5 Superstitions of a Spurs Supporter

It’s that time of year when people start to get twitchy at the Lane, with or without Harry Redknapp around, and if you’re like me, you’ll want to make sure that everything you contribute to the team at this nerve-shredding juncture is positive. For Spurs to avoid another season that ends in disappointment, not only does the support have to be at its loudest and proudest but every detail of a supporter’s pre-match ritual requires meticulous consideration in order to convey good fortune to the events on the pitch, and if your attendance at N17 correlates with poor results, perhaps it’s best if you just stay at home and listen on the radio (unless we tend to lose when you’re tuned in to Five Live).
Here’s a list of superstitions I’ve experienced in a lifetime of supporting Spurs and do note that some of these refer to my childhood so don’t judge me failing to successfully consume particular condiments at a young age.

1. I must spill food or drink on my pristine white newly-washed Tottenham jersey during the match.

So obviously this is the one which relates to my seemingly persistent failure to consume certain condiments as a child. Like many fans, I was brought up in lilywhite since the day I was born. Therefore, top of every Birthday and Christmas list was the latest Spurs strip. With football training a regular Thursday night activity, my jersey would almost permanently lie in the wash basket and only return to me immediately following its sluice. It’s the sort of thing that probably drives a lot of mothers mad, especially when you’re demanding its immaculate condition to be restored with a 24-hour turnaround in time for the weekend. Not concerned by the chaos I was causing the family’s housekeeping rotas, I went on to further aggravate my poor mother by deliberately doing all I could to ‘accidently’ spill something down my shirt. This tendency was provoked by an occasion when an unfortunate Tomato Ketchup related incident appeared to prompt an inspired Tottenham comeback. Convinced that this occurrence had a genuine impact on that match, I started to prepare snacks that would present a high risk of spillage combined with the most awkward of dining arrangements to ensure that this juvenile peculiarity remained a high possibility. I couldn’t make it obvious though, I wouldn’t just run up to fridge at 1-0 down and pour coke down myself, I did possess some dignity at the age of ten.

2. I must never buy a red item of clothing

A few years ago, the Spurs shop released a range of clothing called ‘never red’ and although I’m not one to buy official merchandise regularly, I did become an advocate of the slogan, namely due my personal lifestyle choice to never buy or wear an item of clothing that is of red dominance and to this day that remains the case. I have received a red England shirt before as a gift and I would rule this as fair exception, however the colour’s connotations with Arsenal and United are too much for me to consider changing this approach anytime soon, let alone its associations with danger and negativity – something us Spurs fans could do with less of.

3. I must sit closer to the West Stand than the East Stand

My preference on where to sit has always been influenced by how much I enjoy the occasion as well how much it costs based on the unusual pricing structure which now bizarrely ranks the west stand as the most expensive stand to occupy but I’m beginning to figure out a definitive rule on how my seat will affect the result. Purely on price, I’ve sat in the north and south over the years but results differed at both ends of the ground so I didn’t have any particular preference on which end it was, but rather, how close it was to the stand next to it. I’ve noticed a trend that when my seat is closer to the west side, the result satisfies and when I’m closer to the east, it doesn’t. Every time I now purchase a ticket on the website, the first thing I check is the availability of a north or south stand seat that is west of centre.

4. I must not engage in football banter

As a Spurs fan that has grown up through the last couple of decades there was rarely many opportunities to dish out taunts to your mates about how much better your team was than theirs. Even though I tried to convince others that Steffan Iversen was the next Ronaldo, I never really could confidently claim that my banter should be considered as genuine football critique. When the rare opportunity did allow, I would surrender to the irresistible temptation to ridicule my peer’s inferior football team. However after years of ‘getting ahead of myself’, I sort of realised that the abuse would strike back with a vengeance. None more so than last year when the ‘Mind the Gap’ jokes left many of us with egg on our faces. My ambition was to seriously resist getting involved this season, no matter how well things were going, but I couldn’t help myself recently when I made it clear to everyone on facebook about how Arsenal’s season finishes in March. That temporary satisfaction then swiftly disintegrated into full-blooded regret. I convince you all to just wait until the end of the season, or at least the end of a match for the risk of feeling stupidly embarrassed.

5. I must visit Gourmet Burger Kitchen before the game

I got into this habit after meeting up with a mate who supports West Ham just a few hours before we played the Hammers this season. We had initially intended to watch the game at the pub until I scored a ticket the night before so we thought we’d meet up pre-match for some lunch and a few beers. After the successful result, I started to sneak in short visits to the home of the kiwiburger in locations all over the city directly before Spurs played. Ignoring the detriment it was doing to my body due to Christmas arriving and it being winter, Spurs went on an incredible run of wins following my pre-match commitment all the way up until I renewed acquaintances with my Carlton Cole campaigning chum ahead of that memorable return fixture at Upton Park. Just for clarification, I risked the lamb burger on this occasion but how it paid off! However, I’m conscious that this was the last time that I visited GBK and despite nervously resisting to go for another before we played Arsenal (effectively ending the urge), our results seemed to have taken a turn for the worse not so long after, begging the question, do I make a spirited effort to return ahead of the crucial run-in? I should point out that other burgers just don’t have the same impact. I tried this on several occasions at the various burger vans outside of the ground this season and defeats to the likes of Wigan and Fulham were the result. This is probably God’s way of telling me that I shouldn’t indulge in the culinary specialties of Worcester Avenue.

So what do you think? Am I an oddball, maybe a little obsessive or am I just an ardent Spurs fan doing all I can to impose success on the team? Clearly my support for the club has affected my psychological state and it may seem bizarre to most that a 23-year-old man would go through so many thought processes before watching his football team, but I reckon the most passionate of Spurs fans can resonate with me and must have something that beats the ordinary ‘lucky underwear’ approach. Please share your best in the comments section.

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