Arsenal legend opens up on ‘scariest and most intimidating’ return for Sol Campbell at WHL

The atmosphere during North London Derby games tends to be pretty intense, both on the pitch and in the stands as the Gunners and Lilywhites fight for the latest bragging rights.

However, throughout the history of the NLD, one game saw the Spurs home crowd more fired up than ever before amidst the return of a familiar face.

Sol Campbell returned to White Hart Lane as an Arsenal player for the first time in 2001, just a few months after running his contract down with Tottenham and joining Arsene Wenger’s side on a free transfer.

Needless to say, the Tottenham faithful certainly didn’t shy away from letting the centre-half know what they thought of his betrayal.

While the Arsenal players probably expected a nastier atmosphere than usual, club legend Ray Parlour has now admitted that they weren’t quite ready for what eventually transpired.

The former Arsenal midfielder described the match as the most intimidating game he was ever involved in across his carer.

Speaking to talkSPORT, Parlour said: “The fiercest game I’ve ever been in was Sol Campbell’s first game back a White Hart Lane – WOAH!

“I’ll always remember coming out [of the stadium], we got pelters, we got all sorts of things thrown at our coach.

“When you come out of Tottenham you’ve got to do a hard left at a T-junction, and the police were on our coach telling us not to stop, just keep going as quick as you can, and it was dangerous.

“We went around this corner so quickly all the plates came out the cupboards – SMASH! We thought the window had gone in!

“That was probably the scariest and most intimidating game I’ve been involved in.”

Spurs Web Opinion

While the crowd that day was particularly hostile, Sol Campbell continued to receive abuse at White Hart Lane every single time he came back during his career, both as an Arsenal and a Portsmouth player. In fairness, he can’t have expected anything different after his act of betrayal.

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