Can Saints break the White Hart Lane hoodoo and catch Spurs feeling sorry for themselves, for those going up here is all the information needed to get there and enjoy the day out, off the field at least.
White Hart Lane which for trivia lovers isn't actually in White Hart Lane itself but about 100 metres up the road from the actual lane and station of the same name, is one of those grounds that has been redeveloped over the years so much so that it is a totally different ground than one Saints fans would have gone to in the early 1980's. However it has been in its current form since the mid 90's so will be familiar to Saints supporters who have visited it since.
The Club are building a new state of the art Stadium adjacent to their current ground and are in the process of drawing up plans for supermarkets and other developments that will be attached and will help pay for it, however you have to question why they would want to do 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.
The Away Section
Its still where it has been for a great number of years, even before the ground was developed, in the corner of the Park Lane End where away teams have a maximum of 2,900 allocated in an upper and lower tier, we have both tiers for this game, the view from the upper tier is superb, whilst that from the lower less so.
There is little segregation between home and away fans with no netting etc, but there seems to have been little problems from this even in high profile fixtures.
The concourses sell the usual fare including alcohol, although for some reason they dont sell it to away fans at half time, only before the match.
Getting There.
By Car
Although a fairly near game as the crow flies, its quicker and easier to get to Villa Park than White Hart Lane 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 £15 for the privledge, 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.
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 likely to be 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.
Ground Name: White Hart Lane
Capacity: 36,274 (all seated)
Address:
Bill Nicholson Way, 748 High Rd, Tottenham, London, N17 0AP
Main Telephone No: 0844 499 5000
Main Fax No: 020 8365 5005
Ticket Office: 0844 844 0102
(If calling from overseas: 00 44 208 365 5161)
Team Nickname: Spurs
Year Ground Opened: 1900
Pitch Size: 110 x 73 yards
Home Kit Colours: White & Navy
Kit Manufacturers: Under Armour
Official Web Site: www.tottenhamhotspur.com