Away days vs home comforts

There is something about the winter air that reminds me of two things, Christmas (sadly) and most importantly, Tottenham Hotspur. Memories flood my mind of early morning wake ups, anxious ‘do I wear the same clothes after last weeks win?’ thoughts and that moment of pure adrenalin and excitement when you walk out of the door. The smell of a fresh breeze just makes me want to jump on a train and go as far as required to watch Spurs play.

Now the meaning of watching ‘Spurs play’ is very important, as it doesn’t say win. Yes, we all want to see our beloved club get the three points or progress into the next round of a cup, but in all honesty, you don’t know that will happen when you buy a ticket to a game.

You may expect to win, and with Tottenham that expectation is always going to be high, rightly or wrongly. But let’s not beat around the bush; this isn’t a game of Football Manager when you can’t comprehend how your tactics, team talk and amazing squad of well scouted player’s fails to beat West Brom/Stoke/Newcastle at home. Shit happens, we will lose at home some games, as we will lose away too, but what should be at every game is excitement, passion, resilience and positive communication – no I don’t mean from the players, I mean from our fans.

That feeling I get going to games still occurs and it doesn’t matter where I am going, but for the last 5 years, bar a few Champions League games and the derbies, away days have become far more exhilarating, fun and enjoyable. Even though I haven’t lived within a 100 miles of White Hart Lane for 9 years, the journey long or short to an opposing teams station, walking to the away pub and eventually the ground fuels my football addiction more than a home game.

[linequote]The meaning of watching ‘Spurs play’ is very important, as it doesn’t say win you don’t know that when you buy a ticket[/linequote]

Maybe its because its called an away day and not just a ‘home game’ but home games have been some form of away day for me but the atmosphere at WHL at times just ruins it. From my experience of going to away games regularly, no sideway passes, poor team selection or no manager has infiltrated my sense of excitement, my positivity that I am watching the game that I love, the club I love and being with like minded fans who just want to sing, watch the game and have a good time.

Obviously there are exceptions and some games the atmosphere has been found wanting, most notably Liverpool away 2013, being 2-1 up yet a few around us complaining that the sound from our well supported end wasn’t up to its usual self. But in general, most regulars at away days will concur that I am more concerned about taking the piss out of Judas, chanting aggressively ‘Hugo’, celebrating our home-grown talent and doing our jig after every potential goal. Even if I am concerned that Adebayor is still playing up-front even though Kane should be given a go, there is no point being negative about it during or before the game, as how can we know what will happen?

Danny Rose vs. Arsenal and Pienaar vs. Milan away spring to mind, but even vs. Villa, yes Ade started and didn’t do anything, but how sweet was it that Kane got to score the winner, at our end in the 90th minute. I love a late minute winner, especially away and therefore I don’t leave the game or moan during it until it is over and I am on the way home. I always have one rule at games, always sing louder than you would moan. I wish more people did that at WHL.

[fullquote]What Adebayor has done is destructive, especially as he is one player who looks so disinterested and unable to galvanize our fans[/fullquote]

It may sound like I think I am the perfect fan, I don’t as there isn’t such a thing, but a fan that sings, is positive and leaves negativity for times away from the game I think is what a match day experience is all about. This leads me on to my next point; seating and ticketing. The former is huge at the moment. We are constantly reminded to sit at home, which frustrates me as it instantly puts a barrier to singing.

Now I know some fans do want to watch the game from the comfy positions of the cramped seats at WHL, but on my away days I have only ever sat in my seat twice. The first was when I had just comprehended that Brett Ormerod had made it 3-0 to Blackpool, the second was to just take a minute to reflect on how good Modric’s goal was vs. Bolton, having previously seen us lose twice at the Reebok.

I think we need more supporters of similar ideas to sit together and stand together. This is what 1882 is all about, yet it isn’t given enough credit or given an opportunity to expand to home Premier League games due to the clubs poor recognition of the need for it. Honestly, I think it’s a shame a club as big as ours needs that movement to get fans to sing, however, maybe that is the problem, we need to acknowledge we aren’t as big as what we think we are and we need to start appreciating the finer things in football; homegrown talent, possession, good fans and great banter. So that shouts of “just skin him”, “go round him” or “Hurry it up Tottenham” can be forgotten.

[linequote] As a collective, we seem to be a breeding ground for negativity at home and this needs to stop quickly[/linequote]

The ticketing is a bug bear of mine at it only applies to home games, where as a member I do not get a ticket for home games, I just use my card. I feel that the identity of what that ticket represents can be lost. It doesn’t say where you will be sitting, how much it cost and therefore how much you had to work for the ticket that you bought. It can provide a sense of identity, and I am really proud of it, but it can be seen as too corporate and therefore doesn’t reflect the roots of the game, the working class. Therefore, I think it is an absolute joke, however much I agree with him, that Adebayor can have the cheek to criticise the fans the way he has.

In my opinion, he could as Vice-Captain, set up a meeting with the Supporters Group, or even the 1882 movement to ask what we can do as fans for the players and what they could do for us i.e. put pressure of the club to put likeminded fans in the same area or even to have players come together at the end of the game and properly applaud those who have watched the game, rather than get to the changing room straight away. What he has done is destructive, especially as he looks like one player who looks so disinterested and unable to galvanize our fans.

But his message has some truth; the venomous and toxic atmosphere at WHL makes me question what is in the beer at the pubs around the ground, the prawn sandwiches in the hospitality sections or the programmes which can be seen to be read by those sat in their seats during the game. It’s not one group, it’s us as a collective, we seem to be a breeding ground for negativity at home and this needs to stop quickly, as the ‘overpriced’ players will continue to stop caring and the heroic home-grown talents will be hindered if another manager comes in with more financial backing. We can’t force the players to care, but we can lead other fans to be positive that then may infiltrate to those lads we go to watch every week.