I think most football fans, regardless of which team they follow, will tend to mildly follow the same series of teams in derby situations. And for me, I’m in the Celtic, Everton, Arsenal camp.
I’d never visited White Hart Lane before but with a few hours to kill I decided to head north of the capital and pay it a visit. I’m glad I did as it’s an impressive venue, a lovely mix of old school and new. It might not turn my allegiance in the derby but it’s still a fun trip.
Granted, first impressions aren’t brilliant with a giant eyesore of a stand dominating the view as you look at it from White Hart Lane, the adjacent road which lends its name to the stadium. It’s reminiscent of the awful stand at Anfield that I was stopped from taking photos of but thankfully the East Stand opposite is its saviour.
A wonderful old school brick building, tall and long and painted in club colours. It’s also here that Spurs lay claim to being one of the only grounds in Britain with school zig zag lines on the road outside their stadium. I fell in love with it even as I rounded to the newer South Stand, which is a curious structure.
A mix of brand new and shabby and dated, most disappointing was the club covering the gates completely so it was impossible to grab even the smallest of glimpse inside. It’s very much the holy grail of football ground tourism and to be actively denied is always a shame.
Still, it’d be wrong to judge the club on this. The ground itself is lovely to walk around, and even early on a morning I bumped into two other tourists, which I don’t think is ever a bad sign.
It was ultimately to be outshone by a ground just a couple of miles down the road, but you’ll have to hang on until the next blog to find out about Haringey Borough FC.
A thumbs up from me for White Hart Lane though.
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Football Grounds I Can Be Bothered To Visit 