My first Spurs game was against Manchester United at White Hart Lane on January 1st 1996, aged seven. We arrived a little late having driven from our home in Milton Keynes and, having rushed through the turnstiles, my Dad watched as I ran up the concrete steps and out in front of 36,000 fans and a noise which, until then, I had never heard before.
Taking our seats in the East Stand, organised chants of ‘come you on Spurs’ went ringing round, the decibel level awe-inspiring – butterflies in my stomach, hair standing on end, I felt at home.
Darkness had descended and huge floodlights were beaming down onto the pitch, a palpable tension gripped the stadium. Adrenaline pumped through my veins at a rate of knots and my attempts at joining in with another chorus of ‘when the Spurs go marching in’ was a failure. Perhaps the excitement of seeing my heroes in the flesh was too much for my voice to take.
Against the might of Manchester United, we were more than holding our own and, unbelievably, took the lead when Teddy Sheringham finished superbly past a helpless Peter Schmeichael. Cue delirium and a moment I’ll never forget – that feeling of unbridled joy. Seconds later, Andy Cole equalised and an eerie silence consumed White Hart Lane. We needn’t had worried – Sol Campbell volleyed us back in-front soon after.
After the break, we dominated and Chris Armstrong had us celebrating a third and, later on, a fourth. Not even the most optimistic Spurs fan could have predicted a 4-1 score-line. As the final whistle went, ‘Glory Glory Tottenham Hotspur’ played out over the tannoy and, as we streamed out, the signing continued onto the streets. I was in love.
Here’s highlights from the game:
Did I think we’d beat everyone week in, week out afterwards? Not completely. Even as a 7 year old I knew supporting Spurs wouldn’t be easy.
My next game? We lost to Coventry.
What was your first game?
By Craving Football – @cravingfootball/http://www.cravingfootball.co.uk/
