As a youngster growing up in the town of Ashton-under-Lyne 8 miles from Manchester, you would have thought I would have supported either City or United. However, with a Spurs mad father there was only one team for me – the boys from White Hart Lane.
My earliest memory is the 1987 FA Cup Final. My dad had a ticket and I remember screaming the house down because I didn’t have one. I wanted to be at Wembley and didn’t see being only 6 years old a problem – unfortunately my dad did! I had to watch the game at home while he went to Wembley.
My first ‘live’ game was Spurs v Wimbledon at White Hart Lane in 1988. We lost 3-0. All I remember of the game was the bloke in front who never stopped swearing – I had never heard language like it! Thankfully, the defeat didn’t put me off and if anything made me more determined that Spurs were my team.
When I began secondary school, my support grew even stronger. Everybody supported City or United and I loved being the odd-one out.
At the time United were winning virtually everything and every day there seemed to be a new glory hunting fan jumping on the band wagon – it’s still the same now although there seems to be a lot more Arsenal and Chelsea shirts in the Manchester area. The blue half of Manchester suddenly seems to have grown very noisy as well – I wonder why that might be?
I always approached games with United full of hope but often ended up disappointed. However, the 3-1 win against United at White Hart Lane in the Worthington Cup in 1999 was well worth the wait. I spent the next three weeks gloating and winding up the reds.
Winning the trophy made life even better. I put the poster of the boys celebrating with the cup up in the common room at school. It lasted about ten minutes but I didn’t shut up for weeks.
As I have grown up, my love for the club is even stronger. The stick is never ending but the current team under Harry’s guidance means that I can smile a little bit more. The 3-0 win over City before Christmas also helped me to shut up a number of friends and family!
Wins and losses are felt with even more passion and defeats have been known to ruin weekends. Thankfully I have an understanding wife. She is a Manchester United fan (she can’t help it) and doesn’t understand what life as a true football fan is all about.
Winning every week must be boring. Life as a Spurs fan is never dull. The glorious hope and shattering defeats mean that life as a Spur is definitely an emotional rollercoaster.
Defeats at home to Wolves and Stoke have left me utterly dejected. However, the start to the season and the improved confidence and fluency in the team still fill me with hope.
Our first child was born last April – Teddy, named after Mr Sheringham – and he was enrolled as a club member before he was a month old. I hope that he follows me into the Spurs family.
My dad and I will be doing everything we can to make sure that it happens. If he does, life will not always be straightforward, we won’t always win but he will be part of the best away following in the country, the most passionate fans in the world and above all he will know what life is like to support a proper football team.
Living up North will be grim, it will be cold and the sun won’t shine but (hopefully) the mighty Spurs will bring him some joy. I know that they have for me.
Come on you Spurs!
STRANGE HOW EVEN BACK IN THE 70s SPURS HAD A FANTASTIC FOLLOWING FROMTHE NORTH AND I TAKE MY HAT OFF TO YOU BRILLIANT SUPPORTERS AS THEY SAY YOU DESERVE A MEDAL
COYS
Long live Northern Spurs !!!!
Yids!!!
Keep the faith!!!
I live in the North East and I am the only Spurs supporter I actually know. Its hard but like you say, its never dull. My family and friends cannot understand why I get so upset when we lose to the likes of Wolves or Stoke, but its the delusions of grandeur that we impress upon our selves that leaves us this way. It is all part and parcel and no non believer would ever understand…….
This mirrors my circumstances in so many ways. Firstly I am a northern Spurs fan, following in fathers footsteps. My first memory is the 1987 cup final which my Dad also went to, and I too was very upset at not being able to go (age 10)! My first game was also 1988, Oldham v Spurs at Oldham (on the astoturf). Despite the win it was also an experience to put most off given that we were totally out in the open and it was lashing it down throughout! Coming from Bridlington maybe I should have supported Hull City, but then again they were in Division 9 back then, not quite the pull of a Utd or City. Saying that all the kids in the play ground suported either Utd or Liverpool. Being a Spurs fan certainly isn’t easy, but I’ve found that we’re usually in sufficient numbers to form a local group and I’ve got good links to half a dozen Brid Yids, people I might otherwise never have been friends with. I’ve travelled the World and found Yids in the strangest of places – it’s great. My boy is 4 and maybe only a year or two away from forming his alligiance, and of course father, and grandfather will be applying a certain bit of subtle pressure to steer him in the same misguided direction as us…….
I am from the north east also, when spurs are on t.v and i go to the pubs in town to watch there is only about 8 spurs fans!! A mate of mine from school is a season ticket holder and goes all over the country! I would love to be at every game but its just far to expensive COYS!!!!
Great piece, proud of you!
COYS!
Great article
I too am a Northern Spur who now resides in Inverness!! I was brought up near kendal in what was them Westmoreland and now Cumbria. I supported Spurs since I was 8 yeras old and first really memory was watching us beat Chelsea 2 1 in the 1967 FA cup final. Robertson and Saul for Spurs, Tambling for Chelshite. all of my early matches were at Burnley, Utd, Bolton, Blackpool, Everton, etc.. hence not many victories. I still ocasionally try and get to the Lane once in a while but it is impossible to get a ticket. I do watch most games though through on line streaming.
COYS>
Tottenham fan from Glasgow here. I remember driving down to the borders with my (north Londoner) dad when I was about 9 to sit in a freezing car on a hill somewhere near Moffat to watch us lose 1-0 to Liverpool on ITVs “the match” on my dads then state of the art but still interference ridden 3 inch black and white portable mini t-v! It wasn’t being shown in Scotland!
First game (and first time in a plane) – Thorstvedts nightmare debut where we lost 2-1 to Forest.
And now? I basically moved down to London to be able to go and see them – shelfside season ticket holder!
I’m an idiot, basically. COYS!
My cousin and his mates have there own membership club, called Macspurs, in macclesfield and they regularly meet up with fans from stoke ,Newcastle and birmingham.They have 64 members in Mac alone,its a scream when I meet up with them, great bunch of lads, and many have past history with the club, like my cous who is originally from Edmonton , and moved up north with his family, years ago.
Koko – sounds like a real laugh to me and i have family in Macc. If you let me have their details i will try and get a link going with them.
Saluting the northern spurs! Fair play
Northern Spurs from Blackburn here. Similar stories as the other fantastic Northern Spurs!! Probably in truth see BBurn more than Spurs over a season due to geography, but I AM AND ALWAYS WILL BE A SPUR!!! Once Spurs get in your blood you can’t look away, even after all the grief i’ve received over the years, still don’t change a thing. I am a proud supporter of the best club in the world, we may have had a slip up for a decade or four – BUT THATS JUST GOING TO MAKE IT ALL THE SWEETER WHEN ONE DAY WE LIFT THAT PREM TROPHY – AND WE WILL!!! COYS COYS COYS COYS COYS COYS !!
PS Great article by the way !!
I remember when I went to see city v spurs with Berbatov playing up fron on his own after being down to 1o men… there was a lot of northern spurs fans….super super tottenham
I was also there that night. It was a great result and the support was, as always unbelievable. There were a lot of northrn Spurs there but – as always – there was also fantastic travelling support from London. Keep the faith boys – COYS.
Another Northen Spur here. I was born and raised just two miles from Old Trafford and have Norwich City to thank for my support of the Spurs. Their defeat of Man Utd in the FA Cup third round in 1967 left me looking for a team to follow for the rest of the competition (I was 8 at the time). It was suggested I follow Spurs, they went on to lift the cup, and the rest, as they say, is history. Lots of good times, a few great times, and too many heartbreaks along the way. Meeting up with fellow Yids is always a pleasure, especially ones who had a choice… and chose the Spurs. COYS !!! Wigan on Sunday.
Well done mate to you and all our yids far and wide, your right that fans of the top bore dont know what its like to follow a proper club. coys
We really should have an article about overseas Spurs fans…there are quite a few of us u know! Loved the article and the comments!
Next up a similar one depicting an overseas Yid. Spurs fans for 14 years from Singapore, not a Londoner not English but a huge Klinsmann and Tottenham fan! COYS!
To jonathon Hobday, your family members should know my cousin, as he owns the famous waters end chip shop in the town centre, his name is Tele.
Thanks koko – will pop in next time i am there and make myself known as a follower of the Spurs! (And get some chips)
Israeli supporter here. Dreaming to be in the White hart lane one day. spurs is my life. can’t smile without you tottenham. come on you spurs