Tottenham bank on new fan experience at their glittering £1bn new stadium

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Dan Kilpatrick @Dan_KP25 March 2019

A few minutes' walk from Seven Sisters station, the distant mass of glittering metal and glass comes into view. Even before reaching halfway on the journey up Tottenham High Road, the golden cockerel is clearly visible above the South Stand at Spurs's new stadium. Yesterday, it glowed in the sunshine.

While the old White Hart Lane remained obscured from sight until nearly the last moment, the new version, which finally opened its doors on Sunday, dominates the skyline from afar. Up close, it looks like a spaceship has touched down in the heart of Haringey.

Decision-makers at Spurs, including the project's visionary, chairman Daniel Levy, prefer to see the stadium as the centre of a ripple effect, which will gradually regenerate the surrounding area, as well as the club. Ultimately, Levy hopes the 62,062-seat stadium will be the first step to transforming the culture of English football.

With that in mind, perhaps the most pleasing aspect of yesterday's test event for Levy was not a problem-free 3-1 win for Spurs's Under-18s over Southampton but the scenes after the final whistle.

Thousands of the 28,987 supporters present stayed in the stadium, congregating in the South Stand, opposite the Goal Line Bar — at 65m, the longest in Europe.

Shortly after full-time, former player Micky Hazard appeared on stage, leading supporters in a number of singalongs, before a DJ set began. Elsewhere, at the other bars — The Shelf, The White Hart and The Dispensary — live bands played throughout the day.

Lager, competitively priced at around £4 a pint, flowed into the evening and the variety of food counters, from gourmet burgers to Asian street food, remained busy. The era of pie and chips is over at Spurs.

The raucous sound of supporters filling the stadium long after full-time would have been music to Levy's ears. One of Tottenham's biggest aims in designing their new home was to make it a venue for an entire day, not just a match, and in doing so fundamentally change the habits of the average English football fan.

"Arrive early and stay longer" advised the club website in a pre-match information pack.

If Spurs kick-off at 12.30pm on a Saturday, for example, the club will screen the Premier League's later kick-off around the stadium and there will be entertainment, including live music, to keep the masses entertained.

Unlike the old White Hart Lane — and most stadiums around the country — supporters are free to move through all public areas of the nine-level ground, giving it the feel an American sports venue or a day out at a Lord's Test match, where staying late and picking from a variety of menus is the norm.

While bad news for the local pubs, the club's vision allows the stadium — the cost of which has climbed towards the £1billion mark — to immediately start paying for itself and it is little wonder the board were so determined to relocate from Wembley this season, even if it was just for one match.

Soak it up | Tottenham fans take in the 65m Goal Line Bar under the South Stand (Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images)
Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I

The club also hope the increased appeal of staying on in the stadium following the final whistle will ease pressure on local transport as supporters leave in dribs and drabs.

How many can be persuaded to abandon their traditional watering holes or delay the journey home in the long run remains to be seen and once the novelty of the stadium has worn off most supporters' desire to hang around may be largely determined by results.

Yesterday, at least, the jubilation at being back home was overwhelming and many fans were giddy long before the post-match festivities.

If the first glimpse of the stadium's exterior is impressive, the view inside is breathtaking.

Supporters who missed yesterday's game and cannot make the second test event — a Legends match against Inter Milan on Saturday — should not despair.

No Spurs fan will forget walking into the bowl for the first time — and there is something to be said for saving that experience for a competitive match under lights, as it will be against Crystal Palace on April 3, and six days later, when Manchester City are the visitors in the Champions League.

Particularly impressive is the 17,500-seat single-tier South Stand, the old Park Lane end, which is already being dubbed 'the White Wall'. It should quickly become iconic.

The White Wall | The South Stand at Tottenham's new stadium will quickly become iconic
REUTERS

For all the thoughtful nods to the club's heritage, the remarkable attention to detail and the sheer size and gleaming modernity of the place, it was the feel of the stadium that most impressed supporters.

"It's new but it does feel like us. They've struck the balance really well," said one fan afterwards. "It genuinely feels like the Lane," remarked another.

Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino, whose son, Maurizio, was a 79th-minute substitute, was lost for words when interviewed on the pitch at half-time.

"My feeling is unbelievable," said the Argentine after J'Neil Bennett had grabbed a slice of history with a brilliant first goal.

"It's so difficult to explain with only a few words. We all feel the same, so excited. I think I got the same feeling when we left White Hart Lane: we were crying. Now, the first day here at the new stadium, we feel the same emotion: we are going to cry. Our dream became true."

In awe | Pochettino struggled to put his feelings into words at half time
Action Images via Reuters

Pochettino then thanked Levy for delivering the stadium and such was the wow factor and strength of feeling, the chairman's name was greeted with raucous cheers from all sections around the ground.

For supporters, frustration with Levy during eight months of delays has immediately turned to appreciation.

If they continue to buy into their chairman's vision for the stadium, the feeling will be more than mutual.

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