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The Cost of Progress

2 min read
by The Fighting Cock
To me, White Hart Lane is my church and unfortunately no matter how nice and shiny the new stadium is it will never be quite the same. I’m sure I’m not the only Tottenham fan out there that views the impending Northumberland Development Project with a considerable degree of trepidation. Don’t get me wrong the […]

To me, White Hart Lane is my church and unfortunately no matter how nice and shiny the new stadium is it will never be quite the same.

I’m sure I’m not the only Tottenham fan out there that views the impending Northumberland Development Project with a considerable degree of trepidation.

Don’t get me wrong the route we are going down is without doubt the lesser of two evils in comparison to the idea of upping sticks and moving our club to Stratford. I realise that in terms of being able to compete at the top level, a bigger stadium is a necessity. Symptomatic of the fact that in the modern game cash is king and if we cannot compete financially with the clubs around us, we will be left behind.

Unfortunately this will mean the end of the stadium that has been our home since 1899.

I love White Hart Lane, for all it’s faults, there is nowhere I would prefer to pay a ridiculous price for a warm, plastic bottle of Carlsberg or queue for 10 minutes for the toilets. Because when all is said and done it is home.

[linequote]Don’t get me wrong the route we are going down is without doubt the lesser of two evils in comparison to the idea of upping sticks and moving our club to Stratford.[/linequote]

Even now, after nearly 20 years of going, I still get that childlike feeling of excitement as I approach the stadium, everything about it, the smell in the air, the atmosphere, everything still gives me that buzz. Even for early kick-offs, turning up with the worst hangover imaginable, the hairs on the back of my neck still stand up when I walk up the steps and the pitch comes into view.

Many a time I’ve looked out before kick-off at the pitch and marvelled at all of the history that was right before my eyes; from clinching the Division one title and the first part of the Double against Sheffield Wednesday in 1961 to the much more recent glorious demolition of Inter Milan in the Champions League, it all happened right there on that pitch, in that stadium. Aswell as the legendary players that have graced that hallowed turf; the likes of Blanchflower, Greaves, Hoddle and Gascoigne.

Unfortunately, although a new stadium would give us increased capacity and greater financial clout, in some ways it will still feel like we are losing a huge part of our history aswell as those ‘ghosts of legends past’, because no matter how much money is thrown at this project, that history is something that can never be transplanted.

In addition to this, the move to the new stadium will almost certainly entail the selling of the naming rights for the stadium. This almost feels like selling off our history and traditions to the highest bidder.

At the end of the day, home is where the heart is and Tottenham Hotspur’s heart will always be at White Hart Lane.

[author name=”Smolik” avatar=”https://twimg0-a.akamaihd.net/profile_images/2234669286/yf3GSyyz” twitter=”OldDirtySmolik” tag=”smolik[/linequote]

All views and opinions expressed in this article are the views and opinions of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of The Fighting Cock. We offer a platform for fans to commit their views to text and voice their thoughts. Football is a passionate game and as long as the views stay within the parameters of what is acceptable, we encourage people to write, get involved and share their thoughts on the mighty Tottenham Hotspur.

5 Comments

  1. Jacky Treehorn
    22/08/2012 @ 7:56 pm

    We are not as you say in the same stadium since 1899.
    The only part that I would call old is the east stand and that was built just before the war.
    My first visit was circa 1971/2 I know its nice to think that its an old stadium by relatively
    speaking it’s fairly modern.

    • smolik
      22/08/2012 @ 9:03 pm

      Tad pedantic maybe? White Hart Lane has been our home since 1899, if you had a conservatory built on the back of your house would you tell people you’d moved?

  2. dixta
    22/08/2012 @ 8:36 pm

    what is the matter with you soft lad? we are moving 10 yards up the road. one corner of the new stadium will be on WHL’s footprint. it will be an awesome new home, one of if not best in the world. the glorious smells of the High Road will still be there for you mate relax on that one. you are being a drama queen. crap article, sorry.

  3. Simon
    22/08/2012 @ 10:00 pm

    I understand what you are feeling but it is US the fans who are the club and we will make the new stadium “The Hewlett Packard Colour jet Arena” or whatever its called at least as good as WHL. It will see us into the next 100 years. We just have to hope the architects don’t fuck it up.

  4. Adam
    25/08/2012 @ 10:02 pm

    A very nice piece. I too am very nostalgic, but unfortunately unlike keeping a special birthday card, we can’t keep the current stadium. All we will have are photos, memories, and the chance to tell our grandchildren that “we used to walk down the Seven Sister to the ground, hand our paper ticket over and squeeze through the turn style”
    Just think back to when we had the two pockey little club shops, now we have a ‘Mege Store’ A new stadium; it’s virtually the same thing!!

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