A farewell to White Hart Lane

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As a 16 year old I started I in the old enclosure watching Jimmy Greaves score a hatrick against The toon on a mud heap.
Moved to the Park Lane behind the goal when fences segregated opposing fans.
Moved up to the Shelf when it was a proper standing terrace.
Moved to the lower shelf, now the corner in line with Park Lane.
Finished up back on the Shelf at the Paxton End.
Sat in all the big seated stands, preferred the upper Park Lane for better atsmophere.
I've seen this old stadium move with the times and will be joining the queue for a shared season ticket with my boy COYS
 
Off topic but in the info and feedback thread (I know a lot of people don't go there) there is a great little little documentary by TFC Flav Flav on the history of the club. Worth a watch.
 
Where do you start..
For me low key as possible no gimmicks I think "Sir Bill's and his wife's ashes are around the pitch somewhere interned.
I would like to see his family and some of our founding fathers ancestors play a part.
I did read in a programme that some live in Australia and visited theLane recently.
My first game was Chelsea in 1975 as an 8 year old anyone who was at game will never forget it.
Favourite game Swindon Town FA cup 4th round reply 1980.
Loudest away fans Birmingham City 1980 FA cup 5th round1980..."Keep Right On till the End of Road".
Loudest other European Kaiserslautern,Wislaw and Zagreb.
Other teams players great performances Don Givens QPR Peter Barnes Man City David Armstrong Middlesbrough David Cross West Ham Liam Brady them.
Proudest moments from us "One Danny Thomas"Seville game at half time " Martin Jols Blue and White Army".
Too many of our players to mention but players who got the most stick John Lacey Gordon Smith Mark Kendall both Rip and plenty more...to be continued....
 
Where do you start..
For me low key as possible no gimmicks I think "Sir Bill's and his wife's ashes are around the pitch somewhere interned.
I would like to see his family and some of our founding fathers ancestors play a part.
I did read in a programme that some live in Australia and visited theLane recently.
My first game was Chelsea in 1975 as an 8 year old anyone who was at game will never forget it.
Favourite game Swindon Town FA cup 4th round reply 1980.
Loudest away fans Birmingham City 1980 FA cup 5th round1980..."Keep Right On till the End of Road".
Loudest other European Kaiserslautern,Wislaw and Zagreb.
Other teams players great performances Don Givens QPR Peter Barnes Man City David Armstrong Middlesbrough David Cross West Ham Liam Brady them.
Proudest moments from us "One Danny Thomas"Seville game at half time " Martin Jols Blue and White Army".
Too many of our players to mention but players who got the most stick John Lacey Gordon Smith Mark Kendall both Rip and plenty more...to be continued....

Wow... some great memories there!
And always good to see a couple of other old timers on here like me and Nutter-Naylor Nutter-Naylor

...and there was me thinking the '75' in your Maida Vale username was the year you were born... not your actual AGE!
:ossie:
 
Randomly as they come into my head.

First home game Aug 12th 1972 vs Coventry. 2-1 win, 2 goals for Martin Peters. First home game on my own Aug 25th 1976 vs Toon. Lost 0-2. First away game 1977 (Orient?)

Proudest moments 'One Danny Thomas' & invading the pitch & making the team come out to take a standing ovation after we had just been relegated. The players were a bit ashamed but as Pat Jennings later said 'you would have tought we had just one the league, not been relegated'.

Best moments - cup wins, especially 1984. Ossie & Ricky's debut at Forest when there were allegedly 18k Yids there (10k locked out) - they had to open up another away section!. Causing bemusement among the home fans when we lost 7-0 at Anfield as we started cheering the Liverpool goals rather than being all despondent like we were supposed to be.

All of the 1977-1978 season - the best away days ever. Our average away crowd (according to the Mirror at the time) was 10k. Southampton away when we got promoted. 9-0 at home vs Bristol Rovers. 52k home crowd vs Man U (very cosy) & 50k vs Bolton in Div 2. Millwall away boxing day 1977 - leaflets were handed around in the Park lane in the prior home game printed with the immortal words - Millwall Away, dont bottle it!

Getting off the coach at the White Hart pub after away games, going in & getting the players autographs. Will never see than again.

Taking the North Bank Highbury (regularly).

Inter Milan away when i was the only Yid in the whole block in the corner where Bale scored his H-T. The Italians gave the old nutter a pass.

Anderlecht away last year at O'Reillys. Quality.

Dinamo Zagreb Blue Boys at the Lane. Amazing support. Best i have seen at the Lane in recent years was the 5-1 cup win vs the Scum. Incredible volume from Tottenham.Inter home a close second.

Might add more.
 
Slipped the turnstile fella a few quid to get back in the first time and then they opened the gates a few mins after the second time so I just walked back in.

Also remember buying my lifetime Supporters membership (£18) and then getting taken to the old bill control room during the game (don't ask) and giving false details and praying I wasn't searched ! I only earned £17 a week.
 
Whatever they do ,I hope its done tastefully.
Our original captain, Bobby buckle watched the team that won the title in 51 as an old man.So if they were in touch with him then,hopefully they can trace a family member to attend.Also I would like to see All hallows Church involved(and in the opening of the new ground) , as whatever your views on religion they were a major part in our formation and very early years. As many legend s and old players in the ground as well.
Chas and Dave being involved is surely a given?
 
I have been meaning to reply to this post for a while but have been busy.

Leaving the Lane is a big thing to me and if we had gone to Stratford this last game in question may have been my last THFC game (especially if a Hotspur FC was being formed to play in Tottenham/North London, which I think would have happened). A large part of me does not want to leave the Lane even for our new ground, but I know that is a minority opinion and you've got to get with the times, we need a new stadium not to be left behind, and so more people who want one can get a season ticket.

For all the talk of the 17,000 one tier stand, which is an excellent idea and will hopefully be the saving grace of our new ground, I'd still be very surprised if the atmosphere is as good as at the Lane. (Hope I'm wrong). I love the older, less comfy grounds with that feeling of history, the look of White Hart Lane- the fans basically on top of the pitch- under the lights for a night game is something to behold. I think our new ground will have more corporates/tourists/plastic supporters, as this always happens when a team moves to a shiny new stadium (by tourists I don't mean the proper overseas supporters so don't take offence).

So to answer your questions:
1. For me this is just the same as West Ham leaving the Boleyn. Both clubs are moving to another part of their manors, it doesn't matter that we are only moving a matter of feet. It's saying goodbye to a ground which holds a lot of our history.
2. It should not be low key. It's massive. Personally I strongly don't think a testimonial will do it. Testimonials always have a different feel and having one would reduce the special-ness of our last proper game at the Lane at the end of the season. I can see Levy going down the testimonial route as he could charge £100+ for the cheapest ticket and still get a sell out.
3. Favourite memories...
All the great victories I've seen, beating Chelsea 5-3, Woolwich 5-1, City 4-1 this season just gone, the CL games espec. Inter 3-1, the game we beat Chelsea 2-1 after not beating them for ages, all the other victories over Woolwich I've seen since starting to go in 94/95, the buzz that goes through your body as you walk home satisfied after a great victory, hearing everyone on the High Road and in the pubs talking about the match, the times when even the Paxton and sometimes the West Stand get into the singing and the atmosphere!
Going back further watching Klinsmann (x2), Sheringham (x2, especially the first time) and Ginola.
All the last minute winners and equalisers we scored, e.g. Kane last year versus West Ham, Kaboul in the 4-4 125th anniversary game, went mental to both those! I can remember a couple of good ones from 98/99 but an unmentionable player who never played for us scored both those, so moving on...
Been mentioned but Martin Jol's blue and white army again and again when 4-1 down to Sevilla. Our home fans at their best I've seen them that day. Jol's speech at the end of the season that other time.
On a more personal note, my dad's 50th which was at White Hart Lane in the close season, as part of it we got the tour, saw the changing rooms etc, and I also managed to get on the pitch briefly for the first time (despite official condemnation and threats of being chucked out).

For our last game a pitch invasion is obligatory. I'll be disappointed in our support if it doesn't happen!
 
The "one Danny Thomas" is before my time but my favourite story of the Lane from the old(er) days.

Best away supports: Dinamo Zagreb (as mentioned), Club Brugges, PAOK.
Best english away supports: Birmingham when they got relegated and we applauded them, then both supports sang "Thursday night, channel 5" to each other, Port Vale league cup.
 
Club are looking into Cat A and the last game at the Lane going to LPs for members next season. Great idea!

Unless i misread the THST email, the last game at the Lane might not actually be our last Prem game. Said something about asking the Prem for permission to play the last 2 homes elsewhere if needed. I might have got that wrong.

Way allocation for Prem games (3k) won't be reduced - league won't allow it but club trying to get FA cup homes cut to 10% from 15%.
 
Club are looking into Cat A and the last game at the Lane going to LPs for members next season. Great idea!

Unless i misread the THST email, the last game at the Lane might not actually be our last Prem game. Said something about asking the Prem for permission to play the last 2 homes elsewhere if needed. I might have got that wrong.

Way allocation for Prem games (3k) won't be reduced - league won't allow it but club trying to get FA cup homes cut to 10% from 15%.
Did they mean playing the last two "home" games elsewhere(for arguments sake,Wembley),or our last two games of next season to be played away?
 
I have loads of great memories at the lane, so here goes.
My Debut, November 76 V Stoke. 2- 0
MY first NLD Dec 76 2-2
Shef Utd ,my debut on the shelf and our first game in Div 2
Beating Bristol Rovers 9- 0
Beating Hull 1-0 in the penultimate game to give us a chance of promotion on the last day of the season.
Though we lost, Ossie and Rickys home debuts
The first NLD after promotion...What an atmosphere.
West ham in the league cup in 80.
West ham in the youth cup final 81
Dundalk ECWC 81
Queuing up in the "middle of the night" for FA cup final replay tickets, what a feeling of camaraderie among various age groups of supporter...I walked on the pitch(just) that day as well :)

That'll do ...for part 1
 
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