The last game there this weekend. Being a London club, there will be the usual exaggeration of the national significance of this. Our club were in the Football League 3 years before the Sperz (although I'm sure their fans won't know or admit this) and until the disastrous 1990s and THFC were the only non league team to have ever beaten us in the FAC when they were in the Southern League (but already a large and rich club). The famous Archibald Leitch was involved in the design and construction of the stands in the first half of the C20, making it one of the more recognisable and distinguished grounds. First visit was 81 for FACF4, when we were sliding out the 3rd Division. Special Train was the outrageous sum of £20. Many more fans went down by coach or van. Tottenham was rough then, the coaches were attacked after the game and a van was turned over IIRC. We had half the Paxton, and it was way overcrowded, and there was an overflow onto the track round the pitch. The ground was 3 sided as the Leitch stand to our left had been demolished and a new one was going up. Dressing rooms were 2 Portakabins I believe. We let in 2 in the last 6 mins to slip valiantly out. King Keith was shackled (only just) by their defence, and Garry Brooke scored both. Think they had Ardiles, Villa, Hoddle and poss Archibald. Next time with City was 2008 when Geo scored a great freekick and the win was just as enjoyable and unexpected as the previous week at Arsenal. They had Bale, Modric etc. We were rewriting history every week that Autumn. Last visit was the Myhill Masterclass game that had Motty cumming in his sheepskin at our custodian's prowess. A gritty backs to the wall rearguard display saw us grind out a plucky point. It was always a very noisy stadium even when the plastics had started to infiltrate because of the enclosed nature of the pitch and the proximity of the fans who didn't have the smugness and arrogance of CFC and AFC. What odds they can replicate that atmosphere at the new place given the disastrous Arsenal and WHU moves?
Would love another free kick like Geo's from Kamil and a game between the sticks like Bo for the Jak tomorrow in that there Lundun.
Remember the cup game when we lost to two late goals .. got put in the wrong end and walked through to our supporters inside the ground .. saw the most ferocious looking woman in docs and braces shouting obscenities that would have made the devil blush.. before launching the greenest of snot towards us .. absolute charmer .. did try to find her after the game to invite her to meet my mum but alas she was lost forever !
I went on the Special in '81, met by a large contingent of OB when we got off and we were told in no uncertain terms that we had to walk in total silence to the ground or we wouldn't get in. Lots of locals giving it large as we walked silently past them. In the ground, home fans were in the seats above our terracing and a few minutes before the end we were pelted with coins but unsurprisingly the OB didn't want to know.
Prior to our play off final against Bristol City the largest crowd City had ever played in front of was just under 67,000 at WHL for a Division 2 game in 1949/50 season
Went to the 81 cup game. Left from YEB at about 7.30am. Cracked the first can at about 7.35. We arrived near to the ground just after lunchtime absolutely starving. Piled into a greasy spoon for burger and chips. Walk to the ground was a bit hairy. Remember that we were hemmed in and overcrowded. We gave them a good game until they scored two late goals. Then the coins started raining down. I remember thinking that's a bit much seen as you're ****ing winning now. Getting back to the coach was OK but we got bricked driving away from the ground. Singing and flicking the Vs until we joined the motorway. Nineteen. Daft. Not a care in the World. Happy days. Never to be repeated.
They celebrated their final game in their beloved old stadium with a win over Man Utd and party on the pitch, we celebrated our last game @BP with a rainy defeat by Darlington.
I think Spurs underachieved at WHL like we did at BP, it is recognised that they haven't won much there, but they are a very unified club with great affection for their old ground, building a proper football ground on top of it will maintain their identity better than West Ham have and if they can keep Pochettino and build on their current squad they can attain greater glory at WHL2.
They might not have won many League titles but I'd guess their domestic cup exploits are as good as anyone's, that's before you chuck in their 2/3 cup wins in Europe, I'd love City to have that level of underachievement. I agree with your comment re. their identity, the new place is gonna be nothing like the abomination WHU are playing in and, with good planning, they'll (hopefully) be able to keep the tourists away from the proper fans ...... time will tell I suppose?
