Back to the Lane
This week sees me pay a rare visit to the home of a Premier League team, as I head to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
My last visit to watch Spurs play at home was back in the days of a Klinsmann, Sheringham, and Anderton forward line.
The 1994/95 season, when Klinsmann was Spurs’ top scorer with 20 goals before heading off to Bayern Munich. The opposition was Norwich City, and Spurs won 1-0 via a Teddy Sheringham goal at White Hart Lane.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t reviewing grounds back then, so there are no photographs of the old stadium, just a few sparse memories of the day.
This time, I am going to their wonderful-looking new stadium armed with my phone, which doubles up as a camera and notepad. It also lets me find my way around areas I otherwise have no clue about.
What did we do before we had such handy gadgets?
Well, we had cameras, notepads, and the ability to ask random strangers if they knew the way to…?
I sometimes miss that, to be honest. People everywhere live their lives staring at a 5-inch screen nowadays. Don’t believe me? What are you doing right now?
Look around you; if you are in a public area, it is likely that everyone around you is doing the same.
Oh well, we can only move forward and wonder what further ‘improvements’ are coming our way, eh?
That said, it seems that the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is a big improvement on White Hart Lane, and I can’t wait to see it.
So, let’s get on with it…
The Journey
The day began by catching the 06:59 X1 to Newcastle, arriving at John Dobson Street at 07:55.
I arrived at Central Station 10 minutes later, where I caught the 08:24 LNER service to London King’s Cross.
Upon arrival at York station, we endured a 40-minute wait, after a tree had struck overhead lines near Doncaster.
This was meaningless compared to what happened later in the journey, however.
As we approached King’s Cross, I noticed the woman sitting in the seat ahead of me complaining that she was too hot.
Her friends were fanning her, but she began twitching and looking confused, and I realised something was very wrong with her.
Then I saw her start to contort her body and face into impossible positions as some sort of seizure took hold. An image burned into my retinas: the poor woman.
There were a couple of doctors on board, but the last I saw was the lady lying flat under the table, unresponsive.
I truly hope she pulled through; it was awful to see.
I departed the train and forced my brain to switch to the rest of the journey.
By now, it was midday, and I headed down into the underground outside King’s Cross.
After following signs for the Victoria Line, I caught the 12:06 tube to Walthamstow Central, getting off at Seven Sisters station nine minutes later.
From here, I headed to the Weaver Line to catch the 12:31 to White Hart Lane, arriving 4 minutes later.
While I get my bearings, why not have a read about London’s Tottenham district?
Tottenham
The district of Tottenham is in north London, within the London Borough of Haringey.
It lies around 6.5 miles north-northeast of King’s Cross. Wembley Stadium lies 11.7 miles to the west, while fierce rivals Arsenal and Chelsea sit 4.2 miles and 11.3 miles to the southwest, respectively.
Hetton-le-Hole is a distant 261 miles to the north-northwest.
At the 2021 Census, Tottenham Central had a population of 14,739, a rise of over 1,500 from 2011.
Early History
Tottenham is believed to take its name from ‘Tota‘, an early farmer whose hamlet became known as ‘Tota’s hamlet‘. The settlement appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 as ‘Toteham‘.
The settlement of Tottenham developed along Ermine Street, the old Roman road running north from London. By the time of the Domesday survey, around 70 families lived within the manor, with most working as labourers for the lord of the manor.
The River Lea formed an important boundary to the east. Historically, it separated Middlesex from Essex and also marked the western edge of the Viking-controlled Danelaw. Another local river, the Moselle, regularly flooded until much of it was covered by streets in the 19th century.
From the Tudor period onwards, Tottenham became popular with wealthy Londoners seeking recreation away from the increasingly crowded city. Henry VIII visited Bruce Castle and hunted in Tottenham Wood, while the area’s countryside later featured in Izaak Walton’s The Compleat Angler, published in 1653. Tottenham also developed a sizeable Quaker community and became known for its schools.
Bruce Castle remains one of Tottenham’s most important historic landmarks. The Grade I listed manor house dates from the 16th century and gained its present name during the following century. The Hill family later turned it into a progressive school, where Sir Rowland Hill served as its first headmaster. Hill lived there when he introduced the Uniform Penny Post in 1840. Today, Bruce Castle serves as a local history museum.
Industrial Age
Tottenham remained largely semi-rural and upper-middle-class until the 1870s. Rather than factories driving its transformation, the railway changed the area dramatically.
During the late 1870s, the Great Eastern Railway introduced cheap workmen’s fares on its Enfield and Walthamstow lines. Workers could suddenly live in Tottenham and commute affordably into central London. Builders quickly replaced fields and market gardens with inexpensive housing, and Tottenham developed into a predominantly working- and lower-middle-class London suburb.
The population growth brought greater independence. Tottenham became an urban district in 1894 and gained municipal borough status in 1934.
One of the more dramatic episodes of the period came in 1909 with the Tottenham Outrage. Two armed robbers stole wages from a rubber works and fled across Tottenham Marshes, eventually hijacking a tram. A lengthy police pursuit followed, during which two people died, and another fourteen suffered injuries.
By the early 20th century, Tottenham had changed almost beyond recognition from the rural community of earlier centuries. Railways, streets, and tightly packed housing now characterised much of the district.
During the Second World War, Tottenham suffered attacks as part of the German bombing campaign against London. Bombs fell on Elmar Road during the first air raid on the capital on 24 August 1940, while the area later suffered four V-1 incidents and strikes from V-2 rockets. The final V-2 attack came as late as 15 March 1945.
Post War
Following the Second World War, Tottenham underwent another period of change. Large council housing developments, including high-rise blocks, appeared as authorities sought to replace inadequate housing and accommodate London’s population.
The area also became increasingly multicultural. Large numbers of Afro-Caribbean people settled in Tottenham during the Windrush era, followed in later decades by communities with roots in Africa, Asia, South America, and Eastern Europe. This immigration made Tottenham one of Britain’s most ethnically diverse areas.
The second half of the 20th century also brought periods of social and economic difficulty. Tensions between sections of the community and the police contributed to the Broadwater Farm riot in 1985, during which police officer Keith Blakelock died, and dozens of people suffered injuries. Tottenham again became the focus of national attention in 2011, when a protest following the police shooting of local resident Mark Duggan developed into serious disorder. Rioting subsequently spread to other parts of London and England.
Today, Tottenham remains one of North London’s most distinctive communities. Historic buildings such as Bruce Castle, All Hallows Church and Tottenham High Cross sit alongside modern developments, while Tottenham Marshes provide open space beside the River Lea.
From a small settlement beside a Roman road to a rapidly expanding Victorian suburb and one of modern London’s most diverse communities, Tottenham has continually changed with the capital around it.
Notable People from Tottenham
Musicians: Adele, Dave Clark (Dave Clark Five), Chris Cross (Ultravox), Mark Hollis (Talk Talk), Lemar, and a host of grime and rap artists, such as Dubzy.
Actors, Sam Hazeldine, Rosamund John, Wil Johnson, Ron Moody, Vivian Oparah, Diane Parish, Leslie Phillips, and Selva Rasalingam.
Comedian Babatunde Aléshé, author and illustrator S.G. Hulme Beaman, and politician David Lammy.
Cricketer Mark Alleyne, darts player Wayne Mardle, and Bobby Buckle, founder of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club.
Spurs also have a number of high-profile supporters, among whom are/were:
Adele, Alan Sugar, Bruce Forsyth, Finn Bálor, J.K. Rowling, Kenneth Branagh, Michal McIntyre, Paul Whitehouse, Peter Cook, Salman Rushdie, and Trevor McDonald.
The Bricklayers Arms
A short walk from White Hart Lane to Tottenham High Road brought me to my first watering hole, the Bricklayers Arms.
This pub is listed on Google Maps as a “Victorian local that is a Spurs football fans’ mainstay, with a beer garden and matchday barbecues.”
What they don’t mention is that it takes about 20 minutes to get served!
After walking inside, I joined one of the four orderly queues leading to the bar on the left-hand side and waited patiently.
Well, I waited anyway…
I eventually got to the front and ordered a pint of Carlsberg. Normally, I would have a Guinness, but London prices are awaiting us.
Even a Carlsberg cost me £6.50!
I miss Northeast prices whenever I venture south, I have to say.
While I waited, I was entertained by the same songs on repeat. Chas and Dave’s ‘Ossie’s Dream’, ‘Glory, Glory, Tottenham Hotspur’, ‘Tottenham, Tottenham (no one can stop them)’, ‘When the Year Ends in One’, and ‘Vindaloo’ by Fat Les.
At first, it was atmospheric, but soon became repetitive as I sipped my pint.
I decided to head off and try another Spurs’ local a little further away.
Bill Nicholson
A little ways along the High Road, I turned right onto Northumberland Park.
0.3 miles away from the Bricklayers Arms is the Bill Nicholson pub.
In my opinion, this made for a much better pre-match drink location.
There was more room to get to the bar, a busy beer garden out front, and just as much pre-game atmosphere as the Bricklayers Arms (without Chas and Dave).
This is clearly another Spurs stronghold, and it is named after the manager who won Spurs the League and FA Cup double in 1961.
Bill Nicholson took control of the club’s hot seat on 11th October 1958, until he resigned early in the 1974/75 campaign.
The pub is a fitting tribute to a man who did so much for Spurs, despite his reign ending badly.
Spurs paid him a £10,000 sum and severed all connections with him after he tried to set up his successor in Danny Blanchflower without the club’s knowledge.
He was also denied a testimonial, despite having spent a total of 36 years at White Hart Lane.
Looking back, that was a criminal way to treat the man.
I bought a pint of Amstel for an eye-watering £7.00 and soaked up the atmosphere as I carefully sipped the liquid gold.
A couple of people of note to Spurs fans were in the pub, too.
Lee ‘Rabbi’ Wilder, who is an influential Spurs fan online, and a young up-and-coming music artist, Tommy Baker.
With time marching on, I made my way to the stadium to give myself time to find my seat.
Well, it’s stuck in my head, so I might as well annoy you all with it, too.
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Getting In
After a brief attempt to walk around the ground was thwarted by rows of hi-vis-clad security who would only let me into certain areas with a ticket, I made my way back to Gate 10 to go inside.
Programmes were on sale, but I never saw them anywhere. I also never had the time to visit the club store, so apologies for that omission.
I bought my digital ticket online from the Tottenham Hotspur website, costing me £21.75 once admin fees were added..
To access the stadium, I had to go through a bag search, followed by airport-style security and metal detectors.
Extreme? Yes.
Annoying? Yes.
Time-consuming? Yes.
Necessary? Given the state of the country and the danger of terrorism at large sporting venues, probably, yes.
Once through these. I got into an operated lift that took me to the fourth level and brought me out near my seat in the northeast corner.
North Stand
I will start with the North Stand, which, for obvious reasons, was difficult for me to photograph well.
That said, it’s very much like the East and West Stands in design.
There are three tiers, with the lower and upper tiers being larger than the middle tier where I was.
A row of hospitality boxes runs along the back of the second tier.
Large digital scoreboards hang in each corner of the ground, giving everyone great access to the information and videos displayed.
East Stand
To my left was the East Stand.
This has five tiers, three of which appear to be dedicated to hospitality suites.
Another level of hospitality suites sits above the fifth tier.
For today’s game, Hoffenheim fans, of which there were a disappointing number, were housed in the lower tier, near the northeast corner I sat in.
Away support capacity is set at 3,000 for league games, though nowhere near that number was needed today.
South Stand
The South Stand is where Spurs’ more vociferous fans congregate, and it looks slightly different to the rest of the ground.
The two tiers rise towards the middle, like the shadowy silhouette of a hill.
High above, perched on the outcropping roof is a large cockerel, like the one on the club crest.
This part of the roof is home to ‘The Dare Skywalk’, where brave visitors can walk out onto the roof and gaze down upon the pitch over 153 feet below.
If you have a head for heights, you can book the skywalk experience here.
West Stand
The West Stand is the main stand at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and houses the club’s inner workings.
There are six tiers to this side of the ground, with three of them taken up by hospitality.
A press box for the watching media is located centrally on tier five, directly above the players’ tunnel below.
Technical areas are housed in the lower tier, with nothing between them and the supporters to obstruct views.
Taken as a whole, the stadium is visually stunning and is a fantastic modern stadium.
Usually, I aren’t keen on modern stadiums, and mostly, I miss the old ones (Stoke City, West Ham, Middlesbrough, Derby County, etc.), but this one is definitely an improvement on White Hart Lane, and I’m sure the Spurs fans love their new home.
In addition to football, the stadium hosts American football and features a retractable pitch that is used for NFL events.
You can see the amazing transition process from football to ‘hand egg’ in full via this video.
By the way, I use the term ‘hand egg’ fondly, as I am a fan of the sport.
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium Gallery
Tottenham Hotspur Tidbits
The Tottenham Hotspur Football Club was founded on 5th September 1882 by a group of schoolboys led by Bobby Buckle. Most were members of the Hotspur Cricket Club and established a football team to provide sport during the winter months. Initially known simply as Hotspur Football Club, the organisation became Tottenham Hotspur Football Club in 1884 to distinguish it from another London club called Hotspur.
Tottenham played its early matches on public land at Tottenham Marshes before moving to Northumberland Park in 1888. The club turned professional in 1895 and joined the Southern League the following year.
Success followed quickly. Tottenham won the Southern League championship in 1899/00 and achieved a landmark FA Cup victory in 1901. After drawing 2–2 with Sheffield United at Crystal Palace, Spurs won the replay 3–1 at Burnden Park. Tottenham became the only non-League club to win the FA Cup following the formation of the Football League in 1888.
In 1899, the club moved to a new ground that became known as White Hart Lane, beginning an association that lasted for more than a century.
Entry into the Football League
Tottenham joined the Football League Second Division in 1908 and immediately finished runners-up, securing promotion to the First Division. The club initially struggled to establish itself at the higher level and suffered relegation in 1915.
When league football resumed after the First World War, Tottenham won the Second Division championship in 1919/20, returning immediately to the top flight. Another major honour followed in 1921, when Spurs defeated Wolverhampton Wanderers 1–0 at Stamford Bridge to win the FA Cup for a second time.
Tottenham finished as First Division runners-up in 1921/22, but the club subsequently entered a less successful period. Relegation followed in 1928, and Spurs spent much of the following two decades moving between the First and Second Divisions.
Arthur Rowe and Push and Run
A major transformation began with the appointment of former Tottenham player Arthur Rowe as manager in 1949. Rowe developed the influential ‘push and run’ style of football, based around quickly passing the ball to a teammate and moving into space to receive a return pass.
The system produced immediate results. Tottenham won the Second Division championship in 1949/50 and then achieved an unprecedented success by winning the First Division title in 1950/51, the club’s first English league championship.
Although Rowe’s tenure eventually ended because of ill health, his tactical approach helped establish an attacking philosophy that became closely associated with Tottenham.
Bill Nicholson and the Glory Years
Former Spurs player Bill Nicholson became manager in 1958 and oversaw the most successful period in the club’s history.
The defining achievement came in 1960/61, when Tottenham won the First Division championship and the FA Cup, completing the League and Cup Double. Spurs became the first English club to achieve the feat since Aston Villa in 1897 and the first during the twentieth century.
Tottenham retained the FA Cup in 1962, defeating Burnley 3–1 in the final. The following season produced another historic milestone. Spurs defeated Atlético Madrid 5–1 in the 1963 European Cup Winners’ Cup final, becoming the first British club to win a major European trophy.
Nicholson subsequently guided Tottenham to another FA Cup victory in 1967, when Spurs defeated Chelsea 2–1 in the first all-London FA Cup final.
Success continued during the early 1970s. Tottenham won the League Cup in 1971 and 1973 and captured the inaugural UEFA Cup in 1972, defeating Wolverhampton Wanderers over two legs in the final. Spurs reached another UEFA Cup final in 1974 but lost to Feyenoord.
Nicholson resigned later that year, ending a period in which Tottenham had established itself as a major force in both English and European football.
Rebuilding and Further Cup Success
Tottenham suffered relegation to the Second Division in 1977, but manager Keith Burkinshaw immediately guided the club back into the top flight.
Burkinshaw rebuilt the side around players including Glenn Hoddle, while the arrival of Argentine World Cup winners Osvaldo Ardiles and Ricardo Villa in 1978 attracted considerable attention.
Spurs returned to Wembley and won consecutive FA Cups. Tottenham defeated Manchester City following a replay in 1981, with Villa scoring a celebrated individual goal in the 3–2 victory. A year later, Spurs retained the trophy by defeating Queens Park Rangers after another replay.
European success returned in 1984, when Tottenham defeated Anderlecht on penalties at White Hart Lane to win the UEFA Cup for a second time.
The Premier League Era
Tottenham won another FA Cup in 1991, defeating Nottingham Forest 2–1 after extra time. The victory gave Spurs their eighth FA Cup, which at the time represented a competition record.
The club became one of the founding members of the Premier League in 1992. Although Tottenham regularly fielded prominent players during the following years, including Gary Lineker, Paul Gascoigne, Jürgen Klinsmann and David Ginola, major trophies became less frequent.
Spurs won the League Cup in 1999 and again in 2008, beating Chelsea 2–1 after extra time at Wembley. The latter remained Tottenham’s most recent major trophy for 17 years.
Return to the European Elite
Tottenham’s fortunes improved substantially during the 2010s. Under Harry Redknapp, Spurs finished fourth in 2009/10 and qualified for the UEFA Champions League for the first time. They reached the quarter-finals in their debut campaign.
Mauricio Pochettino’s appointment in 2014 ushered in another sustained period of progress. Tottenham challenged for the Premier League title and finished second in 2016/17, recording 86 points. That season also marked the club’s final campaign at White Hart Lane.
The old stadium was demolished, and Tottenham temporarily played its home matches at Wembley while a new ground was being built on the same site. The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium opened in April 2019.
During the same season, Spurs reached their first UEFA Champions League final, overcoming Manchester City and Ajax during a dramatic knockout campaign. Liverpool defeated Tottenham 2–0 in the final in Madrid.
Europa League Triumph
After several managerial changes during the early 2020s, Australian coach Ange Postecoglou took charge in 2023.
Tottenham ended its long wait for a major trophy in 2024/25, when Spurs reached the UEFA Europa League final. Facing Manchester United at San Mamés Stadium in Bilbao, Tottenham won 1–0, with Brennan Johnson scoring the decisive goal.
The victory delivered Tottenham’s third UEFA Cup/Europa League title and first major trophy since the 2008 League Cup. It also secured qualification for the following season’s UEFA Champions League.
Roberto De Zerbi is the new man in the hot seat at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, taking over from Igor Tudor on 31st March 2026.
Honours and Records
Tottenham’s major achievements include:
- English league champions: 1950/51, 1960/61
- FA Cup winners: 1901, 1921, 1961, 1962, 1967, 1981, 1982, 1991
- League Cup winners: 1971, 1973, 1999, 2008
- FA Charity Shield: Seven outright victories and two shared
- UEFA Cup/Europa League winners: 1972, 1984, 2025
- European Cup Winners’ Cup winners: 1963
- European Cup/Champions League runners-up: 2018/19
Among the club’s individual records, Steve Perryman holds the record for competitive appearances with 854, while Harry Kane became Tottenham’s all-time leading goalscorer in 2023, surpassing Jimmy Greaves and finishing his Spurs career with 280 competitive goals.
Tottenham’s record competitive victory is 13–2 against Crewe Alexandra in the FA Cup in 1960, while its record league victory is 9–0 against Bristol Rovers in 1977.
They Played for Tottenham Hotspur
Many great players have played for Spurs over the years. I have condensed it down to some of the truly great players.
Clive Allen, Dele Alli, Darren Anderton, Steve Archibald, Osvaldo Ardiles, Gareth Bale, Dimitar Berbatov, Danny Blanchflower, Sol Campbell, Martin Chivers, Ray Clemence, Ralph Coates, Edgar Davids, Jermain Defoe, Mike England, Les Ferdinand, Paul Gascoigne, Alan Gilzean, David Ginola, Jimmy Greaves, Micky Hazard, Glenn Hoddle, Steve Hodge, Chris Hughton, Pat Jennings, Harry Kane, Robbie Keane, Ledley King, Jürgen Klinsmann, Cyril Knowles, Aaron Lennon, Gary Lineker, Hugo Lloris, Gary Mabbutt, Dave Mackay, James Maddison, Luka Modrić, Alan Mullery, Scott Parker, Steve Perryman, Martin Peters, Gheorghe Popescu, Alf Ramsey, Richarlison, Graham Roberts, Neil Ruddock, Vinny Samways, Teddy Sheringham, Tim Sherwood, Son Heung-min, Graeme Souness, Gary Stevens, Neil Sullivan, Peter Taylor, Erik Thorstvedt, Kieran Trippier, Rafael van der Vaart, Terry Venables, Jan Vertonghen, Ricardo Villa, Chris Waddle, Kyle Walker, Paul Walsh, and Terry Yorath.
Among the players to pull on the shirt of both Spurs and Stoke City are the following:
Garth Crooks, Peter Crouch, Matthew Etherington, Eiður Guðjohnsen, Gerry McMahon, Ian Moores, Tashan Oakley-Boothe, Wilson Palacios, Ashley Phillips, Paul Stewart, Kevin Wimmer, and Jonathan Woodgate.
Pre-Game View of Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Tottenham Hotspur v TSG Hoffenheim – The Game
Form
Coming into today’s game, form is pretty meaningless, so I will concentrate on last season.
Last season was a close escape from relegation for Spurs, narrowly surviving at the expense of London rivals West Ham United.
That is two seasons in a row that Spurs have finished 17th of 20, clearly not good enough for a club of this stature.
It appears that realisation has struck the club in the face, as they have made a number of high-profile signings this close season.
The lead name among the new signings is Sandro Tonali, arriving from Newcastle for a club-record £100m deal.
Also joining are: Andy Robertson (Liverpool), Mateus Fernandes (West Ham), Jan Paul van Hecke (Brighton), Marcus Senesi (Bournemouth), and Martin Dúbravka (Burnley).
Spurs fans will be expecting a big improvement over last season.
Hoffenheim finished a very creditable fifth place in last season’s Bundesliga campaign.
They rose from the fifth tier of German football in 2000 and have been a mainstay of the top division since 2008.
This, despite hailing from what is basically a village, with a population of just 3,191.
Amazingly, their Rhein-Neckar-Arena has a capacity of 30,150, ten times the village’s population.
Success has come via the support and direct financial input of SAP software mogul, Dietmar Hopp(er?), who played for the club as a youngster.
The biggest signing this summer is the arrival of Nathan de Cat, a 17-year-old central midfielder from RSC Anderlecht.
Youth seems to be a key feature of their recruitment, with Adam Daghim (20), Mats Rots (20), Patrick Wimmer (25), Cajetan Lenz (20), Andreas Vogt (21), and Sean Dulic (21) being this summer’s arrivals.
I foresee Spurs winning today, but Hoffenheim should be no pushovers.
Pre-match prediction: Tottenham Hotspur 2 TSG Hoffenheim 0
Kick-Off
Summary
This article is already way too long, so I won’t summarise the game.
I have included match highlights and a link to the match report below for anyone who wants the extra details.
Suffice to say, Spurs fully deserved today’s victory, though it should be noted that the German side had a few decent chances to get on the scoresheet.
It was worth noting that Spurs’ three goals all came from the left-hand side, first from an Andy Robertson cross, and then twice from Matthys Tel.
Mikey Moore was the headline name, scoring two of Spurs’ three goals, while Richarlison grabbed the other.
A good pre-season workout and win with a clean sheet in front of their own fans is an ideal way for Spurs to sign off the summer.
Now, it’s time to get down to the real work and get themselves higher up the Premier League than in the last two seasons’ pathetic showings.
You can read a full Match Report here, courtesy of the Tottenham Hotspur website.
Full-time – Tottenham Hotspur 3 TSG Hoffenheim 0
Attendance – 54,345
Entrance Fee – £21.75
Programme – ?
Tottenham Hotspur v TSG Hoffenheim – Match Highlights
Up Next
Spurs begin their 2026/27 Premier League campaign on August 22nd with a short trip to London neighbours, Brentford.
Next up is another London derby, as Spurs host Charlton Athletic in the League Cup (26th), before Newcastle United arrive on August 29th.
September begins with a trip to Nottingham Forest (5th) and a home fixture against Everton on the 12th.
Meanwhile, Hoffenheim will kick off their campaign in the DFB Pokal, the German equivalent of the FA Cup, when they travel to Erzgebirge Aue on 22nd August.
This is followed by another away day, with the opening Bundesliga fixture at Köln (29th).
They then have two home games against Borussia Dortmund (September 5th) and VfB Stuttgart (12th).
Tottenham Hotspur Thoughts
Like our recent visit to Millwall, Tottenham, despite its size, is a community club.
You feel it from the moment you arrive, with the fans making the pilgrimage to the Lane, from all over London and beyond, to be a part of it.
In the pubs, the Spurs culture runs deep (as do Chas and Dave!), and it feels… homely?
Despite being an outsider, I was welcomed by everyone I spoke to during the day, including the gentleman I sat next to during the game, with whom I spoke throughout.
I make no apologies for the fact that there are no videos of the action, as I was enjoying the chat with him.
Big respect to both Spurs fans and the club itself for pretty much filling the stadium for a pre-season friendly.
54,345 people attended Saturday’s game, taking advantage of the reasonably priced tickets. I suspect a decent number of Hoppers, besides myself, were doing exactly the same thing.
The stadium itself is amazing, though I wasn’t a fan of the (unfortunately necessary) airport-style security.
Catering at the stadium is good, but pricey, as you might expect. I bought a beef and onion pie, costing a whopping £6.00.
In its defence, I will say this is one of the better pies I have had at an English stadium. The filling was very generous and tasty.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a programme, so there is no review of it, but it’s good to see Spurs still producing one.
I also failed to get to the club store, though I suspect I wouldn’t have had time anyway after visiting the two pubs.
If you haven’t been before, please allow plenty of time to find your seat, as this isn’t your typical stadium and is very large and complex.
All in all, this is a must-visit stadium for any football fan, and I highly recommend it.
After the Game
Following the final whistle, I left the stadium and headed towards White Hart Lane tube station.
I had until 18:30 to return to King’s Cross station, but I also knew the tube would be rammed.
Knowing that the High Road is quite a long walk to Seven Sisters, I walked around to the station anyway.
Nope!
The queue was massive and wasn’t moving at all, so I walked back to the High Road and then took the 1.5-mile route to Seven Sisters tube station.
I boarded a Victoria Line train to Brixton at around 17:25 and was back at King’s Cross station 11 minutes later.
While on the train, I spoke to a Hoffenheim fan who had come over for the weekend. He said the fans in England had been very welcoming, though it is a different story for him in Germany.
Explaining that their rapid ascent with the backing of SAP and Dietmar Hopp had made the club very unpopular, with away trips being quite dangerous for supporters.
I sat outside King’s Cross for a few minutes, cooling down from the walk and the incredibly hot underground train, enjoying the day.
Before long, it was time to head back inside, where my 18:30 LNER train awaited me on Platform 1.
There were no real issues on the journey back, just a slightly late arrival time in Newcastle of 21:20.
I still managed to catch the bus I had expected to catch at 21:35, and was through my front door just over an hour later.
Another successful Hop in the books!
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Next Up for Hoppers Guide
Next week, I will be heading back north to the Scottish town of Camelon, near Falkirk.
This will be a Scottish Cup Preliminary Round game between Camelon Juniors and Whitletts Victoria.
Originally, I had planned to take a week off from blogging and head to Easter Road with a friend from work.
He has never been to Scotland or seen a Scottish football game, and we were looking forward to putting that right. Even Mrs Hopper was going to come out of retirement for the occasion.
However, Hibernian put a stop to that idea by progressing in European competition this past week.
Rude!
Non-league football doesn’t appeal to him, unfortunately, so we will have to wait for another occasion deeper into the season.
I, on the other hand, have had Camelon Juniors on my to-do list for a couple of years, and I’m looking forward to finally paying a visit.
Onto the next!
