Tottenham Hotspur

[McDermotX]

bit of a stink over the rag and arsenal tv at the mo

Just reading some that alright.......clowns

[rodo]

bit of football factory at the match

[ChesterDave]

Were Spurs fans beating the **** out of their own again because they didn't think they were Spurs fans?

[McDermotX]

Were Spurs fans beating the **** out of their own again because they didn't think they were Spurs fans?

[Roboklopp]

Nawty

[BigChief]

Robbie just said he was racially abused. Something for the police to look into?

[Fosterbloke]

Spurt guaranteed to finish above Arsenal for the first time in 22 years!

[dom9]

Last game at the Lane today.

An article by Tony Evans, of all people:

http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/the-shelf-at-tottenham-once-made-white-hart-lane-londons-most-hostile-stadium-a3537971.html

The Shelf at Tottenham once made White Hart Lane London's most hostile stadium
TONY EVANS

The Shelf towers over the White Hart Lane pitch Getty Images
Times change, stadiums change but football’s folklore keeps a grip on our imagination. On Sunday, White Hart Lane hosts its last game when Tottenham Hotspur play Manchester United. The old ground will be missed but one of its greatest attributes has already been largely forgotten.

Mention the Kop to fans and most think of Liverpool. The Shed immediately conjures up images of Chelsea. Both of these famous terraces have long been seated and are unrecognisable from their heyday as standing areas. Yet at Anfield and the Bridge their aura lingers even for the present generation. Bring up the Shelf and few modern supporters know anything about it.

The Shelf was Tottenham’s glory, even when the glory, glory days were gone. It was a vast, two tiered standing area that ran the length of the touchline of what is now the East Stand. A third level contained seats but it was the double layer of terracing that made it special. Nearly 20,000 people could cram into this area. When the Shelf roared, it sent waves of fear through opposing fans and players. When it bounced, the stadium shivered and quaked.

At a time when the trend was to locate terraces and the most vehement fans behind goals letting the noise flow end-to-end, this sidelong stretch of the ground was different. The chants boomed across the pitch. It was the focus for atmosphere at the Lane.

There were other places where the noisiest, most passionate fans stood along the touchline. The Kippax at Maine Road was a huge, lively section. By the 1970s its impact was diminished because Manchester City placed the away support in the Kippax’s corner. Rival fans could not see the epicentre of City’s chanting.

The Chicken Run at Upton Park was notorious but was changed from an all-standing section in the late 1960s. Both these places have lingered longer in football’s collective memory than the Shelf, even though the White Hart Lane terrace was more fearsome.

The two levels and steepness of the steps made it feel that fans and sound were tumbling down on to the pitch. This impression was bolstered by the top tier of stand, which seemed to be leaning over the lower areas. From the Park Lane where away fans stood, the entire length of the Shelf was visible: some 120 yards of double-decker hostility.

At Old Trafford the Stretford End was a pitch-length distant. It was the same with the North Bank at Highbury. Their power dissipated with distance. They felt remote.

At the Lane the Shelf seemed to sidle up to you and give you the most unpleasant of shoulder barges. It felt too close when you were in the visitors’ section.

Up until the early 1990s when all-seater stadiums became compulsory, Tottenham was perhaps the most forbidding place for travelling supporters to visit in London. Taking that long, exposed walk down the High Road from Seven Sisters Underground was a march of dread for away fans. Once at their destination the ferocity of the Shelf made them feel queasy about the return journey. Trips to West Ham, Chelsea and even Millwall never inspired as much trepidation for some of us.

The 1986 FA Cup semi-final gave me an opportunity to stand on the Shelf. Liverpool were playing Southampton and were allocated the long stretch of terrace. It was everything I imagined. In the higher standing tier had good sightlines. Standing near the halfway line gave a much better view of the game. The best thing about it was that it produced a sonic boom of chants. Even as a Kopite it was easy to envy Shelf dwellers.

It deserved to be hailed as one of the iconic symbols of terrace culture. Why did it never receive the same status as other legendary sections? Perhaps because of the Lane’s camera placement. Television showed Tottenham games from the Shelf’s point of view. Armchair viewers became familiar with Aston Villa’s Holte End and Newcastle United’s Gallowgate. They could see fans in those places singing and celebrating as the ball went into the net. At Tottenham, cameramen had their back to the Shelf, explaining its relative anonymity.

That made it more scary the first time you saw it in the flesh. It was one of the great sights of the game. We’ll all miss the Lane. But it has never been quite the same since the Shelf was shelved.

[Shaggy]

My favourite away ground, something really great about it. A proper ground. Shame to see it go.

[Red_Polo]

My favourite away ground, something really great about it. A proper ground. Shame to see it go.

I think just how steep the stands are makes a huge difference.

[Leyton388]

White Hart Bridge with the plastic flags

[Exiled_red]

Spurs 1-0

[Leyton388]

Haha **** off you man ****s.

[McDermotX]

Well that's not very good, is it ManU?

[dom9]

Good work