the92.net

I finally got to visit the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the visit of Leeds on 21st Nov 21 having been thwared several times due to the Covid issues. I was at the old White Hart Lane ground about 54 years ago but this was gound number 90 as I close in on completing the 92 for a second time. I went by car and parked at Cockfosters tube station as I often do for London games - £3 all day as it was a Sunday. Got the tube to Kings Cross and then to Liverpooll Street where the Leeds fans were meeting at the Hamilton Bar - a Wetherpoon nerar the station. That was all goood, food was being served and plenty of staff so queues at a minimum which is always a good thing. Left to head to Northumberland Park overground station at about 3:15pm for the 4 :30 pm kick off, this being a live on Sky Sunday evening game.

My first view of the stadium therefore came while walking down Park Lane with the Stadium appearing on my right. It certainly looks a fabulous buidling but whether it looks like a football stadium is a moot point. To be honest it looks like dozens of London city centre office blocks or hotels - all glass and shiny silver steel - rather than a football stadium. The only give away is the huge golden cockerel on the roof line and several other pictures of the cockerel around the walls of the stadium.

Inside though is a different story - inside this place is a magnificent theatre for football. I was in the away section with the Leeds fans - 3,000 of us - but at the far end was the magnificent South Stand - one continuous wall of fans that fills the entire end of the ground. There are four huge TV quality screen around the stadium so everyone gets a view of at least one and of course there is a perfect view of the action albiet from the top of that SPurs section oppostie the pitch  must have looked like a postage stamp! 

This was Anotonio Conte's first Premier League game in charge of the Lilywhites and I would have expected a better noise from the home fans but, possibly Leeds early dominance of the game kept them very quiet until the second half when SPurs uppped their game considerably and eventually overcame the first hal Leeds goal to win 2  - 1 .

My main criticism of this stadium is the same one I have with the Emirates - both superb modern stadiums but both have been allowed to be built with huge capacities but no thought given at all to how folk get away from the grounds after the game. I cannot believe that in any other country so little thought would have been given to the local infrastructure and particualrly the transport system. It was horrendous getting away from the ground although we didn't help ourselves by getting our bearings wrong! Initially, since my buddy was on crutches ( which was fine for access to the stadium by the way) we attempted to get away from the ground to call an uber. That didn't work thouh so we had to then make our way to one of the sveral local stations. We headed for Northumberland Park which is the recommeded one for the away section at the THS but took a wrong turning and ended up effectively walking around the entire stadium until we spotted Bruce Grove Station! That was ok but then we should have got off the train at Severn Sisters to get the tube back to Cockfosters.... we didn't though and ended up at Liverpool St Station again and by the time we'd got back to Kings Cross and then out to Cockfosters to collect the car, some two hours had passed since the end of the game! Oh Well, we learn for next time.

In summary, allow plenty of time to get in and out of the ground but it is well worth the trip as it's a mighty fine arena.

Overall:

rated

by davidwatkins who saw Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Leeds United