White Hart Lane: (Tottenham Hotspur)
Alan Swain [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Tottenham Hotspur have called White Hart Lane home since 1899. The space the ground was built on was originally a nursery that was owner by Charringtons, a brewery chain, and was sitting disused. The ground was redeveloped in the early part of the 20th century by renowned stadium designer Archibald Leitch who had also designed grounds such as Stamford Bridge, Villa Park and Old Trafford.
As for Spurs themselves they have numerous claims to fame. They are the only non-league team to ever win the FA Cup, for example, something that they achieved in 1901, 19 years after the team had been formed. They were also the first team in the 20th century to win a league and FA Cup double, which they did in 1960-1961.
Stats
| White Hart Lane Stats | |
|---|---|
| Year Opened | 1899 |
| Capacity | 36284 |
| Average Attendance | 35865 |
| Record Attendance | 75038 (Tottenham v Sunderland (1938)) |
| Pitch Size | 100 x 67 (6700) |
| Nickname | The Lane |
| Owner | Tottenham Hotspur F.C |
| Clubs Hosted | Tottenham Hotspur, London Monarchs |
| First Fixture | Tottenham Hotspur v Notts County (04/09/1899) |
| Final Fixture | Tottenham Hotspur v Man United (14/05/2017) |
White Hart Lane Photos
By V&A Dudush (Panoramio) [CC BY 3.0]
Bill Boaden [CC BY-SA 2.0]
Steve Daniels [CC BY-SA 2.0]
John Salmon [CC BY-SA 2.0]
By Forthevline (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0]
By dom fellowes from UK (Spurs 2-0 Tigers) [CC BY 2.0]
White Hart Lane Seating Plan and Where to Sit
White Hart Lane is a two-tiered stadium and the lower tier runs all the way around the perimeter of the pitch. The upper tier has breaks in two of the four corners, however. As far as the stands’ names are concerned they follow the traditional British fashion of having a separate name for each of the four.
- The North Stand – This stand houses the most vocal and loyal of Tottenham’s fans meaning that the atmosphere here can be incredible if they’re really up for it. It’s where the majority of the season ticket holders sit, however, so don’t expect getting a ticket here to be easy. The capacity is nearly 10,000 in The North Stand.
- The South Stand – The South Stand normally houses the away supporters, meaning you can get a good atmosphere here if some of Spurs’ more outright rivals show up. The capacity of this stand is in the region of 8500.
- The East Stand – With a capacity of over 10,000 it’s no surprise that The East Stand is traditionally the part of the ground that usually makes the most noise on match days. There are some big structural poles here that can impede your view of the pitch, however.
- The West Stand – This is where most of the VIP seats in the ground are located. As stereotypical as it might be to suggest, that fact means that not many of the nearly 6000 people in this stand get all that involved in the singing or chanting on a match day.
Getting To White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane is in North London so it’s fair to say that getting to the stadium isn’t as tricky as it might be to head to somewhere in the back and beyond. If you’re after some more detailed ideas, though, then keep reading.
Train – White Hart Lane and Northumberland Park are two mainline stations that are both within easy walking distance of the stadium. You can get to both of them via Victoria line stations such as Seven Sisters and Tottenham Hale. As the Victoria line is on the London Underground network you can arrive into London via any of the more popular main stations like Euston and King’s Cross.
Bus – London has an extremely good bus network with plenty of services that run towards White Hart Lane. Transport for London have an excellent website that can tell you exactly which bus to get and precisely where to get it from, should you wish to take a bus to the ground.
Car – The ground is one mile south of the A406 which is easily accessed from the M25 or the A10. If you’re in the city then it’s the A10 that you’ll want to be following, whilst if you’re on the M25 then you’ll need to leave about 15 to 20 minutes to make it to the stadium.
By Air – London as a city is serviced by several airports most notably Gatwick, Heathrow and Stansted. It is the latter that is closest to the ground and it has direct train access to Tottenham Hale. It will take you about 30 minutes to get from the airport to the stadium.
Taxi – The public transport network in London is exceptional, so you might be better to consider options other than a taxi unless you’re in a rush. To give you something of an idea of pricing, though, a taxi from Euston to White Hart Lane will take about half an hour, depending on traffic, and it will set you back around £30.
Parking Near White Hart Lane
There are parking restrictions in place around White Hart Lane on match days and non-residents that try to park in a restricted zone will find their car hit with a Penalty Charge Notice. The best thing to do is to move out of the restricted zone to somewhere that’s still on the train or tube network and come in from there, but there are probably other private parking options a bit nearer to the ground.
Useful Resources
- Parking - Just Park
White Hart Lane Hotels
It goes without saying that the hotel options throughout the city of London are too numerous to mention. We’ve picked out some choices for you that are slightly closer to the ground to help you narrow down your search, however.
Pembury Hotel - £52+
Best Western London Highbury - £86+
Hilton London Angel Islington - £149+
Pubs and Bars Near White Hart Lane
London isn’t exactly known as a quiet and retiring city, so you won’t be short of options if you fancy getting a drink or two before the game. There are some choices that are a little closer to the ground here, though.
The Bricklayer’s Arms
Elbow Room
The Goose Wood Green
Facilities
The facilities you’ll find at White Hart Lane are pretty standard for a Premier League club. There are places to buy food and drinks on all of the concourses, areas that you can place a bet and, of course, toilets. We’d be lying if we suggested that it’s the best ground in the country for fans but it’s fair to say it’s far from the worst.
Prices
- Programme: £3.5
- Pie: £3.5
- Cup of tea: £2.2
- Beer: £4.5
Hospitality
Just as you might expect from a Premier League club based in London, there are numerous top-quality hospitality packages available at White Hart Lane on a match day. For something more contemporary and informal then perhaps you’d like to check out The Goalmouth. This is Spurs’ family-friendly lounge that will see you get access to a buffet, a cash bar, half-time refreshments and a complimentary match programme.
The Captain’s Club offers a similarly informal experience with a cash bar, gourmet sandwiches that you can take to your seat, half-time refreshments and the chance to meet a Spurs legend. You’ll also get a seat in the upper section of The West Stand and a complimentary match programme.
If you’re looking for a more formal setting in which to enjoy a Spurs match, perhaps to entertain a client or impress the father-in-law, for example, then you might want to consider something like The Oak Room. Here you’ll get a four-course meal, half-time refreshments, a post-match buffet, a complimentary bar and the chance to watch the Man Of The Match presentation.
There are plenty more hospitality options that you might want to look into, but hopefully that’s give you a bit of an inkling for the sort of experience you’d get on a match day at White Hart Lane.
Private Hire
Have you ever wanted to have a private party at a football club? You can do that at White Hart Lane. You can also get married there and have a civil ceremony that can be as grand or as intimate as you’d like. Maybe you’re not getting married nor is it your birthday but you’d like to host a fun and exciting event and Tottenham’s ground is the perfect venue for just such an occasion.
As well as numerous executive boxes that are ideal for breakout meetings or smaller events, White Hart Lane is home to numerous larger suites that are perfect for things like product launches, exhibitions, conferences and receptions. Whatever type of event you might be hoping to host in London you can be assured that the home of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club will have you covered.
Stadium Tours & Museum
Spurs offer numerous different types of stadium tour packages. The entry level ‘Classic Tour’ will cost you £20 if you’re an adult, £13.50 if you’re an adult One Hotspur member, £9 if you’re a junior and £11 if you’re over 65. The tour will take in the press area, the VIP lounges, the director’s box, the tunnel and the technical area on the pitch side. You’ll also get to see the club’s trophy cabinet and some memorabilia. Tours last about an hour and take place most days apart from match days.
Next on the list is the ‘Legends Tour’. You’ll get to see pretty much the same things that you’ll see on the ‘Classic Tour’, including the different dressing rooms and the hall of fame, but you’ll be accompanied by a club legend. These tours only come around once in a while, so keep your eye out on the club’s website to see when the next one is due. Prices for this are £40 for adults and £20 for juniors.
Last but not least comes the ‘VIP Tour’. These are exclusively for groups of no more than four people and will set you back £150 per group. You’ll get to see everything that visitors on the ‘Classic Tour’ see plus you’ll be treated to a few added extras. This tour is only available from Monday to Friday, though there are no strict rules about when you can go on it during those days. If you’re interested then drop the club a line and they’ll talk you through how it works.
White Hart Lane History
Spurs began their playing life at Tottenham Marshes, a set of public pitches that they played on for six years. It was on this space that the Lilywhites first encountered their North London rivals Arsenal and crowds grew so large that in the end the club had to move to somewhere more permanent. They played at Northumberland Park for a year until White Hart Lane was built and they moved in there.
Tottenham aren’t the only team to have played on the White Hart Lane turf. The short-lived NFL Europe team London Monarchs also played at the ground for a year in the mid-nineties. It was also used as the home for some England internationals when Wembley stadium was being rebuilt. Sometimes it is used as the location of England Under-21 international matches. In the early nineties the stadium was also the location for numerous boxing matches, including one between Michael Watson and Chris Eubank after which the former collapsed with a brain injury that nearly proved to be fatal.
Future Developments
Spurs have been looking for chances to move away from White Hart Lane for some time and different options have presented themselves. At one point it appeared as if The Olympic Stadium might become their new home before it ended up going to West Ham. As such there are no plans to redevelop the ground but rather knock it down completely and build a brand new stadium on its site. This is likely to be completed in time for the 2018-2019 season, with Spurs playing at an alternate location for a year whilst it is built.