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A Long Distance Relationship

2 min read
by The Fighting Cock
I double checked, no triple checked the kick-off time. Twelve noon. What? That’s 5 am Denver, Colorado time. I duly set my alarm for 04:30. My wife asked why I simply couldn’t record it and watch it later. I smiled condescendingly. She’s American. I endured the game downstairs on my laptop with various mugs of strong coffee, […]

I double checked, no triple checked the kick-off time. Twelve noon. What? That’s 5 am Denver, Colorado time. I duly set my alarm for 04:30. My wife asked why I simply couldn’t record it and watch it later. I smiled condescendingly. She’s American.

colorado_spurs_03I endured the game downstairs on my laptop with various mugs of strong coffee, wondering why Erik Lamela was back on the bench and stewing at Tim Krul’s timing; I mean, wouldn’t the Geordies have preferred the best game of his career to have be against Sunderland?

Somewhere around 7 am I could’ve slinked back into bed sulking, but I decided to watch the Man City and United games. It proved to have been worthwhile, my Sunday didn’t start a total disaster, just somewhat ruined.

[linequote]My wife asked why I simply couldn’t record it and watch it later. I smiled condescendingly. She’s American[/linequote]

My uncle Len first took me to White Hart Lane when I was 8, in 1969. Back then I used to stand on an old, wooden crate to see the action. By my mid teens I was taking the bus there, a scarf around each wrist and a pack of Embassy No. 10 in my pocket. I remember at the last, pivotal game of the season against Leeds in 1975 thinking I would be crushed to death.

The Eighties was my golden decade. My best friend and I had season tickets and went home and away. We cheered some of the best teams Spurs have ever had. Graham Roberts’ equalizer in the 1984 Cup Winners Cup Final, and Ricky Villa’s winner in the 81 FA Cup replay: two moments forever etched into my DNA. I watch them on YouTube every couple of months and still feel the thrill.

In the early nineties I emigrated to the USA where people refer to my beloved Tottenham as a soccer team. People always seem surprised that my team isn’t Manchester United or Chelsea. “Totten-Ham?”

[linequote]The 80’s was my golden decade. My best friend and I had season tickets and went home and away.[/linequote]

So these days I’m an ex-pat fan, consigned to avidly following all social media, buying shirts and jerseys online, putting stickers on my car and in my office.

My life is one long quest to sneakily locate live streams while at work, downloading apps and of course getting up early on weekends, whereupon I’ll either want to throw my laptop out the window and sulk, or run around the house with it in ecstasy.

My fellow fans, next time you’re at the Lane jumping up and down with 1882, singing, going mental after a goal, or shaking your head in frustration, know that there are countless of us ex-pats doing the exact same things thousands of miles away in front of a TV screen or laptop.

[author name=”David Patten” avatar=”https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/378800000667908973/6247e20800d579732745eca69e480129_bigger.jpeg” twitter=”davidpatten61[/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.

4 Comments

  1. Art Limon
    14/11/2013 @ 4:25 pm

    6 AM kick-offs are painful in Texas as well! COYS

  2. Harry Doyle
    14/11/2013 @ 7:27 pm

    Try 4am in LA!

  3. Art Limon
    14/11/2013 @ 9:13 pm

    Thank you black coffee. Are there any other Spurs supporters on here from San Antonio? (I know, I know)

  4. TerryNaylorsTash
    16/11/2013 @ 8:09 pm

    Due to all these Sunday games, I now have the pleasure of the 2 3 or 4 am on a Monday morning for most Spurs games…………..killer

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