We travel to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the fourth time, how time flies when a new ground is built, however as great a stadium it is, it is an awful ground to watch football.
Spurs previous ground White Hart Lane which for trivia lovers wasn't actually in White Hart Lane itself but about 300 metres up the road from the actual lane and station of the same name, is now no more and Spurs are now in the 3rd season in their new stadium built next door, the imaginatively titled Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
However you have to question why they built it in this location, the area around White Hart Lane is very run down and very few of the people who watch Spurs these days actually live in the area anymore, with most coming from North of the stadium in the suburbs of London and satellite towns of Hertfordshire etc, aligned with the poor transport links to the area, surely they would have been better looking at something a bit nearer the M25 and with more space.
Well, it may have been late opening and come in over budget, but the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has been worth waiting for. To say that it is fantastic, would be an understatement and even Arsenal fans would have to grudgingly say that. With a capacity of 62,062 it is the second largest stadium in the Premier League. Not only is its size impressive, but the design and quality of build too. Plus the stadium has been built very much with the fan experience in mind and it boasts some great facilities, that are already the envy of other clubs.
But as good an arena is, the experience for a football fan is not great, in short it is too big to create a great atmosphere, the roof is way above the stands meaning that the noise does not stay in the ground it floats on the air and out of the stadium.
Also if it rains in the lower tiers, where the away fans are situated you are liable to get wet even if you are to the rear of the section.
The Away Section.
Away fans are housed in the lower tier of the North East corner of the stadium, where up to 3,000 fans can be accommodated for Premier League matches in a section that curves round the corner flag to give some views from the side.
Security is tight, entrance to the stadium is gained by first going through a security cordon at Gate 11, where tickets are checked. Then fans are to go through a metal detector (the type of which you would see at an Airport) and are subject to a pat-down search. Lastly, tickets are presented at the automatic turnstiles, for the barcode on the ticket to be read to get inside the ground, so allow a little more time to get in than you normally would.
The club operates a strict policy for bringing bags into the stadium, even carrier bags must be clear of colour and be no more than 30cms long and 30cms high. Whilst only personal bags that are A4 in size or smaller (maximum 21cms x 30cms) will be allowed. The Club do not operate a bag drop off facility, so if arriving with a bag larger than these dimensions you may find yourself being unable to get in with your bag and with no where to put it, strangely they have yet to have a security alert where a bag has been dumped unattended.
When you get in it is a a stylish looking concourse, lots of television screens dotted around as you would expect with modern facilities such as the toilets etc.
The 'Tap Inn' refreshment area offers a range of pies including the Tottenham Signature Pie (£3.50), Chicken Tikka Pie (£4.50) and other Pies including a vegetarian option (£3.50) and Sausage Rolls (£3.50). They also serve alcohol and have a fast pour system so hopefully queues should be minimal.
No cash is accepted inside the stadium, only cards, so make sure you take a bank card with you, that is probably lucky as most football football fans would not have big enough pockets, nor would an A4 bag be big enough to carry enough cash to buy a pint.
One other positive is that the stadium has been designed with the modern fan in mind and has free high capacity Wi-Fi available, including all major networks. Simply select on your mobile phone Wi-Fi settings the network called ‘Stadium_Guest.’ After you have accepted the Club's terms and conditions, you will then be connected.
Getting There.
By Car
Although a fairly near game as the crow flies, its quicker and easier to get to Villa Park than the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium by car, the most direct route would be through London itself around the North Circular Road, however this is notoriously slow, so using the M25 is quicker although it can add 30 miles or so to the journey, if you take this route, head North on the M25 from the M3 (towards Heathrow) and then stay on the motorway until junction 25 and then take the A10 towards Enfield which will take you close to the ground.
Parking
Parking is non existent on the streets and no parking zones are strictly enforced for around a mile radius, there are some private car parks but these will charge up to £20 for the privilege, one trick may be to park in Enfield from where you can get a train to White Hart Lane station.
By Train
There are several options to get to the ground if you take the train to Waterloo, one is to take the Northern line to Warren Street and then the Victoria Line to Seven Sisters, from there its about a 20 minute walk to the ground down Tottenham High Road, although you can use a one day travelcard to get a bus down there, coming back it will be quicker to walk.
Another option is to go to Liverpool Street station and take the overground, you can either get a train to White Hart Lane Station which is around 5 minutes from the ground or another line to Northumberland park which is around 10 minutes from the other side of the ground. Away fans are encouraged to use this station as it is nearer the away end.
Taking the train for Saints supporters this season is a risky option due to the reduced timetable being run by South Western Railways, they have put on an extra train from Waterloo to Southampton leaving at 11.05, but that is the very last train and if you miss it you face a five hour wait at Waterloo for the first train of the morning.
But this train is still not on the timetables, but it was tweeted by South Western Railways to both Southampton and Spurs fans, so don't take my word for it yet.
Even if you get out on the ground at the final whistle making this train is a little tight when you take into account queues and getting across London.
Drinking Eating Etc
There are many options in the vicinity with the High Road having plenty of pubs and takeaways, however right by the ground its mostly home fans only and whether you are close or further out its not the most salubrious of areas and this is one of the grounds where caution is advised if you are wearing colours.
However if you get off the tube at Seven Sisters there are a few pubs within a five minute walk to the ground just off Tottenham High Road as you head towards WHL and these are usually less hectic and more friendly than the ones closer
Some supporters prefer to drink around Liverpool Street Station before getting a train to either WHL station or Northumberland Park.
However there are some new options opened up.
A five minute walk from the away turnstiles and close to where the away coaches are parked on West Road is the Tottenham Brewing Company on Tariff Road. This building houses 3 craft breweries; Watling Street Beer, Trial & Error and Oddly. On matchdays it opens up a tap room for away fans. Serving craft beers, real ales, cocktails, soft drinks etc. It is family-friendly and hot dogs are also available to purchase.
The Haringey Irish Club near to White Hart Lane Station is an old favourite for Saints supporters and welcomes visiting fans, you can also park here but it is around £20.
There is also the Antwerp Arms on Church Road which normally has a good mixture of home and away fans. This community-owned pub serves real and enjoys a pleasant position, looking out over Bruce Castle Park. It is listed in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide and serves beers from the nearby Redemption Brewery.
It should be remembered that when they played at WHL the pubs were heaving, now that attendances are almost double, it will be even worse despite the new options opening and the state of the art facilities in the stadium, hopefully a fair chunk of the new Spurs fans will not be visiting pubs but will be of a more family or corporate nature and will prefer to get into the ground early.
Official Web Site: www.tottenhamhotspur.com