Tottenham Hotspur History

They say that all good things come to an end and that was certainly the case on Sunday 14th May, 2017 when the majestic Spurs played their very last game at the historic White Hart Lane Stadium.. 'THE LANE'.

It was way back in the early 50’s in the days of Arthur Rowe’s famous ‘Push and Run’ team that my Dad first took me to White Hart Lane. You don’t forget your first visit to your team’s home stadium do you. Just how big and green the pitch looked. The noise of the fans cheering and struggling to see the match when everyone around you appeared so tall.

Of course we never forget all the classic matches we have witnessed over the years that is only soured by those intervening seasons of hope and frustration that were to come later and there have been more of them over the years than I would have liked..

I was fortunate to have seen Bill Nick’s first game as manager, the historic double winning team and the Glory, Glory Nights, the great F.A Cup wins and the parades down the High Road. The great matches in the Champions league under Harry Redknapp and Gareth Bale’s fantastic performance against Inter-Milan with the crowd roaring ‘Taxi for Maicon’. We all have great memories and I know that you could add more of your own to this short list.

All these memories and then the match against Manchester United in the final game at White Hart Lane. We received our flags, took our videos and now even have our T Shirt with ‘The Finale’ proudly printed on the front.

As expected our wonderful team of the 2016-17 season never let us down. They were like terriers from the very start and never allowed the opposition to settle on the ball. The noise from the crowd was immense and I am sure this would also have intimidated the Man United players. We were on top in every department. Our possession was greater and our passes were slicker. Between them Wanyama, Dier and Eriksen controlled the game in the midfield. Alderweireld and Vertonghen were like Colossus at the back and as usual Kane and Dele Alli were a constant thorn in their sides and their determination to win the ball and get shots off at goal were masterful indeed. But for the heroics of their goalkeeper, David De Gea, we could have had a hatful of goals that would have demonstrated our overall superiority. On the pitch a fantastic 2-1 win against Manchester United and a splendid tribute to announce the final match at ‘The Lane’.

Throughout the game, and in keeping with those few hours you can spend every couple of weeks, and like nowhere else you ever go - shouting like you can't shout anywhere else, feeling both totally immersed yet horribly powerless, singing in unison with people whose names you will never know. And Sunday took us to greater heights as it is many years since I last experienced such a passionate and overwhelmingly noisy crowd.

So we can now look forward to our new stadium. One only hopes that we retain some of our traditional names within the new stadium and the fans can continue to shout for ‘The Shelf Side’ - ‘The Park Lane’ and ‘The Paxton’.

Of course it is exceptionally sad to say farewell to the old stadium although it is also time to say farewell to the cramped concourses, small and reeking toilets and, in the case of the ladies, very limited toilet facilities at all.

What a wonderful experience to be there at ‘The Finale’ to witness such an exhilarating match that Spurs thoroughly deserved to win, despite what appears to be a narrow scoreline. The icing on the proverbial cake was to see so many of our former Spurs heroes paraded on the pitch.

There were so many who you thought might have been there Steve Perryman, Alan Mullery, Frank Saul, Gary Lineker, Gazza, Brad Friedel etc. Unfortunately Les Allen, and indeed Terry Dyson, looked very frail but great that they were there. They said that Maurice Norman and Jimmy Greaves were obviously too ill to attend. Jurgen Klinnsman was there at the previous Arsenal game and was interviewed on the pitch. He announced then that he was sorry he would be unable to make the final game at WHL

It's these memories, and it's the things that you have always done and become part of your matchday procedure. Parking at the same place, walking the same way, visiting the same Pub. Like ourselves many people have moved away from Tottenham, and the only time they come back now is for the game to a Tottenham nowadays that is so different to the place you knew as a kid. The only thing that has remained constant is your love of Tottenham Hotspur and long may it continue.

Thankfully we have moved just a few 100 yards down the road from the old stadium so the good people of Tottenham will continue to hear and shout COME ON YOU SPURS! (C.O.Y.S)

The new stadium will be bigger, and it will be better, and hopefully we can keep the team together and move on to the next level. You've got to look forward, haven't you?

THE FINALE - CROWDS CONGREGATING PRE-MATCH ON THE CORNER OF PARK LANE	THE TEAMS WARM-UP PRE-MATCH AT 'THE FINALE'
WAVING 'THE FINALE' FLAGS	POST MATCH PITCH INVASION 'THE FINALE'
'THE FINALE' - INTRODUCING FORMER SPURS STARS	'THE FINALE' - A MOST FITTING FAREWELL IMAGE OF ''BILL NICK' SUPERIMPOSED WITHIN THE RAINBOW THAT MAGICALLY APPEARED OVER WHITE HART LANE AT THE END OF THE DAYS PROCEEDINGS.