10 May James Marson Cross Platform Journalism Advanced
Back Up:
On the 3rd October this year, we saw the opening of the brand-new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. But like many new stadiums, will it lose its footballing feel?
The sudden craze for new stadiums in the Premier League started when Arsenal FC opened their new stadium in 2006 after their previous one was turned into flats. Since then, there has been a sudden wave of new grounds being erected to compete with the growing fan bases. These include the construction of the new Wembley, Manchester City and the Etihad, West Ham’s move to the Olympic Stadium, and now Tottenham moving to the long awaited 62,000-seater Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Many fans are delighted to see Spurs finally get to there new stadium after a few seasons at their temporary home, Wembley. Speaking to a lifelong Spurs fan Andy Thorburn, he said, “I’m delighted to finally be back in Tottenham, Wembley was just too far away and didn’t feel like home, the atmosphere just wasn’t the same.”
After 2 seasons at Wembley, the fans became increasingly more frustrated about the delayed return to the Tottenham area. This was until the 3rd October they got their wishes with the first match at the new Stadium, a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace in the Premier League.
Because the new ground hasn’t been open long, it’s impossible to judge whether they will ever retain the same feel and atmosphere as their previous home White Hart Lane. But we can take a look at other new grounds.
In a article in the Guardian in 2017, the author Toby Moses who is a Arsenal fan, in regards to the Emirates says “gone wrong it has, leaving me, a season-ticket holder of more than 20 years, sitting in a soulless shell of a stadium, all the joy stripped from the thing that I’ve loved for as long as I can remember.”
Toby isn’t the only fan of a Premier League team to have disapproval of a new stadium. In a another Guardian article from 2018 created by Andrew Antony, he has quoted a West Ham fan of 39 years Tom Girling saying the Olympic Stadium is “soulless”. Continuing on with, “It’s got nothing. I used to go to Upton Park, grab a programme, nip in the pie and mash, have a bet, into the boozer, meet my pals, all good, have a laugh, then out afterwards. I’ve got nish here. I’m out in the elements drinking beer out of a plastic glass.”
Will the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium come under this curse?
Facts on the New Spurs Stadium
Maybe not. I spoke to die hard Tottenham Fan Kevin 36, who’s late father took him to see his first Spurs match in 1990 for Ray Clemence’s testimonial match at the age of 8. While discussing the move to the new ground he saw the positive side of things.
“As a Spurs fan it was hard to see our home of over 100 years be demolished, especially when we had to spend a few seasons at Wembley. From a fan perspective it’s like we haven’t had a home for nearly 2 years now and I’m just glad to be back at the in Tottenham”.
He continued, “I think what separates us from other clubs that have moved is the fact we had to wait to come home where as other clubs like Arsenal, West Ham and City moved straight in. The old ground was also too small and out dated. For a club with Champions League places, we needed the bigger ground.”
So it looks like Spurs fans have a lot more hope for their new ground than others do, and the optimism shown in the club that is now in the Champions League final shows the feel for football is still there.
