Away Day Alfie’s Guide To Tottenham v Chelsea

Spurs away – Sunday 12th December kick off 4pm

Allocation:    2,929 Sold Out

Travel: 

By Train – Overland from Liverpool Street to White Hart Lane or Northumberland Park or Victoria line to Seven Sisters

By Car – Various routes to Tottenham, but traffic is always a nightmare and parking even worse and would you leave your car unattended in a third world khazi?

Parking:  No parking near the ground, just take your chances at least a mile away

Boozers:  Every time I go to Spurs there seem to be less and less pubs in the area; those left are complete sh*tholes so would recommend drinking around Liverpool Street and then getting the train. Hamilton Hall is a popular choice but there are loads of pubs within a few minutes of the station. If you fancy something to eat take a walk to Spitalfields market where there are plenty of decent places

Police/stewarding: The stewarding at White Hart Lane is generally very poor; they strictly enforce the no standing rule and are constantly in the crowd forcing people to sit; last year they had cameras on their hats and filmed persistent offenders – frankly they are a pain in the arse. Spurs must be the only ground in the country where the police wear riot gear in the stadium – looks odd but basically they are low key. Outside is another matter and its quite common for Spurs fans to congregate across the road from the away tursnstiles before and after the game. Spurs are the ultimate bully boys happy to pick on fans in shirts, people with kids etc. – the police tend to let thing happen before trying to stop things

Away end:   Chelsea fans will be situated in the Upper and Lower tier of the Park Lane end views in either are very good – You can get a beer before the game but they don’t sell beer at half time.

Home fans:  Gobby fans to our right as you would expect and always some great banter along the lines of death threats, throat cutting gestures etc. normally this doesn’t last long as we usually stuff them but the last couple of visits prolonged the abuse. When spurs sing they are very loud but when things aren’t going well for them they tend to shut up and appear to be on the edge of their seats expecting disaster to come their way any minute.

Memories of Spurs

Absolutely loads – we have beaten them there so often that you can’t list them all, obviously the 6-1 game stands out, the 3-0 League Cup win, the Dixon/Wilson 4-1

Shevchenko’s goal, Goldbaek’s goal, Durie sh*tting himself etc. – when you think about it we have humiliated them so often over the last 25 years that all of us who have travelled to the Lane in our thousands will have great memories

Off the pitch, Spurs away has seen some serious violence outside and around the stadium; for those who were there just a mention of Bruce Grove, Copper on horse outside the Shelf, distress flares, the Shelf, the Park Lane, the Paxton, the first CCTV, cameras should bring back some memories,

I was too young to go to the infamous 1975 game where Chelsea were battered on and off the pitch by a mob of long haired, flared trouser wearing boot boys – check out youtube for  a taste of 1970’s football hooliganism if that’s what you’re in to