White Hart Lane - Tottenham Hotspur 4 Liverpool 0

Sunday 18th September 2011

This game was another first for me, having never witnessed a Spurs home game against Liverpool. I travelled down to this one with Willie (no, not joined at the hip!) and my son.

We decided to travel some of the way from Perth on the Saturday, staying at a Travelodge at Grantham. We were up nice and sharp on the Sunday and arrived in N17 in plenty of time for the half one kick off.

After parking up at The Irish Centre on Pretoria Road we headed to the Spurs shop before the now customary visit to Pandoos near WHL Station. Such a cracking little place for a feed. The chicken wrap and spicy rice was out of this world!

After our feast we strolled back along towards the ground and were in our seats a few minutes before kick - off. We were all a little nervous, but our blistering start soon helped ease that with Luka Modric expertly putting us one up after ten minutes with a fantastic dipping shot from 20 yards.

It was really a barrage towards the Liverpool goal, but it just seemed we couldn't get that important second goal.

The second half was a different story with two excellent Adebayor finishes and a single Defoe goal giving us a comprehensive 4-0 win.

Liverpool had Adam and Skrtl sent - off, but frankly they could have had 12 players on the day and it wouldn't have mattered.

Molinuex - Wolverhampton Wanderers v Tottenham Hotspur

Saturday 10th September 2011

This was my third trip to Wolves' home, and in the previous two visits had seen the home side defeat QPR 2-1 in a Championship game in 2004 and a 3-3 cracker with Spurs in March this year.

For this one i travelled down with Willie. We left Perth at the back of 5am, and were in Wolves by about 11am where we met up with Wolves fan Gareth and his pal. I had first met Gareth 3 or 4 years ago at a fans football tournament hosted by Queens Park Supporters, and for a good couple of hours we had the crack in the pub (Willie and i were the only Spurs fans in there - 'Cover your colours mate' asked the bouncer. 'Our jackets also have the cockerel on though mate' i retorted. 'Yeah, that's ok though mate' - Strange i thought, but we were allowed to stay and i wasn't going to argue!)

We left the pub at quarter to three, and got to the away end at five to, but had to wait on another Spurs fan, Baz, who had Willies ticket.

Finally we were in a minute or so after kick - off. Scott Parker and Adebayor were making their Spurs debut in the sunshine and The travelling Spurs fans were in fine voice as we dominated without causing too many problems early on.

Into the second half and we finally made our domination count when the two new boys combined for 1-0 with  Adebayor rounding the keeper to score. Defoe made it two with ten minutes left for a deserved 3 points that lifted us off the foot of the table.

Playing at Meadowbank Stadium

Sunday 28th August 2011

Having only joined Queens Park Supporters FC this season it was a good piece of fortune that my second game for my new team would be at Meadowbank Stadium, Edinburgh. Now home to East of Scotland League side Edinburgh City, it was of course the former home of the long gone Meadowbank Thistle.

Although not a particularly brilliant Stadium, with it's utilitarian look, it was still an interesting place to play a proper game. Built for the Commonwealth games that took place in Edinburgh in 1986, the ground hardly has a long footballing history (indeed Meadowbank flitted out in 1995, eventually becoming today what is known as Livingston), but nevertheless an important one.

For the record we won the game 5-4 to lift the Meadowbank Trophy, which had last been played for 9 years ago.

Quick Visits to Stamford Bridge and Craven Cottage

Sunday 31st July 2011

After our visit to both The Amex Stadium for Brighton v Spurs and The Emirates for The Emirates Cup we decided to have a quick look at Stamford Bridge and Craven Cottage as we had a bit of time to kill before heading home on the Megabus.

STAMFORD BRIDGE

 CRAVEN COTTAGE

Tynecastle Stadium - Heart of Midlothian vs Tottenham Hotspur

Thursday 18th August 2011

When i heard the draw for the Europa League Play - Off round i was immediately delighted to learn that Spurs had been drawn to face Hearts, with the first leg at Tynecastle. It's almost a home game for me so it was a case of getting a ticket at any cost.

As it went, Spurs were given a paltry allocation and those were quickly sold out to Season Ticket holders, and the initial tickets in the Hearts areas sold out within an hour or so of going on sale.

It was while at work on the Monday in the week before the game that i suddenly had a brainwave, an expensive one, but it worked out well, and it turned out to be a brilliant night.

What i decided was to book hospitality, the minimum level of course. It was £65.00 plus vat, taking the cost up to £78.00, but for that we got a Programme, teamsheet, a decent meal and good seats in the Main Stand, as well as access to a decently priced bar in The Willie Bauld Suite. So the wife, myself and side - kick Willie were doing Hospitality at a Spurs game. Another half dozen Scotspur mates also booked it up so a decent night was promised.

 Hearts Fans

 Spurs Team

 Teams prior to kick off

 Spurs fans

 Gomes and Willie

My pals Mark, left, and Willie with Seb Bassong

As ever, we left the house later than planned, and eventually arrived at Tynecastle just after 6pm, 20 minutes later than the advertised time for the hospitality suites. Parking around the ground isn't great but thankfully our package included parking within the Hearts car park. Needless to say my modest car looked a little odd next to the fancy cars that some of the Hearts officials and players had parked!

We got into the smart, but already crowded Willie Bauld suite (Hearts had clearly seen the pound signs and allowed many more than normal into the suite), nevertheless it was a nice way to warm up for a football game,  and soon Steve, Stewart, Ross and the other Spurs lads we go to games with joined us for a couple of beers and some grub.

With betting facilities in the suite, it would be rude not to, and a wee bet was struck on Spurs to win by at least 3 goals and while i had Niko down for first scorer, the luckier Willie put his money on Rafa to net the first.

Onto the game, and apart from one supporting pillar to our left, we had a cracking view of the action as Spurs set about the home side early on. There was a good number of other Spurs fans around us so when Rafa opened the scoring early on, much to Willie's delight we instinctively jumped up, and there was no hassle.

Soon it was 2-0 with Defoe finishing a smart move. Jake Livermore made it 3-0 after 30 minutes and that was the end of the scoring till half time.

At half time it was back into the suite for a Steak Pie and some Sandwiches.

The second half began with a Hearts rally, where they forced a few corners but never really looked like scoring. On 63 minutes Bale made it 4-0 and Lennon made it 5-0 with 12 minutes to go after a brilliant quick break.

All in all a great night, a wee win from the bookies and a big win for Spurs.

White Hart Lane - Tottenham Hotspur vs Athletic Bilbao

Saturday 6th August 2011

Spurs had offered a very tempting deal for this pre - season game against The Basque side Athletic Bilbao with two adults and two kids getting in for £50.00. Not bad at all, and with the usual prices at The Lane much higher for the second summer in a row i took the family down, having been at the friendly against Fiorentina a year ago.

Trips to The Lane are always special for me, regardless of the opposition and whether it's The Champions League or a friendly. For the second weekend in a row i decided to use the overnight bus from Perth to London, and with Willie again joining me, along with the wife and three kids, we all got down on The National Express for just over a hundred quid, which seemed a bargain.

The journey was largely uneventful, with the kids well behaved and we all slept for most of the journey. Arriving in London around 7am, we headed for Breakfast at KFC in Victoria Train Station, before making our way up to Edmonton Green Leisure Centre for a swim. Essentially this was an excuse to all get cleaned up and have a shower as we were going home that same night on the overnight coach, rather than booking into a hotel.

 The Paxton Scoreboard

 The small band of travelling fans

Programme

That all done we headed back to White Hart Lane, stopping at Pandoos for a cracking lunch. This wee place, a hundred yards from the Station on White Hart Lane, is always worth a visit. From there it was onto the Spurs Megastore, where the second mortgage was well and truly walloped, with the three kids and myself all buying the dashing new third shirt as well as a whole host of other stuff.

The ground itself is a real favourite of mine. Of course there is probably a bias, but it still retains some character despite modernisation, and feels like a 'proper' football ground, with the fans close to the pitch.

We took up our seats in The Park Lane Lower, and typically, all the goals in Spurs 2-1 win were scored at The Paxton Road end. Bilbao took the lead in the first half, but goals from Crouch and Defoe in the second secured the win for Spurs.

 Looking towards the Paxton Road end

 The Shelf

Chirpy

Usually we would stay for a while in the area after the game, getting a few pictures and autographs from the players as they leave, but a bit tired from travelling through the night, and with another overnighter just ahead, we decided to head for Victoria, which given the events that later started in the Tottenham area, was probably a good thing.

Arriving back in Perth on Sunday morning, we found out the full scale of the disturbances in Tottenham, and were a little stunned that we had been so near to a place where a major international news event was taking place.

As ever though, a great trip to The Lane, enjoyed by all, and can't wait till the next time. If anyone, Spurs or not, has yet to visit, go on and get it ticked off your list.

Emirates Stadium - PSG vs Boca Juniors and Arsenal v NY Red Bulls

Sunday 31st July 2011

As a Spurs member i had never been to the home of our biggest rivals, with the chances of a ticket for Spurs games there virtually non existent. So, having travelled south for the Spurs game at Brighton the previous day Willie and myself were looking for a game to go to on the Sunday as well. We decided on day 2 of The Emirates Cup and having bought myself a PSG shirt i went along to support them and anyone else that happened to be playing Arsenal.

The £25.00 ticket price seemed reasonable, given that we were getting to witness two games, but even still i was a little bit sick inside giving money to Arsenal, especially as the games didn't involve Spurs. After a bit of a heavy night before, and no sleep on the Friday night, we slept in a little bit and after a much mucking about we finally made it to The Stadium a couple of minutes after the PSG game had started. Just in time to see the French outfit go one up with a goal from Maurice. It was to prove the more entertaining game of the two, with both sides playing some good stuff, although Boca lacked a cutting edge and finished up losing 3-0 to PSG who added to their early goal with a Guillame Hoarau header and a superb free kick from Marcos Ceara.

The second game of the day was Arsenal against New York Red Bulls. Of course, it was the return of Thierry Henry, but despite his appearance and the backing of a full house, the game was something of a disappointment. Robin van Persie had opened the scoring with a decent header but that was cancelled out towards the end by Kyle Bartley, who turned a cross into his own net, meaning against the odds, the worst (in our opinion) team in the Tournament would lift the cup.

The Stadium itself is certainly quite impressive, but the only real atmosphere on the day was created by a small pocket of Boca Juniors fans. It's a decent place though to watch football, if Arsenal is your thing, and like the new Stadium at Brighton has padded seats throughout. The prices of refreshments within the ground were a bit higher than i would have expected and the Tournament Programme, although thick and large, was not worth the fiver cover price.

Amex (Falmer) Stadium - Brighton and Hove Albion vs Tottenham Hotspur

Saturday 30th July 2011

Being a Spurs fan, when i saw that we had been chosen to open the Amex Arena, i decided right away that this was a game i would want to attend. The local council, in their wisdom, had denied The Seagulls the opportunity of a proper home in the seaside town since they left The Goldstone Ground in 1997, so it was sure to be a sell out.

As it was, Spurs were given a much reduced allocation (1200 - despite the away stand holding more than twice that - and again this was a council decision), so it would prove difficult to get my hands on a brief in the Spurs end. They ended up selling out to Season Ticket holders with a very high loyalty point total, so right away i started looking at the other options, and eventually ended up with a couple of seats in the North Stand, amongst the home fans, at the opposite end of the ground from the visiting fans.

 North West Corner

 View from Falmer Rail Station

 Within the Concourse in The South Stand

 From North Stand looking towards the South (away) stand

East Stand

 

Half empty South Stand (due to a council reduction)

Even after the hassle involved booking the tickets in the home end (they had been pending due to some security checks and were only received the day before we were leaving Perth), myself and Willie were full of excitement as we boarded the overnight Megabus to London. The journey down was as long as ever but was fun filled as a young Chelsea fan and his mum provided a good few laughs for most of it.

We arrived at London Victoria around 7am, and started to head up to our hotel in Enfield to get a shower before making the trip South to Brighton. Getting from Enfield to Brighton proved a real pain as Kings Cross Tube Station had been shut, which meant our path to London Bridge Station had to be changed and after much delay, many tubes and a fair bit of worry later we were finally on the train to Brighton.

We decided to head straight for Falmer rather than hanging around Brighton, so we could take in the new ground and have a pint at The Stadium. The trains between Brighton and Falmer were regular but still very crowded and this is one of the few complaints about the new ground that there is few other ways to get there, with parking restrictions and the like around the area.

As soon as you get off the train at Falmer the ground stands out, perched up on it's pedestal, looking proud, and it's an immediately impressive Stadium. After queuing for a programme, we headed into the ground. Rather than traditional turnstiles it has large exit/entry doors, with quite an open plan feel about it. 

It has been really well designed, with the fans in mind. There is so much room within the concourses, where there is a decent amount of food and drink available, although the prices were fairly reasonable for an English ground, with a burger and pint deal setting you back about £7.00. (Though i had won a free burger in the Hat - trick draw!)

The seating areas are also top drawer, with plenty of leg room and padded seats throughout, and although this gives a slight feeling of the prawn sandwich brigade, it's certainly a comfortable way to watch football when you are forced to sit.

The game itself was also a cracker, as far as pre - season friendlies go, with Spurs eventually running out 3-2 winners with goals from Kaboul, Corluka and an impressive Jake Livermore enough to see off The Seagulls who had scored through Ashley Barnes and Kazenga LuaLua. Craig Mackail-Smith had been a stand out for the home side.

Getting back to Brighton was a bit of a nightmare with so many folks wanting to go the same way although i am sure that it's something they will sort out in time. 

Once back in Brighton we headed for a Subway, before some beers were bought for the train back to London where we had a few drinks around Soho and Piccadilly Circus before eventually succumbing to tiredness and retiring back to the digs in Enfield for the evening.

All in all a great day out at a really nice modern Stadium, with a decent game of football thrown in. Hopefully Gus Poyet and his players can continue their recent rise and pop up in The Premier League in the near future, so that another visit can be made. I would certainly recommend a trip here to anyone.

 West Stand

 West Stand again

 Teams coming out

 The Spurs Fans

Benoit Assou-Ekotto on the ball

VITAL STATS

Brighton 2 Spurs 3

Crowd -

Ticket Price - £21.70

Programme - £3.00

RATINGS

Journey - 6/10

The game - 7/10

Value for money - 7/10

Programme - 7/10