This Sunday sees the final game at White Hart Lane, the final match in an unbeaten (we hope) season, maybe the final time many of us will lay eyes on Kyle Walker in a Spurs shirt, the final time those in the North Stand risk third degree burns by using the sinks in the gents, the final time we’ll hear the words “Welcome to White Hart Lane, the world-famous home of the Spurs”.
The final chance for renditions of “Paxton Paxton give us a song” & “We’re the Park Lane Tottenham”, the final chance to wonder at that quirky hanging spaceship police box above the away fans, a final look in wonder (pre tin roof anyway) at that classic Archibald Leitch designed East Stand, the final time the golden cockerel atop the Shelfside roof will look down on the particular piece of ground that Len Duquemin, Ronnie Burgess, Alf Ramsey, Danny Blanchflower, John White, Bobby Smith, Dave Mackay, Cliff Jones, Jimmy Greaves, Alan Gilzean, Martin Chivers, Pat Jennings, Glenn Hoddle, Ossie Ardiles, Steve Archibald, Paul Gascoigne, Ledley King, Gareth Bale, Harry Kane and so many more, Berbatov, Perryman, Alli, Peters, Jones, Beal & England, Villa, Waddle, Mabbutt, Allen & Lineker, Ginola, van der Vaart & Klinsmann, all called home, as we – the reason the club exists don’t forget, do still.
The final opportunity to see again the turf where Tony Parks made that save, Danny Rose hit that volley, Glenn Hoddle hit those volleys (!), Dele Alli scored those headers, Alan Mullery and Graham Roberts lifted European trophies and Bill Nicholson’s, Arthur Rowe’s & Keith Burkinshaw’s teams all made history.
There have been times, in the nineties & noughties I remember, where you could hear a pin drop but in general, WHL has been a cockpit of an arena. Noise and mayhem on the terraces, a true reflection of the excitement and glamour on the pitch. Especially of late, it’s been an absolute pleasure to switch off and let Pochettino’s creation shape the next ninety minutes of your life for you. It’s verging on the comical of course that we’ve built a fortress and we’re knocking down ourselves.
The new ground is in the same place, on the same piece of ground. Many of the players will be the same, the people will be the same, the songs and support will be the same.
It won’t be the same though, it won’t be White Hart Lane.
Keep up to date with all the latest Tottenham news and opinion by following SpursWeb’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.
