👧 24,730 🎟️ £25

European Night

I had been wanting to go to White Hart Lane in better circumstances for some time, but the problem was getting tickets for a game. I registered on the website and was delighted when I obtained a ticket for the match against Irish giant killers Shamrock Rovers.

The weather was stunning for the time of year and ideal for going to a game and having a pre-match beer. I was concerned that my ticket didn't come through the post, but the ticket office assured me that I could pick up a duplicate from their office on the day.

Bill Nicholson Connections

I made my way to Liverpool Street and caught the train to Northumberland Park. I wanted to visit a pub at the end of the stadium called the Bill Nicholson in honour of the great former servant and Scarborian!  There was plenty of memorabilia to grab my attention in the large pub. 

It was soon time to head off to meet John, my cricket-watching and Spurs-supporting mate. I managed to get my duplicate ticket after a misunderstanding with a former stewarding colleague, as the visiting fans looked up in bewilderment at where their team was about to play.

Pre-Match Pub

John took me to another pub, which was just what the doctor ordered. The hostelry was a throwback to how I like my locals, albeit without any hand pumps. It had a good atmosphere, pretty barmaids, a top jukebox, and a mixture of home and away fans. 

The Rovers fans were in full voice, and while they didn't expect to win, they were certainly going to have a party. I was offered a free ticket with them as they had overordered or lost a pal. It was hard to tell. They had certainly enjoyed a few drinks!

Excellent View

I walked along with John and Nick to the Park Lane End and made my way up to the top tier to find that my seat was right next to the gap between the two sets of fans. It was perfect for the atmosphere. The Park Lane Stand was two-tiered, with the top deck overhanging and a large video screen perched on the roof. 

The opposite Paxton Road Stand was pretty much the same. The East Stand was in three layers with a row of corporate boxes, with the opposite West Stand having two tiers separated by boxes. All the corners were filled in to give the ground a truly enclosed feel, which kept the noise in.

A Shock on the Cards?

The visiting fans, as well as plenty of London-based Irish, made a real racket, and their team did them proud. Spurs had plenty of fringe players in their lineup and could not breach the Rovers rearguard. Shamrock caused a sensation when they qualified for the group stages.

The second half was about to get better for The Hoops, who played in black on this occasion, when they went one goal up. The noise and celebrations were incredible. Even the home fans were applauding. Unfortunately, this also led to their downfall as they were perhaps guilty of being overambitious.

A Home Win

Spurs picked Rovers off and scored three quick goals in the space of ten minutes to take control. Despite the Rovers' best efforts, that was the end of their dream, although they had done their league and club proud.

I left a minute or two from full time as I had an early train to catch to Scarborough the following morning. I rushed up the High Road, which was gladly showing few signs of the riots from a few months ago, although it's admittedly never been the smartest of areas, and managed to get on board the first train back from White Hart Lane station to Liverpool Street.

Tottenham Hotspur 2 Hull City 0 

Premier League - Saturday 16th May 2015

👨‍👨‍👧‍👧 35,857 🎟️ £32

Away Fan 

This turned out to be an ideal fixture for me while on night shift. I had lunch at home while watching the Norwich v Ipswich playoff match on TV before setting off at 1.15, travelling by tube and then Overground to South Tottenham via Gospel Oak. 

As the station is 200m south of Seven Sisters, it turned out far easier to get a seat on a bus up Tottenham High Road to outside the away fans' corner.

Beers Inside White Hart Lane

An ambitious attempt to get into the Bell & Hare failed, so I went straight inside the stadium at 2.30. The mad doctor Allam, the owner of Hull City, had used the away fans' financial pool awarded to clubs to look after fans by doing up the visitors' section at the KC and handing out gifts.

This time, everyone received a scarf. The City fans were in good voice on the concourse, where a pint of London Pride from a can set me back £4.

Limited Leg Room

It was a glorious sunny day for football, and I had a reasonable view from behind the corner flag. Fortunately, my brother Nick had purchased me a seat at the end of the row with limited leg room. This is something I always try to purchase, while the stewards used their common sense and allowed us to remain standing.

There was plenty of City possession, but without any real cutting edge in the first half. Jelavic hit the corner of the post and bar, but was caught offside or failed to take the last man on far too often owing to his lack of pace and reading of the game. 

There was not enough pace or creativity in a game that City really had to win to give realistic hope of saving the side from relegation. The task wasn’t aided, as Jake Livermore had been suspended by the club after being found guilty of taking cocaine following the Crystal Palace away game a few weeks earlier.

It was good to see both sets of fans give Brad Freidal an ovation during his retirement interview on the pitch at half-time, as well as more deserved applause for Jimmy Greaves, who was to be inducted into the Spurs Hall of Fame.

Spurs Step Up a Gear

I always had the feeling that Spurs had another gear should it be required, and so it proved with strikes from Nacer Chadli and Danny Rose within a few minutes. City huffed and puffed but missed the only real gilt-edged chance in a scramble at 2-0 down as various players fluffed their lines.

Despite the disappointment on the pitch, there was excellent vocal away support throughout, with plenty of Allam Out chants and banners on show.

The Tigers Face Relegation

The result and those of Newcastle United and Sunderland meant that Hull City had to win on the final day against Man Utd and hope the others failed to retain the club's Premier League status. 

The last time it had happened was during United's season in the second division. I felt that City's best hope was that the United class of '74 showed up so that maybe, but just maybe, Huddlestone and Jelavic might outpace someone.

at Wembley Stadium

Tottenham Hotspur 2 KAA Gent 2 

Europa League Round of 32 Second Leg - Thursday 23rd February 2017

👨‍👨‍👧‍👧 80,465🎟️ £10

Spurs Home Game at Wembley

I had arranged tickets for myself, Jarvo, and Potholes for just £10 for this clash as Tottenham resided at Wembley while the new White Hart Lane was being built. Jarvo met me for curry and beers in Kingsbury, with our other pal eventually finding us. We took a cab to his Wembley flat, at which point he realised he’d lost his bag.

Eventually, after phone calls and me calling in favours from colleagues at Wembley Central, it was located back in the pub. We headed to the stadium and made our way to the top deck to find ourselves among the away fans, along with several other Spurs supporters.

An Away Victory

We were in for a good game and a cracking atmosphere as the Belgians dumped out Tottenham, who had taken an early lead through Christian Eriksen. The visitors equalised through Harry Kane's own goal, leaving Spurs needing to score twice more as the first leg had ended 1-0 to Gent.

Dele Alli was sent off shortly before half-time for a dangerous high tackle to add to the task. Victor Wanyama's goal raised the noise before substitute Jeremy Perbet scored ten minutes from time to aid the early emptying of the stadium.

The Belgians around us were both very happy and friendly, as the 'home' fans in the same block as us departed very quickly. Post-match, we returned to Kingsbury for Potholes to be reunited with his bag and for us to enjoy more ales.

at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Friday 1st February 2019

I awoke to find that the snow that fell on my way home the previous evening had set in Kingsbury. After a bite to eat, I decided that I wouldn’t be put off with my plans and didn’t want to waste my day off work.

It was a little dodgy underfoot and the way to the station, but slightly better when I changed at West Hampstead, better still when I alighted at South Tottenham to once again cross the road and catch the bus up the High Road.

There were plenty of rumours and news doing the rounds about just how close the new stadium was to being ready to host a game, but I wanted to have a look with my own eyes, or at least get as close as possible.

Tottenham had sold season tickets for the new stadium, but there was no way that they were going to be able to fulfil their promise. We’d been told in the summer in the Midland Hotel by contractors working on the site that it may be another season at before opening.

The new place was certainly impressive and massively bigger than the old place, with it being located slightly further north. The old Park Lane stand was flush to the road, where there would now be plenty of room between the street and the structure. White hoarding kept observers at bay from the actual build. 

Hundreds of orange-clad contractors appeared to be working, keeping the local cafes and portable food outlets in business. It was obviously nowhere near completion. A walk around to the far side revealed that lots of cladding was still being fitted to the outside walls, nearer being ready on the High Road side. 

Lots of signage was already in place pointing to museums and stadium tours that would eventually offer fans a good look around. Despite the severe security checks, I decided to enter the huge new megastore to ask when tours would begin, partly in the forlorn hope that they may already have begun as part of the testing of the structure, but it was not to be.

Having had a proper look, I took a train from White Hart Lane station, which was also undergoing refurbishment, to Liverpool Street before taking a six-mile walk around areas I’d never previously discovered, before taking the tube home to listen to some Test match cricket.

Tottenham Hotspur 1 Brighton & Hove Albion 0 

Premier League - Tuesday 23rd April 2019

👨‍👨‍👧‍👧 56,251 🎟️ £35

Opportunity Knocks

I couldn’t wait for a chance to go to a game at the new White Hart Lane but was aware that it wouldn’t be easy to get a ticket, especially before the end of the season in which it belatedly opened. My diary showed I was off work for the Brighton game. To dare is to do!

Nothing ventured, nothing gained, as the saying goes, so I texted John to see if he knew of any spare tickets knocking about. His side had just knocked Manchester City out of the Champions League, so I knew he’d be in good form!

Cricket and Football Day Out

The next day he came back and said I could go with his brother on his nephew’s season ticket as he couldn’t make the game for the £35 it would cost as compensation. It took me all of a second to reply positively that I’d love to attend. Finishing night shift, I had a double bonus, as I headed to The Oval to catch some of the cricket between Surrey and Essex. 

Rikki Clarke, the huge Spurs fan and Surrey player, went off with a finger injury when fielding.

I know Rikki from playing in the same Sixes competition as him in Bangkok, and I sent a message saying that I thought it was opportunistic timing to get to the evening match. Unfortunately, it was a bad break, so he ended up watching on TV after a hospital visit.

New Stadium - Familiar Journey

Meanwhile, I took the Victoria line from Vauxhall directly to Seven Sisters and decided to walk up to the ground to take it all in. The road was closed from where the stadium came into view, so fans could walk up the middle.

John was waiting with his brother Phil by the old ticket office, which had a nice symmetry to it, as this was where I met him before my first proper match visit against Shamrock Rovers. We had a chat before Phil, and I went inside.

Pre-Match

There was a brief security pat-down after the turnstiles, which worked like the gates on the underground, checking Oyster Cards. It was all a lot easier and hassle-free than I imagined. No bags over A4 size were allowed inside, which undoubtedly sped up the checks.

Once across the open area, the concourse under the huge South Stand opened up. It reminded me of an airport terminal in its décor and space. The bar went the full length and claimed to be the longest in Europe. It had pumps that poured the beer through the bottom of the glass, although we plumped for the far quicker service at the bottle bar. 

Fantastic First Impressions

As well as a large floor space, there were a few steps of broad terracing aside the entry points where fans sat and enjoyed their food and drink. Multiple TVs showed Spurs highlights and team news. After our beer, I got my first view of the arena. I’m lucky enough to have been in some tremendous stadiums, but this was right up there. 

We had great positions near the entrance, a third of the way up, just to the left of the goal. The end was fitted with railings in front of each row of seats in readiness for any permitted safe standing inside stadiums in the UK. Phil told me we’d be standing for the match, as everyone else seemed to be happy trying it out. That suited me fine.

The South Stand was a separate structure, with the famous old cockerel perched on the roof. The other three sides wrapped around the pitch, with two large tiers sandwiching two smaller ones of more expensive hospitality seating.

Tottenham put on a fine light show in the build-up before the teams came out. I’m not a huge fan of the modern way, but I must admit to being caught up in it all. I wondered what my fellow Scarborian Bill Nicholson would have made of it all?

Defence v Attack

Both teams had much to play for. The Lillywhites needed the points in their quest to secure Champions League football in 2019-20, while Albion were desperate to gather enough points to secure their Premier League status, having gone on an awful run.

It was immediately apparent that Brighton’s main intention was not to concede a goal. The contest soon materialised into one of those old attacks against defence training routines as the Seagulls players all got behind the ball as soon as Spurs had possession.

Tottenham were playing plenty of patient, clever football, but time and time again they came up against the solid defensive wall. The eventual man of the match, Lewis Dunk, bravely blocked Jan Vertonghen's shot.

The Spurs players tried shots from distance, with Vertonghen, Christian Eriksen, and Lucas Moura all having a dig. Florin Andone went on a rare attacking flurry for the visitors but was thwarted by the excellent Danny Rose.

The interval talk of Mauricio Pochettino could have changed at halftime, as just before the whistle, his team nearly took the lead. Dele Alli skilfully brought down a smart Kieran Trippier pass and got his shot away. Keeper Mat Ryan got his fingertips to the effort before Shane Duffy cleared off the line.

Phil was phlegmatic at the break. He’d seen it all before and was looking forward to his second European Cup semi-final against Ajax the following week, as his support went right back to the early sixties when Benfica broke Spurs hearts.

Defensive Rearguard

It was clear that Chris Hughton had told his players “more of the same” during his half-time chat. They continued to defend as though their lives depended on it. Spurs were resigned to more efforts from range as there was simply no room inside the area.

Eriksen saw a curling effort go just over, while Rose forced Ryan into a good save. The ball fell to Toby Alderweireld in the box following a corner. He saw his low shot come off the foot of the post and agonisingly back across the goal. Alli fired over when well-positioned.

Eriksen to the Rescue

Hueng-min Son went just wide as the pressure incredibly went up another notch with fans all around me becoming ever more frustrated. Alderweireld had another shot deflected wide, and Ryan saved from Eriksen. It was tense stuff, and I loved it.

It looked like Brighton had done enough to secure a point when Eriksen received the ball with just a little more space just outside the box. He fired his low shot into the bottom corner past Ryan. The place went berserk, aside from the few thousand visitors in the far corner.

The friendly younger fella to my right was hugging me. I, too, was delighted. Despite my soft spot for Tottenham, I was glad that the football team had come out on top in a really enjoyable game. My hosts would also go home happier for it.

Brighton actually got into the Spurs box in stoppage time as Solly March cut inside but fired wide to the relief of the fans around me who held their breath momentarily. The final whistle was met with natural euphoria.

Post-match Celebrations

Phil insisted that I go for one beer after the game. The beauty of the stadium design meant that once through the turnstiles, you could walk around to the other stands to meet up with mates located elsewhere. John was with our mutual cricket mate Jim.

The Shelf Bar was well-staffed, while a guitar/vocalist was playing 90s tunes to the audience. The concourse walls had some smashing old murals and photos depicting the club's history. The Beavertown Brewery and bar were just next door in the corner, but I was happy in my surroundings.

Fair Prices

Phil departed as he was driving, while three of us enjoyed another couple of pints. I thought the prices were fair enough, with Amstel at £4 and Beavertown at £5. You could pay more in the pubs outside for similar drinks. I also liked the stadium being cashless. All transactions were made by card, which sped everything up.

A lot had been said about the stadium location and overcrowding. The club had been smart in getting a license for bars to stay open after the game, so that some would stay behind and lessen the crush. The stadium began to close down at 10:30.

Last Orders on the High Road

Many supporters, mainly of other clubs, are also vocal about the surroundings. Tottenham High Street isn’t the most salubrious, but it is Tottenham, and that’s where the club belongs. Some new businesses had opened up, but they essentially had the same soul. Surely that’s far better than moving to some retail park out of town?

We managed to get into The Bluecoats Pub for a last drink. The converted girls' school building had local ale and 80s and 90s music. I was really in the mood, especially when The Jam was given an airing. I could have stayed on for a time after if they hadn’t closed.

A Great Night Out

A bus took the three of us to Seven Sisters, where Jim and I said goodbye to John. The pair of us agreed that it had been a fantastic experience and had probably got more out of the game as semi-neutrals than the tense regulars. I’d enjoyed every minute of it.

It certainly helps when you’re around proper football people who respect the game and who you go to watch. I’d certainly jump at any further opportunities to return.

Tottenham Hotspur 1 Norwich City 1 (aet) Norwich win 3-2 on pens 

FA Cup Fifth Round - Wednesday 4th March 2020

👨‍👨‍👧‍👧 58,002 🎟️ 50 THB (£1.20)

Decisions, Decisions

Departing my flat at 5.15pm after a siesta following an early shift had aided my recovery from a 5.15am start for work. I filled up on some bangers and mash for tea, not knowing which game I'd end up seeing.

The original plan of popping down to Club Des Sports Acton to see Kensington & Ealing using the venue as a temporary home was scuppered by moving it to Raynes Park, where the pitch was waterlogged. Yeah, good thinking by those concerned.

Park View v Buckingham Athletic was my most likely destination for the Spartan South Midlands League Division One clash at New River Stadium, a few hundred yards up the road from the Coles Park home of Haringey Borough.

However, I was annoyed with myself for not buying a ticket for Tottenham when they first went on sale. I'd been suffering from being sick of call-offs, having wasted two days in four on late Hendon postponements.

Enthusiasm Restored

It had dulled my enthusiasm for going to matches, finding myself in can’t be arsed mode until the previous evening. My mate Tony had provided great company as we headed to what turned into an excellent Berkhamsted v Halesowen Town game. I was back on full throttle.

My plan was to take the tube to Seven Sisters and make my way up to the ground to see if there were any touts about. I deliberately only took £30 out with me. The original tickets were £25, so I thought that an extra fiver was a fair surcharge for my earlier apathy and a reasonable markup for anyone looking to offload.

Matchday Buzz

I loved the long matchday walk up to the stadium, despite grumbles about the ambience and distance from the station. The High Street is no thing of beauty, but it's still in the right place at the heart of the community with lots of affordable eating and drinking options, especially for Cheap Charlies like myself.

I would wager that West Ham fans would still have loved to have a similar Green Street. I passed one guy where the road was blocked off for pedestrians about five minutes south of the ground, but nobody else was selling.

Quality Bartering

I walked round to White Hart Lane station, where I'd either catch a W3 down to New River Stadium or grab a last-chance ticket. My timing was good as there was less than 30 minutes to kick off, meaning any salesman would be getting edgier.

A couple of blokes were trying to sell. They wanted £90. I laughed and started walking off. They urged me for £40, but I told them straight. £30, or I'd listen on the radio down the road while watching another game. Reluctantly, they gave in.

A Tense Cup Tie

I'm glad I made the effort. I'd enjoyed everything about my visit the previous season against Brighton and I wasn't let down again. I had a good seat in the lower tier near the goal line, along from the away fans.

It was a game that neither side deserved to win or lose, in my opinion, as both lacked a marksman, but both had periods of possession and pressure. I guess Tottenham would claim to have the better of it. They went ahead in thirteen minutes when Jan Vertonghen headed home a wide free kick from Giovani Lo Celso.

The Canaries were roared on by 9,000 fans and played lots of nice stuff. Spurs had the better opportunities and would have added to their goal lead with a finisher as they went into the game without the injured Harry Kane and Son Heung-min.

Tottenham’s counterattacks began to fizzle out, with Norwich having long spells of possession. The hosts should have doubled their lead just before the break, but Lucas Moura saw his weak effort saved by Tim Kruhl while Dele Alli stood unmarked.

Todd Cantwell orchestrated the City midfield. Michel Vorm looked edgy in goal for Spurs as he spilt an effort from Lukas Rupp. It took a keeper's error from him to let the visitors back in. He fumbled a Kenny McLean shot for Josip Drmic to bundle in the rebound.

Spurs came back to life and dominated until full time, while City looked good on the counter. Alli was having a poor night for Spurs, who came desperately close to a winner with a couple of minutes remaining when Ben Godfrey heroically hooked Serge Aurier’s effort off the line.

Extra Time and a Late Night

Inevitably enough, when you need to be up early the next day, the match went to extra time, where neither side really looked like winning it. In the end, it was Norwich who won on penalties, with Krul the hero.

The home fans were not exactly chuffed. I managed to get a bus down to Seven Sisters and get back home to Kingsbury just before midnight as I listened to the repercussions from the stadium, where Eric Dier had jumped into the crowd and got involved in a melee before he was dragged away by stewards.

Friday 4th December 2020

Click here to read about a further visit as part of my 100-mile Sawasdee Cup Charity Walk late in 2020, as I called in on all the clubs in the top five tiers within Greater London to raise money for Junior Cricket Development in Thailand.